Choosing your baby’s name
Something really exciting for any expecting parent is to sift through lists of baby names to find that perfect selection for their new arrival.
Kiwis tend to look for baby names that bear a special meaning to them, either by culture, event or an experience.
With celebrities bucking the trend of choosing traditional baby names, many new parents in New Zealand are thinking outside the square for their latest son or daughter.
What to think about for baby names
There are a million things to consider when choosing your future child’s name. Often this process is something that you, your partner and your family will need come to an agreement with together. Some ideas for consideration are:
- What is going to go well with your last name
- Your child might take your partner’s middle name, or your own
- A family member or pet
- New Zealand television or film stars
- Someone you admire, either a family member, sporting great or other notable figure
- Any historical individual you have descended from or respect
- A NZ geographical location that you or your partner may have a soft spot for.
If you’re still having some difficulty, Huggies New Zealand has recently developed their baby names finder tool that provides quick inspiration for soon-to-be parents. Using the tool is really easy and also shows information on origins, meanings and similar baby names to consider too.
Maori baby names
Both Maori and Pakeha often choose Maori baby names. Many sound beautiful and have interesting and evocative meanings, which is why they’re popular. Although we suspect Tahupotiki, meaning ‘pickled youngest child’, might not make it to the NZ Top Baby Names list anytime soon!
