Background
Until the 1800s, Māoris did not have last names. At that time, they began to develop their own surname system. The father’s first name became the son or daughter’s last name. If a father’s name was Ariki, for example, and his child’s name was Maunga, the child’s full name would be Maunga Ariki.
For many decades, this naming convention applied to both men and women. Married women kept their father’s name as their last name. They did not take on a husband’s name.
At the start of the 20th century, Māori adopted Western naming practices.
In addition to a first and last name, many Māori have a middle name or perhaps a nickname. This second name can, in some instances, supersede the first name. It can become the name the person is known by, even in his or her family genealogy.
Many first names and last can include prefixes or articles, words like de, do, da, dos, and e.
Enter the name into Family Tree
- Enter the first name, including any middle names, nicknames, prefixes, and articles, into the First Names field.
- Enter the last name, including prefixes or articles, into the Last Names field marked.
Consider the complete name Mario Luiz de Souza da Silva. In this case, you would enter the words Mario Luiz de Souza into the First Names field. You would enter the words da Silva into the Last Names field.
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