The list of 2018's most popular baby names has been released, with Oliver taking the crown for boys' names for the sixth year in a row while Charlotte was highly favoured for girls.

The rankings, released by the Department of Internal Affairs, also show Nikau and Mia as being the most loved Māori names for boys and girls respectively.

Although Oliver and Charlotte have been popular names for years for each sex, with Olivia and Charlotte swapping back and forth several times since 2011, they each had some close competition.

Isla was the second most popular girls' name with 229 babies being graced with the name in 2018, only four less than Charlotte. Olivia came in third with 211.