Amid the verdant hills and coastal waters of Aotearoa (New Zealand), Maori families choose names celebrating ancestral ties and spiritual guardians. Many reflect the bounty of nature—like Tui, referencing the native bird—or invoke mythical warriors from tribal legends. By blending these traditions with contemporary naming preferences, Maori baby names preserve the legacy of whakapapa (genealogy) and the Maori philosophy of living in tune with the land.
