The kiwi fruit, originally known as the Chinese gooseberry, was renamed for the flightless brown kiwi bird after exportation from New Zealand to the United States in the 1950s. Though both the kiwi bird and fruit are icons of New Zealand, their namesakes actually originated independently. The kiwi bird was named after the Māori word ‘kiwi’ meaning ‘stumpy nose’, referring to the bird’s peculiar nostrils, while the kiwi fruit was named ‘Yang Tao’ meaning ‘sunny peach’ by its original cultivators in China. Through a serendipitous coincidence, the two came to share a name and association with New Zealand.
Origins of the Kiwi Bird
The kiwi is a unique, flightless bird native to New Zealand. It belongs to a family of paleognaths, or ‘ancient jaws’, which includes other flightless birds like ostriches, emus, cassowaries, and rheas. Kiwis likely descended from ancestor birds that flew to New Zealand over 60 million years ago during the time of Gondwana when Australia was still connected to Antarctica. Over time, with no land predators in New Zealand, kiwis lost the ability to fly and developed many ancient traits. Their DNA also indicates they are the most ancient lineage of living birds today.
Kiwis were named after their distinctive calls by Māori, the indigenous Polynesian people of New Zealand. The word ‘kiwi’ comes from the Māori language and is onomatopoeic, meaning it phonetically imitates a sound. In this case, it reproduces the high-pitched, squeaking vocalizations of the kiwi. These calls have been likened to the whines of dogs or even screaming children! The Māori also noted the kiwi’s large, hair-like nostrils, referring to the appearance as ‘askiwe askiwe’, meaning ‘snuffling nose’. Kiwi thus became associated with the bird’s peculiar snout and noisy calls.
Scientific Name | Common Name | Origin of Name |
---|---|---|
Apteryx | Kiwi | Māori word ‘kiwi’ for stumpy nose |
Apteryx haastii | Great spotted kiwi | Named after Julius von Haast (explorer who sent specimens to England) |
Apteryx owenii | Little spotted kiwi | Named after Sir Richard Owen (British paleontologist who studied the specimens) |
Apteryx australis | Southern brown kiwi | Named for their distribution in the southern South Island |
Apteryx rowi | Okarito kiwi | Named after Lake Okarito where subspecies lives |
Apteryx mantelli | North Island brown kiwi | Named after naturalist Gideon Mantell |
There are five surviving species of kiwi remaining today. All species names reference the Māori common name ‘kiwi’, along with details about distribution, key figures in documentation, or distinct attributes that warranted delineation as a subspecies. Though some species are near-threatened primarily due to predation, kiwis remain a cultural icon and important part of New Zealand’s natural heritage.
Origins of the Kiwi Fruit
The kiwi fruit has a very different origin story from its avian namesake. The fruit comes from the vine Actinidia deliciosa, which is native to southwestern China. For centuries it was cultivated there under the name ‘míhóutáo’, meaning ‘macaque peach’, likely referring to macaque monkeys’ enjoyment of the fruit. It was also known as ‘Yang Tao’, translating to ‘sunny peach’ or ‘Chinese gooseberry’ in reference to the fruit’s appearance.
The first recorded mention of Yang Tao dates back to the 12th century during the Song dynasty. For many centuries it was used as a medicinal herb and food source in China. Starting the the early 20th century, Yang Tao made its way beyond China and began being cultivated in New Zealand. The fruit that became known as ‘kiwi’ arose from specific Chinese cultivars brought to New Zealand in 1904 by teacher Alexander Allison.
Name | Meaning | Language |
---|---|---|
Míhóutáo | Macaque peach | Chinese |
Yang Tao | Sunny peach | Chinese |
Chinese gooseberry | Resemblance to a gooseberry | English |
Kiwi | Named after the kiwi bird | English |
The kiwi fruit by any name remained relatively unknown until commercial cultivation began in New Zealand in the early 20th century. Exports started in small quantities during the 1930s.
Kiwi Fruit Commercialized
In 1904, New Zealand teacher Alexander Allison brought back cultivars of the Yang Tao vine from China. He passed them on to farmers who noticed the fruit grew very well in New Zealand’s subtropical climate. Over the next decades, several growers cultivated kiwi vines and even began exporting small amounts of the exotic Chinese gooseberries to the UK.
Commercial production started taking off in the 1930s-1940s. In 1934, one of the early cultivators, Jim Sutton, exported 4,000 pounds of Chinese gooseberries to the UK. Market interest continued growing in both the UK and United States. In 1959, New Zealand growers exported 107,000 pounds of fruit.
It was around this time when the fruit transitioned to the name ‘kiwi’ after New Zealand’s iconic bird. According to one account, New Zealand exporter Turners & Growers began calling the fruit ‘kiwi’ in 1959 after the company considered both gooseberry and Chinese gooseberry unsuitable names for international marketing. Kiwi was suggested as an alternative patriotic name representing New Zealand. Another account credits a California produce distributor, Frieda Caplan, with renaming Chinese gooseberries to ‘kiwi’ after she started importing the fruit from New Zealand in 1962.
Regardless of exact origins, marketers recognized the need for rebranding, and the name ‘kiwi fruit’ stuck. By the 1970s, New Zealand was exporting over 2.5 million pounds annually. The popularity of the kiwi continued expanding in the following decades thanks to successful marketing and breeding improved cultivars. Today, kiwi fruit is cultivated in various regions beyond New Zealand including Italy, Chile, France, Japan and the United States – but it retains its symbolic association with New Zealand.
Year | Kiwi Fruit Exports from New Zealand |
---|---|
1934 | 4,000 pounds |
1959 | 107,000 pounds |
1970s | 2.5 million pounds annually |
Today | Over 400 million pounds annually |
Coincidental Name Alignment
The matching names between the kiwi bird and kiwi fruit arose by pure coincidence. By a serendipitous alignment, the Māori’s onomatopoeic name for their native bird and the marketers’ rebranding of the Chinese gooseberry ended up converging on the same name.
The flightless brown kiwi had been named centuries earlier by indigenous Polynesians in reference to the bird’s long beak and noisy cries. Meanwhile, the Chinese gooseberry was renamed ‘kiwi’ in the late 1950s-60s to give the fruit a catchy, memorable title associated with New Zealand.
This name change occurred when kiwi exports were starting to take off globally. Aligning the fruit with New Zealand’s iconic flightless bird helped boost international awareness and appeal through their one-to-one name correspondence. As a result, two completely unrelated organisms came to share an identity as icons of New Zealand and symbols of the country on the world stage.
Shared Significance Today
While the kiwi bird and kiwi fruit originated independently, today they are both considered cultural symbols and identifiers of New Zealand.
The kiwi bird is a national treasure, appearing on coins, emblems, logos and as mascots for sports teams. Kiwis are a beloved cultural icon despite most New Zealanders never seeing one in the wild. Conservation efforts help protect remaining wild kiwi populations.
Meanwhile, the kiwi fruit put New Zealand on the map as a major agricultural exporter. New Zealand is today the world’s largest producer of kiwi fruits, exporting over 400 million pounds annually. ‘Kiwi’ has become ubiquitous with the oval-shaped green fruit in markets globally.
So the unchecked coincidence of two unrelated organisms sharing a name has led to their joint status as icons. The flightless brown bird and the fuzzy green fruit are both proudly embraced as symbols of New Zealand and its national culture. Their serendipitous name alignment became a boon formutual brand recognition on the global stage.
Conclusion
The kiwi bird and kiwi fruit ended up bearing the same name by a purely chance occurrence. The kiwi was named onomatopoeically centuries ago by New Zealand’s indigenous Māori in reference to the bird’s appearance and cries. The Chinese gooseberry was renamed ‘kiwi’ in the late 1950s-1960s for international marketing appeal tied to New Zealand. This serendipitous name convergence led to the two unrelated species becoming dually associated with New Zealand on a global scale. Today the kiwi bird and kiwi fruit are both considered national icons and symbols originating from New Zealand, despite their distinct histories and origins. Their shared name developed by coincidence, but has led to an aligned cultural significance.