Maori
names are used by the indigenous people of New Zealand, the Maori.
Submitted names are contributed by users of this website. The accuracy of these name definitions cannot be guaranteed.
Ahi m & f MaoriFrom
ahi meaning "fire" in Māori.
Ahikā m & f MaoriFrom
ahikāroa meaning "burning fires of continuous occupation" in Māori.
Aho m & f MaoriMeans "line" in Māori. Also means "to shine light" in Māori.
Ahorā f & m Maori (Rare)Means "light over there" in Māori. From
aho "light" and
rā "there, sun". Possibly an contraction of
ahoroa, another word for "moon" in Māori. Ahora could also be interpreted as a nickname for the name
Ahorangi.
Ahu m MaoriMeans "to tend, to foster, to bring up" in Maori.
Amohau f & m MaoriMeans "carrying vitality" and "ceremonial offering of food" in Māori.
Amohia m MaoriMeans "carry on the shoulder" or "rush, charge" in Maori.
Amokura m & f Maori (Rare)Maori word for the red-tailed tropicbird, whose feathers were highly prized in traditional Maori society.
Aorangi m & f MaoriMeans "bright sky" or "cloud in the sky" in Māori from
ao "world, bright, cloud" and
rangi "sky". Aorangi is also the Māori word for "planet".
Aotea f MaoriMeans "white cloud" in Māori. Aotearoa is the Māori name of New Zealand
Apirana m MaoriMāori form of
Abidan. Notable Maori bearers of this name include the politician Apirana Ngata (1874-1950) and the professional rugby player Apirana "Api" Pewhairangi (b... [
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Arahia f MaoriMeans "pathfinder", feminine word for chief, leader, one who leads the way. From
ara meaning "path" and "to rise up" in Maori.
Aria f MaoriĀria means "tidal pool" in Māori. Ariā means "idea, concept" in Māori.
Ariere m Maori, BiblicalMaori form of
Ariel, as it appears in the original 1868 edition of
Te Paipera Tapu ("The Holy Bible").
Awhimai f MaoriFrom the Maori phrase
awhi mai meaning "embrace me", itself taken from the proverb
awhi mai, awhi atu meaning "embrace me, and I will embrace you".
Haere m MaoriPersonification of the rainbow in Māori myth.
Harete f MaoriMāori form of
Charlotte. A notable bearer of this name is the Māori politician Harete Hipango (born c. 1964) from New Zealand.
Hauora f & m MaoriFrom
hauora meaning "health" in Māori, or
hau meaning "wind, breeze; vitality; fame" and
ora meaning "life" in Māori.
Hikatarewa m MaoriFrom
hika meaning "friend" and "kindling fire", and
tārewa meaning "to raise up, suspend".
Hinemoa f MaoriFrom the Maori
hine meaning "girl, daughter" and
moa, the Maori name of an extinct species of bird.
Hinewai f Maori (Rare)Combining "
Hine" meaning "girl" or "maiden", and "
wai" meaning water. Thus, Hinewai translates to "maiden of the water" or "water maiden".
Hira f & m MaoriMeans "great, important" or "abundant" in Maori.
Hiwa f MaoriShort for Hiwa-i-te-rangi, one of the stars in Te Kāhui o Matariki. Hiwa means "active" in Māori.
Hone m MaoriMaori form of
John. Hone Tūwhare (21 October 1922 – 16 January 2008) was a noted Māori New Zealand poet.
Huia f & m MaoriFrom the name of a now-extinct sacred bird in Māori culture. Huia feathers were traditionally worn by people of high status.
Huriata f & m MaoriMaori name meaning "Turn Morning" "Dawn" Or "Daylight". Huri means to 'turn' or 'change' and Ata means 'Morning'.
Ihimaera f & m MaoriMaori form of
Ishmael. Also an indigenous Maori name derived from
ihi meaning "charm" and "ray of light". Surname of 'The Whale Rider' author Witi Ihimaera (b... [
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Iorangi m & f MaoriMāori word for the cirrus cloud, from
io "line, ridge" and
rangi "sky".
Iriaka f & m MaoriMeans "hanging vine" in Māori. Also the Māori form of
Cyriac. A notable bearer of this name is the Maori politician Iriaka Rātana (1905-1981) from New Zealand.
Irirangi f & m MaoriMeans "spirit voice, radio wave" in Māori. Also a type of fern native to New Zealand.
Itu m MaoriFrom
i meaning "with, by" and
tū meaning "stand" in Māori.
Kaea m & f MaoriMeans "leader of dance/song" in Māori.
Kaewa f MaoriMeans "wanderer, traveller" in Maori.
Kāhia f & m MaoriKāhia is another word for the
kōruru, a gable mask of a meeting house.
Kāhu m & f MaoriMeans "harrier hawk" in Māori.
Kahuawe f & m MaoriA type of cloak made from white feathers.
Kahukura m & f MaoriMeans "red ocre cape" Māori. Personification of the rainbow in Māori myth along with Haere and Ōuenuku.
Kaiawa f MaoriA variation of
Kārearea meaning "falcon" in Māori. Often shortened to Kaia meaning "to steal" in Māori.
Kaihau m & f MaoriVariant of Te Kaihau meaning "cloud eater" in Māori.
Kaiora f MaoriMeans "life, health", "healthy" and "impressive" in Māori, from root
ora meaning "life".
Kaitoa m MaoriMeans "warrior" in Māori. Kaitoa was a warrior of the underworld (te pō) in Māori mythology.
Kane m MaoriEither derived from Māori
Tāne meaning "man" and Hawaiian cognate
Kāne, or Māori word meaning "head". Te Kane was a Ngāi Tahu chief... [
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Kara f MaoriVariant of Kare meaning "friend" in Maori.
Karamea f MaoriMeans "red ochre" in Maori. Also a loan word from English, meaning "caramel".
Kawariki m & f MaoriMeans "bitter plant". Maori name for the
Coprosma grandifolia, a shrub native to New Zealand.
Keriata f MaoriEither from
keri "to dig" and
ata "morning"; or from
kiriata "skin that reflects", modern usage of kiriata is "movie". Also Māori form of
Christiana.
Kiti f MaoriThis name is a translation of the European name Kitty. This was the name of a Moriori and Ngāti Māmoe Maori woman named Kiti Karaka Rīwai (1870-1927) who was a founding mother who is the ancestor of Moriori Preece family (one of the surviving groups of Moriori today).
Kiwa m & f Maori (Modern), Polynesian MythologyMeans "dark" in Māori. Kiwa is the male guardian of the ocean in Māori mythology. In Te Reo Māori the Pacific Ocean is also known as
Te Moana nui a Kiwa meaning "The great ocean of Kiwa". Entered the top ten Māori baby names in 2021.
Koa m & f MaoriMeans "happy" in Māori. Entered the top ten Māori baby names in 2020.
Koia f & m Maori, PapuanMeans "well done, indeed, exactly" in Māori. Mt. Koia Tau is place in Papua New Guinea.
Kooti m MaoriThis name is a transliteration of surname
Coates. The word
kooti in Māori means "court of law" and "prosecute." This was the name of Ringatū Church founder Te Kooti Arikirangi Te Tūruki (d... [
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Maehe f MaoriDerived from Maori
Māehe "(the month of) March".
Mahine f MaoriMeans "clean girl" or "white girl" in Maori.
Maia f MaoriMeans "courage, bravery" in Maori.
Mairangi f MaoriEtymology uncertain, possibly from the Maori
mai meaning "for ages, for a long time" and
rangi meaning "day" or "sky, heaven".
Makuku f MaoriMeans "pleasantness, friendliness" in Maori.
Manuka m MaoriA New Zealand name for the flowering shrub/tree whose scientific name is Leptospermum scoparium, famous for the strong honey produced from its blossoms. The tree gets its name from Maori tradition, because Manuka was the name of one of the great ocean-going canoes which brought the Maoris to New Zealand... [
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Matai m & f MaoriFrom
mataī meaning "black pine", a native tree in New Zealand; or from
mātai meaning "ocean" and "study".
Matariki f MaoriMaori feminine name meaning "small eyes", the name of the Pleiades.
Matewa f & m MaoriFrom mate meaning "want, to be overcome" and wā meaning "duration" in Māori. Also transliteration of personal name Mathers.... [
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Matiu m & f MaoriMāori form of
Matthew. Matiu is also an indigenous Māori name possibly derived from
mā tiu "by way of north". Matiu/Somes Island is named after the daughter of Kupe, a semi-legendary navigator.
Matuku m & f MaoriMeans "white heron" in Māori. Also Kōtuku.
Meremere m & f MaoriThis name means "Venus as an evening star" and "star". This was the name of the Ngati Tama Chief of Kaingaroa, Meremere (d. 1860) who protected Moriori under him from other Maori chiefs during the Moriori genocide... [
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Meretini f & m MaoriMeans "plentiful greenstone weapons" and "esteemed" in Māori, from
meremere which means "greenstone weapon" and "venus evening star", and
tini meaning "plentiful". Also Māori form of
Martina.
Metiria f MaoriFrom
me "must" and
tiria "share, cultivate", or
me te rearea meaning "how beautiful" in Māori. A notable bearer of this name is the Maori politician Metiria Turei (b. 1970) from New Zealand.
Nanaia f MaoriMeans "to nurse, to attend to". A notable bearer of this name is the Maori politician Nanaia Mahuta (b. 1970) from New Zealand.
Ngāwai f MaoriMeans "the waters" in Māori. Also short for names containing
ngā wai such as Ngā-wai-hono-i-te-pō meaning "the waters joining in the night". Ngā-wai-hono-i-te-pō Paki is the current and second Māori Queen.
Niko m MaoriMeans "curve, wrap round" from
tāniko, an ornamental border for cloaks. Niko is also short for
Nikora, Māori form of
Nicholas... [
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Nui m MaoriMeans "large, abundant, of high rank, important" in Maori.
Ora f MaoriMeans "life, health" in Māori.
Oriini f MaoriPossibly from
ori meaning "move about, sway" and "bad weather", and
rī meaning "screen off, protect" in Māori, or from
o Rīni meaning "of Rini", where Rini is perhaps short for
Airini or
Hirini... [
more]
Ōuenuku m MaoriPersonification of the rainbow in Māori myth. Also Uenuku.
Owai m & f Maorio wai means "from water" in Māori.
Paerau m & f MaoriMeans "one hundred ridges" in Maori, it also means "meeting place of the dead". Paerau is a river in New Zealand's South Island.
Paki m & f MaoriMeans "fine weather" in Maori. This name is a personal name and a surname. This was the name of a Waikato Chief, and of Paki Whara, a Ngati Tama Elder who in the 1800s gathered information on the Chatham Islands which contributed to the invasion of Chatham Islands.
Pania f Maori, Polynesian MythologyMeans "water" in Māori. Pania, often styled 'Pania of the Reef', was the Māori goddess of water, and is a symbol of the New Zealand city of Napier. A known bearer is Pania Rose (1984-), an Australian model of partial Māori descent.
Paraire m MaoriMaori translation of
Friday. A known bearer of this name is the Maori politician Paraire Karaka Paikea (1894-1943) from New Zealand.
Parariki m & f MaoriFrom
para meaning "sediment, ground" and
riki meaning "small" in Māori.
Parekura m MaoriMeans "battle, battlefield" in Maori. A notable bearer of this name is the Maori politician Parekura Horomia (1950-2013) from New Zealand.
Patukawenga m MaoriPatu means "weapon, kill" and
Kawenga means "burden". This was the name of the Senior Ngati Mutunga Chief Patukawenga (d. 1836-1837?) who was one of the chiefs who invaded what is now Chatham Islands in 1835 before enslaving and committing genocide against the Moriori population.
Patutai m & f MaoriFrom
patu meaning "to strike, weapon, kill" and
tai meaning "tide, coast" or "friend" in Māori.
Piupiu f MaoriA garment made of flax and means "to wave about" in Māori. Also a type of fern native to New Zealand. Piupiu Te Wherowhero (c. 1886-1937) was a member of the Māori royal family.
Ramari f & m MaoriPossibly an abbreviation of
rangimārie meaning "peace"; or interpreted as "lucky day" from
Rā "day, sun" and
Waimarie meaning "luck".
Rauparaha m MaoriThis name in English is "calystegia sepium" a weedy vine or wildflower. New Zealand colonists mistranslated a person with this name "The Robuller." This is the name of Ngati Toa Chief Te Rauparaha (d... [
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Rēinga f & m Maori, Polynesian MythologyMeans "underworld" and "departing place of spirits" in Māori. Cape Reinga is the northern most place in New Zealand. In Māori mythology spirits of the dead would leap from Cape Reinga to enter the afterlife.
Reremoana f MaoriMeans "water flowing to the sea" in Maori, from
rere "flow" and
moana "sea".
Riu m MaoriMeans "core, basin" in Māori.
Rīwai m MaoriMaori form of
Levi. This word in the Maori tongue is a general term for potato. This is not just a first name but a last name. This was the name of farmhand and son Wairua elder of Te Rōpiha, Rīwai Te Rōpiha... [
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Rongo-mai-whiti m Maori, MorioriFrom
rongomai meaning "longstanding peace" and
whiti meaning "shines". An epiphet of Maori god Rongo (high ranking Maori god) or Rongomai (Maori god). In a Moriori migration story this is the name of a god who travels with people heading to what is now the Chatham islands.
Ruatapu m Maori, Cook Islands MaoriMeans "sacred abyss, sacred cave" in Maori. In Maori mythology Ruatapu tried to kill his half brother, Kahutia-te-rangi (who assumed the name Paikea) and drove him out, forcing him to survive by riding humpback whales to present day New Zealand.
Rupe f MaoriFrom the Maori personification of the New Zealand pigeon or kererū.
Tahu m Maori, Polynesian MythologyMeans "to cook" and "sweetheart" in Māori. Tahu is the god of food and feasts, and the embodiment of the dining hall in Māori mythology.
Taia f MaoriMeans "to paint, to tattoo" in Māori.
Taika m MaoriMeans "tiger" in Māori. A notable bearer of this name is New Zealand actor and film director Taika Waititi (born 1975).
Taini f Maori (Rare)From
taininihi meaning "neap tide". Also a loan word from English meaning "tiny". This is the name of Taini Morrison who was a Maori arts performer in New Zealand.
Tākuta m MaoriMeans "doctor" in Māori. A known bearer of this name is the Māori politician Tākuta Ferris (b. 1978) from New Zealand.