Singh most common family name for second year in a row

Singh has once again topped the list of the most common family names for babies born in New Zealand.

The Ministry of Internal Affairs released the list of most common family names for babies born last year.

Following the trend from 2020, Singh has again topped the list.

Smith takes second place and the feminine counterpart to Singh in Sikh communities, Kaur sits in third place for the whole of New Zealand.

While some first names tend to be popular throughout the country, some last names are popular in some regions, but not in others.

"Unlike the most popular first names for babies which tend to retain popularity across the country, data for family names differs, painting a beautiful picture of the cultural history of each region of Aotearoa," Registrar-General Jeff Montgomery said.

"It's a joy each year to get a feel for how the communities in each region are growing and thriving through looking at something as simple as the most common baby family names."

Common Chinese names Wang and Li appeared in fifth and sixth places respectively in the top 10 surnames for Tāmaki Makaurau, but neither appeared in the overall top 10.

Anderson and Thomas were sixth and eigth for the South Island, but did not reach the overall top 10.