Photo / Paul TaylorHawke's Bay's multi-cultural and diverse community is reflected in the region's most common surnames of the year. According to data provided by Te Tari Taiwhenua Department of Internal Affairs, the most common family name for babies born in 2020 was Singh. As well as being Hawke's Bay's most common surname, Singh was also crowned New Zealand's most frequent name given to newborns, followed by Smith, Kaur, Patel and Williams. Singh said the surname is especially common in Hawke's Bay due to a history of Sikhs working within the farming industry. "Some parents are also getting creative with family names and choosing to hyphenate names or create completely new names."

Source: New Zealand Herald February 22, 2021 00:33 UTC