Why Are New Zealanders Called Kiwis? Meaning, and Origin of the Nickname

New Zealanders are called Kiwis because the kiwi bird New Zealand became a national symbol of New Zealand before the word became a nickname for its people. The bird is native to Aotearoa, New Zealand, culturally important to Māori culture, and widely recognized as a symbol of the country. 

The nickname spread during World War I, when New Zealand soldiers were associated with the kiwi symbol overseas. Over time, “Kiwi” moved from referring to the bird to describing New Zealanders themselves.

Today, “Kiwi” is usually a friendly, informal nickname for a person from New Zealand and reflects the Kiwi meaning in New Zealand. It should not be confused with kiwifruit, which was named after the bird.

The kiwi bird is important to New Zealand because it is native, unusual, and strongly linked to New Zealand's national identity. Before “Kiwi” became a nickname for New Zealanders, it first referred to this distinctive flightless bird kiwi. 

Taonga means treasure, but in Māori culture, it can refer to more than a valuable object. It can include living species, ancestral knowledge, cultural practices, and things connected to identity or spiritual meaning.

The kiwi fits this meaning because it is native to Aotearoa, New Zealand, and closely tied to the land. Its rarity, native status, and long relationship with Māori communities made it culturally important, not just biologically unique.

When Europeans first encountered the kiwi, it stood out from the birds they already knew. It could not fly, had loose hair-like feathers, was mostly active at night, and looked almost mammal-like in some ways.

These unusual traits made the kiwi memorable. It was not just another native species. It was a bird strongly associated with New Zealand’s landscape and the kiwi bird and New Zealand identity, which made it useful as a symbol for a country developing its own identity. 

World War I was the major turning point that helped turn “Kiwi” from a symbol of New Zealand into a nickname for New Zealanders and shaped the history of New Zealanders called Kiwis. By this time, the kiwi bird was already closely linked with the country, but the war made that symbol more visible overseas.

Calling New Zealand soldiers “Kiwis” felt natural because the bird was already recognized as a New Zealand symbol, helping establish the Kiwi soldiers' nickname. After the war, the nickname spread beyond the military. Over time, “Kiwi” became a common informal word for any New Zealander, not just a soldier.

One common misunderstanding is that New Zealanders are called Kiwis because of kiwifruit, which leads to confusion about Kiwi fruit vs Kiwi people. That is not correct. The nickname comes from the kiwi bird, while kiwifruit is a separate term that came later.

Here is the easiest way to tell the difference between a Kiwi person, a Kiwi bird vs Kiwi fruit:

For many New Zealanders, being called a Kiwi is a badge of Kiwi pride. The term is often associated with qualities that New Zealand likes to see in itself:

• friendliness

• humility

• resilience

• a practical, down-to-earth attitude

Unlike some national nicknames that are rarely used by locals, Kiwi has been widely embraced within New Zealand. People regularly refer to themselves as Kiwis in everyday conversation, media, sports, business, and politics.

The nickname also helps create a sense of unity and reflects modern New Zealand people identity. Whether someone lives in Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch, or a small rural town, the term Kiwi provides a common identity that transcends regional differences.

Kiwiana refers to iconic objects, traditions, and New Zealand cultural symbols that are uniquely associated with New Zealand. Examples often include:

• The Buzzy Bee toy

• Jandals (flip-flops)

• Pavlova

• The silver fern

• Backyard barbecues

• The kiwi bird itself

Another popular concept is Kiwi ingenuity, sometimes called the “Number 8 wire mentality,” which is closely connected to Kiwi culture. The phrase reflects the idea that New Zealanders are resourceful problem-solvers who can find practical solutions with limited resources.

Because of these associations, the word Kiwi has evolved into more than a label for nationality—it has become shorthand for a particular cultural identity and way of thinking.

In most situations, no.

Unlike some national nicknames that can carry negative connotations, Kiwi is generally considered a positive and widely accepted term. New Zealanders commonly use it to describe themselves, and international visitors can usually use it without causing offense.

That said, context always matters. Some people may prefer to identify primarily as New Zealanders, Māori, Pasifika, or by another cultural identity. As with any national label, respecting individual preferences is important.

Overall, however, Kiwi remains one of the most widely adopted national nicknames in the world—a term that connects New Zealanders to its unique history, culture, and most famous bird.

In summary, Why Are New Zealanders called Kiwis? Because the kiwi bird became a national symbol of New Zealand long before the term evolved into a nickname for its people, explaining the origin of the Kiwi nickname. The story begins with a native flightless bird, then moves through Māori cultural meaning, public symbols, and World War I soldiers who helped spread the name overseas.

Today, “Kiwi” is a positive informal nickname for people from New Zealand called Kiwis. It is not based on kiwifruit; the fruit was named after the bird, not the other way around.

In the end, being called a Kiwi reflects more than a simple nickname. It represents a connection to New Zealand’s history, culture, and national symbols—much like the famous All Blacks name, which has become another globally recognized part of New Zealand identity.