Kaia and Malakai have been named the most popular Pacific baby names for 2024 in Aotearoa New Zealand.
According to data from the Department of Internal Affairs, Kaia was the top choice for girls with 85 registrations, while Malakai led the boys’ list with 57.
Kaia, a Hawaiian name meaning “the sea,” reflects the Pacific’s deep ties to the ocean. Malakai, of Tongan and Fijian origin, means “messenger of God” and is a variation of the biblical name Malachi.
Other popular Pacific names for girls included Manaia, meaning “beautiful” or “nice” in Sāmoan, and Leilani, which means “heavenly garland of flowers” in Hawaiian. For boys, Koa, meaning “brave” or “warrior,” was second, followed by Kai, another Hawaiian name meaning “sea.”
The unofficial list, compiled using DIA data, focuses on names from Polynesia, Melanesia, and Micronesia but does not include names exclusively identified as Māori. Official Māori baby names for 2024 will be released later this year during Matariki celebrations.
While Pacific names gain popularity, some traditional names also remain, such as Sione, the Tongan version of John, and Hawaiki, a name tied to Polynesian ancestral homelands.
