Singh has topped the list of the most common family names registered for newborns in New Zealand for the seventh consecutive year.
Internal Affairs Minister Brooke van Velden revealed the latest data from 2024 on Thursday.
"Singh is the most common registered family name, with over 680 babies given this name," van Velden said. "Kaur follows closely in second place with 630 babies, while Smith rounds out the top three, with 300 babies sharing the family name."
Singh and Kaur are commonly associated with members of the Sikh religion, which originates from the Indian state of Punjab.
As a symbol of unity, all Sikh men traditionally take the surname Singh, meaning "lion", while all Sikh women take the surname Kaur, meaning "princess".
This tradition dates to the formation of the Khalsa, a community of initiated Sikhs founded by Guru Gobind Singh, one of Sikhism's 10 gurus.
The family name Singh has a long history, originating from Sanskrit, and has become common among the global Indian diaspora.
Van Velden noted that the top three common family names a decade ago were Smith, Wilson and Brown.
"New Zealand is a diverse country, and it's great to see that reflected in our family name data for 2024," van Velden said.
The most common registered family names in the North Island were Singh, Kaur and Patel.
Kaur ranked first in the South Island, followed by Singh and Smith.
Van Velden highlighted the importance of ensuring that all New Zealand-born children, including those born overseas, are properly registered.
"It's important to remember that Kiwi babies born overseas must be registered as citizens by descent to ensure they have full access to citizenship rights, including the ability to obtain a passport," she said.
ISSUE
