List of dual place names in New Zealand facts for kids

New Zealand has many cool place names that tell a story about the country's history. Some of these are called dual names. This means they have two parts: usually a Māori name and an English name. These names often remind us of both the Māori people who first explored New Zealand and the European explorers who came later.

For example, Te Koko-o-Kupe / Cloudy Bay is a dual name. Captain Cook named it Cloudy Bay in 1770. The Māori name, Te Koko-o-Kupe, remembers an early explorer named Kupe who gathered oysters from the bay. This shows how dual names help us remember important parts of New Zealand's past.

Dual names started appearing in the 1920s. But they became much more common in the 1990s and 2000s. This happened a lot because of Treaty of Waitangi settlements. These agreements helped fix past issues between the New Zealand government and Māori tribes. Giving places dual names was one way to recognise Māori history and culture.

Sometimes, a place might have two different names that are both used, instead of one dual name. For example, the North Island is also called Te Ika-a-Māui, and the South Island is also called Te Waipounamu. These are not considered dual names in the same way as the ones listed below.

How Place Names Become Official

Many places, like Aoraki / Mount Cook, got their official dual names through the 1998 Ngāi Tahu treaty settlement.

In New Zealand, the New Zealand Geographic Board (Ngā Pou Taunaha o Aotearoa) usually decides official place names. If people disagree with a suggested name, the Minister of Lands makes the final choice.

Many dual names became official through special agreements called Treaty of Waitangi claims settlements. These agreements are then made into laws by the New Zealand Parliament. For example, the 1998 Ngāi Tahu settlement alone created 87 dual names, including the famous Aoraki / Mount Cook.

Some New Zealand place names, like most major cities, are not officially recognised by the New Zealand Geographic Board. However, these unofficial names are still written down if they appear in at least two public books or databases. Most of the time, there isn't much difference between an official and unofficial name. The Board plans to make most unofficial names official by 2026.

How Dual Names Are Written

The way dual names are written has changed over time.

• Old way: At first, the less common name was put in brackets. For example, Taylors Mistake (Te Onepoto).
• Newer way: In the 1990s, they started using a forward slash (/) to separate the names, like Aoraki/Mount Cook.
• Current way: Now, it's best to put a space before and after the slash, like name1 / name2.

In 2021, the New Zealand Geographic Board decided to make sure all dual names are written in the same way. They are now updating older names that use brackets to the more common slash style.

Usually, the Māori name is written first. But sometimes, the English name comes first, especially if it's important for things like safety at sea. An example is Baring Head / Ōrua-pouanui.

Official Dual Place Names

Here is a list of some official dual names in New Zealand. This list shows the dual name, what the place was called before (if it changed), what kind of place it is, its region, and when the dual name was adopted.

See also

• List of New Zealand places named by James Cook