Singh trumps Smith as the most common surname for newborns in New Zealand

Smith is no longer the most common surname of new-born babies in Australia's trans-Tasman neighbour. In 2019, Singh - a surname given to Sikh males - overtook Smith to be the numero uno surname and 'Kaur' - the surname given to Sikh females taking the third position.

Photo for representation purpose only. Source: iStockphoto

The Department of Internal Affairs has revealed that the most common surname for babies born in New Zealand in 2019 was Singh.

The surname Smith is a close second, while another Sikh surname Kaur has jumped to the third position ahead of Wilson, Williams and Brown. 

Singh and Kaur are two common surnames among Sikh males and females.

The Sikh religion originated in the Indian state of Punjab.

According to the last census, the number of Sikhs in NZ doubled from 19,191 in 2013 to 40,908 in 2018.

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