Country Name Rankings
Most Popular Baby Names in New Zealand (1904)
Official birth-registry rankings โ Mary and William take the top spots. Every name links to its full meaning, origin, and popularity history.
Mary#1 Girl Name
William#1 Boy Name
1904Data Year
Top 151 Girl Names
| # | Name | Trend | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mary | — | The name Mary derives from the Latin Mรกria, which came from the Hebrew Miriam, likely meaning "of the sea" orโฆ |
| 2 | Margaret | — | Margaret derives from the Greek name Margarites (ฮฮฑฯฮณฮฑฯฮฏฯฮทฯ), meaning "pearl," from the Greek word margaros. |
| 3 | Annie | — | The given name 'Annie' is derived from the Hebrew name 'Hannah', meaning 'gracious' or 'favored', and is lingโฆ |
| 4 | Dorothy | — | Dorothy derives from the Greek elements "doron" (gift) and "theos" (God), literally meaning "gift of God." Thโฆ |
| 5 | Florence | ▲ 1 | Florence derives from the Latin name Florentius, which comes from the adjective "florens" meaning "blooming" โฆ |
| 6 | Eileen | ▲ 9 | Eileen is an English form of the Irish name Eibhlรญn, derived from the Norman-French name Aveline, ultimately โฆ |
| 7 | Gladys | ▲ 5 | Gladys derives from the Welsh name Gwladys, which comes from the Welsh element "gwlad" meaning "country" or "โฆ |
| 8 | Alice | ▼ 3 | The given name 'Alice' is derived from the Germanic word 'alis,' meaning 'noble' or 'kind,' and is related toโฆ |
| 9 | Elizabeth | ▲ 1 | Elizabeth derives from the Hebrew name Elisheva (ืืืืฉืืข), meaning "God is my oath" or "God is abundance," comโฆ |
| 10 | Doris | ▼ 2 | Doris derives from the ancient Greek name ฮฯฯฮฏฯ (Doris), meaning "gift" or "of the Dorians," from the root *dโฆ |
| 11 | Ivy | ▼ 2 | The name Ivy derives from the English word for the climbing evergreen plant (genus Hedera), which comes from โฆ |
| 12 | Elsie | ▼ 5 | Elsie is a diminutive of Elizabeth, derived from the Hebrew name Elisheba, meaning "God is my oath" or "God'sโฆ |
| 13 | Ethel | — | Ethel means "noble" and derives from the Old English element "รฆรพel" (noble), which also appears in Anglo-Saxoโฆ |
| 14 | Kathleen | ▲ 2 | Kathleen means "pure" and derives from the Greek name Aikaterine (ฮแผฐฮบฮฑฯฮตฯฮฏฮฝฮท), which likely comes from the Grโฆ |
| 15 | Myrtle | ▲ 2 | Myrtle derives from the myrtle plant (genus Myrtus), with the name ultimately rooted in Greek *myrtos*, meaniโฆ |
| 16 | Irene | ▲ 8 | Irene means "peace" and derives from the Greek word "eirene" (ฮตแผฐฯฮฎฮฝฮท), the name of the Greek goddess of peace. |
| 17 | Olive | ▲ 1 | Olive derives from the Latin word "oliva," referring to the olive tree and its fruit, symbolizing peace and wโฆ |
| 18 | Jessie | ▼ 7 | Jessie is a diminutive form of Jessica, which derives from the Hebrew name Yiskah, meaning "to behold" or "Goโฆ |
| 19 | Violet | ▼ 5 | Violet derives from the Latin word "viola," referring to the violet flower, and means "purple" or "modest" inโฆ |
| 20 | Ellen | ▼ 1 | Ellen means "bright" or "shining" and derives from the Greek name Helene, which comes from the root "hele" meโฆ |
| 20 | Vera | ▲ 2 | |
| 22 | Edith | ▼ 1 | |
| 23 | Muriel | ▲ 11 | |
| 24 | Edna | ▲ 1 | |
| 25 | Catherine | ▼ 2 | |
| 26 | Winifred | ▲ 1 | |
| 27 | Mabel | — | |
| 28 | Phyllis | ▲ 9 | |
| 28 | Marjorie | ▲ 17 | |
| 30 | Thelma | — | |
| 31 | Rita | ▲ 3 | |
| 32 | Agnes | ▼ 13 | |
| 32 | Mavis | ▲ 8 | |
| 34 | Hazel | ▲ 7 | |
| 35 | Frances | ▲ 3 | |
| 36 | Ruby | ▼ 9 | |
| 37 | Emily | ▼ 5 | |
| 38 | Evelyn | ▼ 12 | |
| 39 | Grace | ▼ 7 | |
| 40 | Hilda | ▼ 9 | |
| 41 | Ada | ▼ 3 | |
| 42 | May | ▲ 1 | |
| 43 | Eva | ▼ 9 | |
| 44 | Helen | ▼ 2 | |
| 45 | Constance | ▲ 3 | |
| 45 | Ida | ▼ 1 | |
| 47 | Sarah | ▲ 2 | |
| 47 | Isabella | — | |
| 49 | Mona | ▲ 6 | |
| 50 | Lilian | ▼ 5 | |
| 51 | Lillian | ▲ 1 | |
| 51 | Beatrice | ▲ 10 | |
| 51 | Alma | ▲ 11 | |
| 54 | Iris | ▲ 10 | |
| 55 | Lucy | ▼ 1 | |
| 56 | Gertrude | ▼ 6 | |
| 56 | Nellie | ▼ 1 | |
| 58 | Myra | ▲ 30 | |
| 59 | Rose | — | |
| 60 | Amy | ▼ 8 | |
| 61 | Jane | ▼ 10 | |
| 61 | Lily | ▲ 11 | |
| 61 | Ruth | ▲ 1 | |
| 64 | Jean | ▲ 3 | |
| 65 | Christina | ▼ 7 | |
| 65 | Janet | ▲ 5 | |
| 67 | Gwendoline | ▼ 8 | |
| 67 | Daisy | ▲ 9 | |
| 69 | Ella | ▲ 4 | |
| 70 | Esther | ▲ 6 | |
| 71 | Isabel | ▲ 10 | |
| 71 | Minnie | ▼ 3 | |
| 73 | Clara | ▼ 5 | |
| 73 | Marion | ▼ 16 | |
| 73 | Maud | — | |
| 76 | Doreen | ▲ 19 | |
| 76 | Bertha | ▼ 12 | |
| 78 | Eleanor | ▼ 2 | |
| 78 | Flora | ▲ 9 | |
| 80 | Charlotte | ▲ 15 | |
| 80 | Emma | ▼ 16 | |
| 80 | Laura | ▼ 1 | |
| 80 | Linda | ▲ 14 | |
| 84 | Beryl | ▲ 9 | |
| 85 | Martha | ▲ 10 | |
| 85 | Clarice | ▼ 4 | |
| 87 | Bessie | ▲ 1 | |
| 87 | Louisa | ▼ 17 | |
| 87 | Sylvia | ▲ 32 | |
| 90 | Mildred | ▲ 15 | |
| 90 | Pearl | ▼ 15 | |
| 90 | Stella | ▲ 21 | |
| 93 | Amelia | ▼ 3 | |
| 93 | Freda | ▼ 12 | |
| 95 | Nora | ▼ 14 | |
| 96 | Lorna | ▼ 6 | |
| 97 | Barbara | ▲ 5 | |
| 97 | Eliza | ▲ 22 | |
| 97 | Nancy | ▼ 16 | |
| 97 | Veronica | ▲ 9 | |
| 101 | Reta | ▲ 1 | |
| 101 | Marjory | ▼ 15 | |
| 101 | Dora | ▲ 10 | |
| 104 | Fanny | ▲ 2 | |
| 105 | Olga | ▲ 22 | |
| 105 | Lena | ▲ 19 | |
| 105 | Hannah | ▼ 10 | |
| 105 | Aileen | ▼ 25 | |
| 109 | Dulcie | ▲ 2 | |
| 109 | Eveline | ▼ 3 | |
| 109 | Henrietta | NEW | |
| 112 | Norah | ▼ 13 | |
| 112 | Julia | ▲ 7 | |
| 112 | Joyce | ▲ 7 | |
| 112 | Daphne | ▲ 12 | |
| 112 | Ann | ▲ 15 | |
| 117 | Eunice | ▼ 27 | |
| 118 | Kate | ▼ 19 | |
| 119 | Winnifred | ▲ 23 | |
| 119 | Norma | NEW | |
| 119 | Josephine | ▲ 32 | |
| 119 | Georgina | ▲ 8 | |
| 119 | Enid | ▲ 8 | |
| 119 | Blanche | ▲ 5 | |
| 125 | Sybil | ▼ 14 | |
| 125 | Phillis | ▲ 17 | |
| 125 | Nina | NEW | |
| 125 | Maria | ▲ 2 | |
| 125 | Madge | ▼ 14 | |
| 125 | Caroline | ▼ 19 | |
| 125 | Adelaide | NEW | |
| 132 | Susan | ▼ 5 | |
| 132 | Phoebe | NEW | |
| 132 | Miriam | ▼ 5 | |
| 132 | Marie | ▼ 26 | |
| 132 | Marguerite | ▲ 8 | |
| 132 | Ina | ▼ 21 | |
| 132 | Cecilia | NEW | |
| 139 | Una | ▼ 20 | |
| 139 | Rona | NEW | |
| 139 | Rachel | NEW | |
| 139 | Monica | NEW | |
| 139 | Lydia | NEW | |
| 139 | Lilly | ▲ 12 | |
| 139 | Leila | ▼ 12 | |
| 139 | Katherine | ▼ 37 | |
| 139 | Joan | NEW | |
| 139 | Inez | ▼ 12 | |
| 139 | Harriet | ▼ 28 | |
| 150 | Esma | NEW | |
| 150 | Lila | NEW |
Top 127 Boy Names
| # | Name | Trend | Meaning |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | William | — | William derives from the Germanic elements "wil" (desire, will) and "helm" (helmet, protection), literally meโฆ |
| 2 | John | — | John derives from the Hebrew name Yochanan (ืืึนืึธื ึธื), meaning "God is gracious" or "the Lord is merciful," cโฆ |
| 3 | James | — | James derives from the Hebrew name Yaakov (Jacob), meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows," and entered Engโฆ |
| 4 | George | — | George derives from the Greek name Georgios (ฮฮตฯฯฮณฮนฮฟฯ), composed of "geo" (earth) and "ergon" (work), meaningโฆ |
| 5 | Thomas | — | Thomas derives from the Aramaic name Toma (ืชืืื), meaning "twin," from the root word for duality or twoness. |
| 6 | Charles | ▲ 1 | Charles derives from the Germanic name Karl, which means "free man" or "man" (from the root *karl meaning a cโฆ |
| 7 | Robert | ▼ 1 | Robert derives from the Germanic elements "hrod" (fame) and "beraht" (bright), literally meaning "bright fameโฆ |
| 8 | Arthur | — | The name Arthur likely derives from the Celtic root "art" meaning "bear," though some scholars propose a connโฆ |
| 9 | Albert | — | Albert derives from the Germanic elements "adal" (noble) and "beraht" (bright), meaning "noble and bright" orโฆ |
| 10 | Frederick | ▲ 3 | Frederick derives from the Germanic elements "frid" (peace) and "ric" (ruler/king), meaning "peaceful ruler" โฆ |
| 11 | Henry | — | Henry derives from the Germanic name Heimirich, composed of "heim" (home) and "ric" (ruler/power), meaning "rโฆ |
| 12 | Edward | ▼ 2 | Edward derives from the Old English elements "ead" (wealth, fortune) and "weard" (guardian), literally meaninโฆ |
| 13 | Leslie | ▼ 1 | Leslie derives from the Scottish Gaelic "leas" (garden) and "combe" (valley), literally meaning "garden in thโฆ |
| 14 | Harold | ▲ 1 | The name 'Harold' means "army ruler" or "leader of an army," derived from the Old English elements *here* (arโฆ |
| 15 | Alfred | ▲ 4 | Alfred derives from the Old English elements "รฆlf" (elf) and "rรฆd" (counsel), literally meaning "elf counsel"โฆ |
| 16 | Eric | ▼ 2 | The name Eric derives from the Old Norse name Eirรญkr, composed of "ei" (ever/always) and "rรญkr" (ruler/king),โฆ |
| 17 | Walter | ▲ 1 | The given name 'Walter' means 'ruler of the army' or 'powerful protector', and its linguistic root is Germaniโฆ |
| 18 | Ernest | ▼ 2 | The given name 'Ernest' means 'serious' or 'determined', derived from the Old High German words 'ern' meaningโฆ |
| 19 | David | ▲ 2 | The name David derives from the Hebrew name Dawid (ืืื), meaning "beloved" or "friend," from the root dwd. |
| 19 | Francis | ▼ 2 | Francis derives from the Latin name Franciscus, which means "Frenchman" or "free man," originating from the Lโฆ |
| 21 | Richard | ▲ 8 | |
| 22 | Joseph | ▼ 2 | |
| 23 | Leonard | — | |
| 24 | Herbert | — | |
| 25 | Norman | — | |
| 25 | Stanley | ▲ 2 | |
| 27 | Alexander | ▼ 6 | |
| 28 | Reginald | ▲ 3 | |
| 29 | Cyril | ▲ 4 | |
| 30 | Gordon | ▼ 2 | |
| 31 | Kenneth | ▲ 3 | |
| 32 | Frank | ▼ 6 | |
| 33 | Ronald | ▼ 1 | |
| 34 | Cecil | ▼ 4 | |
| 34 | Percy | ▲ 2 | |
| 36 | Douglas | ▲ 10 | |
| 37 | Clarence | ▲ 5 | |
| 38 | Raymond | ▼ 1 | |
| 39 | Roy | ▲ 1 | |
| 40 | Jack | ▲ 7 | |
| 40 | Allan | ▼ 5 | |
| 42 | Hector | ▼ 3 | |
| 43 | Archibald | ▲ 20 | |
| 44 | Andrew | ▲ 1 | |
| 44 | Harry | ▼ 7 | |
| 46 | Hugh | ▼ 3 | |
| 47 | Donald | ▼ 6 | |
| 48 | Sydney | ▲ 1 | |
| 49 | Lawrence | ▼ 2 | |
| 49 | Victor | — | |
| 51 | Samuel | ▼ 7 | |
| 52 | Philip | ▲ 6 | |
| 53 | Alan | ▲ 1 | |
| 54 | Horace | ▼ 1 | |
| 55 | Patrick | ▲ 12 | |
| 55 | Edwin | ▼ 3 | |
| 55 | Colin | ▲ 10 | |
| 55 | Clifford | ▲ 15 | |
| 59 | Lionel | ▲ 1 | |
| 59 | Wilfred | ▼ 8 | |
| 61 | Keith | ▼ 1 | |
| 62 | Maurice | ▼ 5 | |
| 62 | Leo | ▲ 1 | |
| 62 | Bernard | ▼ 2 | |
| 65 | Arnold | ▲ 7 | |
| 66 | Michael | ▲ 2 | |
| 66 | Peter | ▼ 12 | |
| 68 | Claude | ▼ 14 | |
| 68 | Edgar | ▲ 8 | |
| 68 | Geoffrey | ▲ 5 | |
| 68 | Ralph | ▲ 8 | |
| 72 | Owen | ▲ 4 | |
| 72 | Noel | ▲ 17 | |
| 72 | Ian | ▼ 4 | |
| 75 | Gilbert | ▼ 4 | |
| 75 | Laurence | ▲ 7 | |
| 75 | Sidney | ▲ 7 | |
| 78 | Allen | ▲ 11 | |
| 79 | Ivan | ▼ 21 | |
| 80 | Percival | ▼ 4 | |
| 80 | Martin | ▲ 2 | |
| 80 | Malcolm | ▼ 7 | |
| 80 | Daniel | ▼ 14 | |
| 84 | Louis | ▲ 3 | |
| 85 | Roland | ▲ 7 | |
| 86 | Benjamin | ▼ 6 | |
| 87 | Edmund | ▲ 8 | |
| 88 | Gerald | NEW | |
| 88 | Rupert | NEW | |
| 90 | Trevor | ▼ 1 | |
| 90 | Lewis | ▼ 9 | |
| 92 | Bertie | ▲ 3 | |
| 92 | Mervyn | ▲ 11 | |
| 94 | Stephen | ▼ 12 | |
| 94 | Russell | NEW | |
| 94 | Matthew | ▲ 9 | |
| 94 | Howard | ▼ 7 | |
| 94 | Fredrick | NEW | |
| 94 | Dudley | NEW | |
| 94 | Bruce | ▲ 25 | |
| 94 | Bertram | ▲ 9 | |
| 94 | Basil | ▼ 21 | |
| 103 | Hubert | ▲ 8 | |
| 103 | Duncan | ▼ 4 | |
| 103 | Cedric | NEW | |
| 103 | Athol | ▲ 8 | |
| 107 | Claud | ▼ 15 | |
| 107 | Neil | ▼ 25 | |
| 107 | Oswald | NEW | |
| 107 | Roderick | ▲ 4 | |
| 107 | Stuart | NEW | |
| 112 | Oliver | ▼ 13 | |
| 112 | Murray | NEW | |
| 112 | Lancelot | ▼ 1 | |
| 112 | Carl | ▼ 1 | |
| 116 | Brian | NEW | |
| 116 | Christopher | ▼ 5 | |
| 116 | Clement | ▼ 24 | |
| 116 | Desmond | NEW | |
| 120 | Vernon | ▼ 1 | |
| 120 | Reuben | NEW | |
| 120 | Nelson | NEW | |
| 120 | Melville | NEW | |
| 120 | Frances | NEW | |
| 120 | Edmond | NEW | |
| 120 | Archie | ▼ 17 | |
| 120 | Vivian | ▼ 21 |
Source: NZ Department of Internal Affairs, 1904. Trend arrows compare each name’s rank with the previous available year.
Frequently Asked Questions
What was the most popular girl name in New Zealand in 1904?
The most popular girl name in New Zealand in 1904 was Mary, given to 459 newborn girls.
What was the most popular boy name in New Zealand in 1904?
The most popular boy name in New Zealand in 1904 was William, given to 862 newborn boys.
Which baby names are rising fastest in New Zealand?
Compared with the previous rankings, the fastest-rising names in the 1904 top 100 were Sylvia (+32), Josephine (+32), Myra (+30), Bruce (+25), Archibald (+20), Noel (+17).
Where does this data come from?
Rankings are from the NZ Department of Internal Affairs.