The most popular names among political wannabes

The key takeaways from a deep dive into the names of all 530 candidates vying for your vote this election.  

In the past year, Chris was rumoured to be a likely contender for Chris’s job, but it ended up being Chris who mounted the challenge and took the fall for it. Now, as the election draws ever closer, it’s Chris who’s in with a shot.

Only three of those four Chrises are seeking re-election on November 7, but don’t worry, another four have joined them. And still, somehow, Chris(topher) is only the fourth most common name among the 530 candidates from 17 different parties who are vying for your vote this election. 

Matthew has enjoyed a meteoric rise since the last election, when it didn’t even make the top 10. As a baby name, Matthew peaked in popularity between 1983 and 1993, so its ascension could reflect the increasing professional confidence of men as they progress through their 30s – what bloke approaching middle age hasn’t thought to himself, “Hell, I should be running the country”?

The 2026 Matt(hew)s follow clear right/left lines, with the traditionalist National and Act candidates opting for the full version of the name (Kenepuru candidate Evetts, repeat candidate French in Taieri, Port Waikato’s Paul, and Hague in Wellington), while the Labour candidates keep it casual with Matt (Flight in Kaikōura and Brachi, who’s taking on the Port Waikato Matthew), as do the purportedly centrist Opportunity candidates Shepherd in Wairarapa and Harris in Rangitata. Yes, National minister Matt Doocey is seeking re-election and yes, he is bucking this trend. There have been only seven Matt(hew) MPs in the history of New Zealand parliament, but the rise of candidate Matts should see that number soon bolstered. 

Similarly, the Sam/Samuel contingent has grown from two candidates at the last election to five this time, and Dan/Daniel from three to six, as late 80s/early 90s babies reach their mid to late 30s and wager they could be doing a better job than these muppets in the Beehive.

Michael/Mike, meanwhile, while remaining popular among 2026 candidates, has plummeted from the heady heights of 2023, when no fewer than 17 of them wanted your vote. Michael dropped out of the top three boy baby names in 1990, and men bearing this moniker have perhaps correspondingly passed their political prime. (David as a baby name peaked in popularity much earlier, but has clung on among candidates because of how rabidly keen New Zealand parents were on giving their kids the same boring name – 5.1% of baby boys born in 1963 were called David). The Spinoff has been unable to land on a suitable theory to explain the rise of Karl/Carl, which has increased from two in 2020 to six this year, as the two spellings of this name peaked in 1973 and 1981 respectively. 

What about women, I hear you ask. This election, 62% of the candidates are men, with only 36% women (0.75% are another gender and 1.3% didn’t specify). That’s a similar proportion to 2020, but a bit more male-heavy than 2023, when blokes made up 58% of candidates.

That – and the fact parents have traditionally chosen from a far smaller pool of boys’ names than girls’ – means women are nowhere to be seen among the most common candidate names. Three is as high as it gets in 2026 – there’s a trio of Helens, three candidates called Nicola, three Louises and a trio of Rachels (not a single Nicky or Rachael, in case you’re wondering). Anna, the most common female name among 2023 candidates, has fallen well out of favour, dropping from four to just the one this year (shoutout to Anna Knight, standing for the Alliance in Taieri). 

In terms of last names, Smith has regained its top spot after a shocking fall from grace in 2023, when it plummeted from nine 2020 candidates to just two. The seven Smiths running for parliament this time have a clear lead, not threatened by the next most commonly occurring name of Singh, which appears four times and injects a welcome shot of diversity into an overwhelmingly Anglo-Saxon lineup.

In 2023, Brown was the most common last name, but the five Browns in the running didn’t have a great success rate, with just one of their number (Simeon of National) making it into parliament. Compare that to the three Davidsons who sought your vote and had a 100% hit rate (Reuben of Labour and the Greens’ Marama and Mike). Speaking of Mikes, their success rate was abysmal in 2023, with just two of the 17 standing winning enough votes to represent their constituents – Davidson was joined by National’s Wairarapa MP Mike Butterick. Andrew/Andy had the highest hit rate of the top 10, with four of the seven thusly named candidates ending up in parliament (Bayly of National, Foster of NZ First, Hogg of Act and Little of Labour).

Finally, a word of warning for voters in the Epsom, Tauranga, Remutaka and Te Tai Tonga electorates: prepare to see double on your ballots and have your wits about you accordingly, as Paul is taking on Paul, Sam is up against Sam, Chris is battling Chris and Lisa is going head to head with Lisa.