'Aotearoa' originates from Māori, specifically the elements 'ao', 'tea' and 'roa', where 'ao' meant 'cloud' or 'world', 'tea' meant 'white' or 'clear', and 'roa' meant 'long'.

'Aotearoa' was part of Māori oral tradition and place-naming; it was adopted as a name for the islands now called New Zealand during the 19th century and entered English usage through contact between Māori and English speakers, becoming increasingly common in the late 20th and early 21st centuries.

Initially it referred to the image of a 'long white cloud'; over time that phrase became used as a proper name for the country now known in English as New Zealand.