Indian Surnames Top the List of New Zealand’s Newborns

The evolving demographics of New Zealand are reflected in Smith, once the most common surname, now slipping to a distant third.

Sikh children raise slogans during a religious procession to mark the martyrdom of the 'four sahibzade' in memory of the killing of the sons of Sikh guru Gobind Singh, in Amritsar on Dec. 23, 2024. Narinder NANU/AFP via Getty Images

In 2014, Smith was the most common surname for newborns in New Zealand.  Ten years later, it had slipped to third place, overtaken by Singh and Kaur—reflecting the changing face of New Zealand society.

Last year, 680 newborns had the family name Singh, placing it in the top spot. It was closely followed by Kaur with 630 babies. Smith remained in third place with 300.