For the seventh year in a row, Indian common surname Singh has once again topped the list of registered family names in 2024, followed by Kaur.
Family name Smith – which was the most common registered family name in New Zealand a decade ago, was relegated to the third spot.
Patel and Sharma are the other two Indian family names that have made it in the top 10 list.
“For the seventh consecutive year, Singh is the most common registered family name, with over 680 babies given this name. Kaur follows closely in second place with 630 babies, while Smith rounds out the top three with 300 babies sharing the family name,” Brooke van Velden, Internal Affairs Minister said while announcing the most common family names given to newborns for last year.
Interestingly, “in the North Island, Singh, Kaur and Patel were the most common registered family names. In the South Island Kaur, Singh and Smith took the top spots.”
As New Zealand’s diversity continues to grow, “it’s great to see that reflected in our family name data for 2024,” she added.
“Family names are a real gift for all children, as they reflect the rich history of each family they originate from.”
The family name Singh has a long history, originating from the Sanskrit word for ‘lion.’ It is traditionally used by Sikh men and in their faith, Singh symbolises ‘lion’ or the one with qualities of a ‘warrior’, and Kaur reflects a similar meaning ‘lioness’ or a ‘princess’.
For the last three successive years, the highest number of New Zealand citizenship was granted to people born in India – in 2024, 5,777 (14%), in 2023 6,610 (18%) and 8,168 (20%).
A total of 4,525 marriages took place in New Zealand involving at least one Indian born party.
Below is the list of the 10 most common family names registered in 2024:
- Singh, 680
- Kaur, 630
- Smith, 300
- Patel, 276
- Williams, 206
- Sharma, 195
- Brown, 184
- Wilson, 174
- Taylor, 147
- Jones, 129
Previous related stories:
https://www.newsviews.co.nz/singh-is-top-surname-again-in-2021-followed-by-smith-kaur/ https://www.newsviews.co.nz/singh-overtakes-smith-williams-again-as-top-surname-in-2020/
