Famous New Zealand Women

Greatness may be the baby of ability, but there is a lot more that ability has to go under to reach for the greatest. First and foremost you need a vision which has to be backed by passion and drive. But no vision alone can help you achieve the greatness – you need to have a lot of courage, resolute mind and an unwavering spirit to make an achievement. Wonder why are we suddenly talking about greatness and achievement? Peek-a-boo into this section of famous New Zealand women and you would surely relate to the above said.

Vote for Your Favourite New Zealand Women

Right IconThis ranking is based on an algorithm that combines various factors, including the votes of our users and search trends on the internet.

 1 
Anna Paquin
(Canadian-born New Zealand Actress and the Second Youngest Winner in Oscar History)
Anna Paquin
72
Birthdate: July 24, 1982
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Winnipeg, Canada
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 2 
Lorde
(Known for Her Unconventional Musical Styles and Introspective Songwriting)
Lorde
53
Birthdate: November 7, 1996
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Takapuna, Auckland, New Zealand
 3 
Roseanne Park
(Korean-New Zealand Singer and Dancer Known for Her Single ‘On the Ground’)
Roseanne Park
103
Birthdate: February 11, 1997
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
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 4 
Jacinda Ardern
(40th Prime Minister of New Zealand)
Jacinda Ardern
53
Birthdate: July 26, 1980
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Hamilton, New Zealand
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 5 
Lucy Lawless
(New Zealand Actress Best Known for Her Role as 'Xena' in the Television Series 'Xena: Warrior Princess')
Lucy Lawless
37
Birthdate: March 29, 1968
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Mount Albert, Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 6 
Thomasin McKenzie
(Actress)
Thomasin McKenzie
44
Birthdate: July 26, 2000
Sun Sign: Leo
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 7 
Rose McIver
(Actress)
Rose McIver
18
Birthdate: October 10, 1988
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 8 
Melanie Lynskey
(New Zealand Actress Known for Playing Quirky, Soft-Spoken but Headstrong Characters)
Melanie Lynskey
18
Birthdate: May 16, 1977
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New Plymouth, New Zealand
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 9 
Stella Maxwell
(Fashion Model and Former Victoria's Secret Angel)
Stella Maxwell
30
Birthdate: May 15, 1990
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Brussels, Belgium
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 10 
Katherine Mansfield
(One of the Most Highly Regarded Short Story Writers of the 20th Century)
Katherine Mansfield
6
Birthdate: October 14, 1888
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Wellington
Died: January 9, 1923
 11 
Shirley Setia
(Singer, Actress)
Shirley Setia
7
Birthdate: July 2, 1995
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Daman, India
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 12 
Lydia Ko
(World's youngest LPGA tour winner who took the Women's Open at Ienbee Park, Canada, at 15 years of age)
Lydia Ko
7
Birthdate: April 24, 1997
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Seoul, South Korea
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 13 
Benee
(Singer-songwriter)
Benee
18
Birthdate: January 30, 2000
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Grey Lynn, Auckland, New Zealand
 14 
Valerie Adams
(Retired New Zealand Shot Putter and Two-Time Olympic Gold Medallist)
Valerie Adams
13
Birthdate: October 6, 1984
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Rotorua, New Zealand
Height: 6'4" (193 cm)
 15 
Dakota Kai
(New Zealand Professional Wrestler)
Dakota Kai
14
Birthdate: May 6, 1988
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 16 
Rachel Hunter
(New Zealand Actress and Model)
Rachel Hunter
21
Birthdate: September 8, 1969
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 17 
Kerry Bishé
(Known for Her Role as ‘Donna Clark’ in the TV Series ‘Halt and Catch Fire’)
Kerry Bishé
5
Birthdate: May 1, 1984
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: New Zealand
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 18 
Nancy Wake
(British Agent who Led the Maquis Groups of the French Resistance - One of the Most Decorated Servicewomen During WW II)
Nancy Wake
14
Birthdate: August 30, 1912
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
Died: August 7, 2011
 19 
Luciane Buchanan
(Actress)
Luciane Buchanan
2
Birthdate: July 18, 1993
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: New Zealand
 20 
Anna Hutchison
(Actress and Producer)
Anna Hutchison
9
Birthdate: February 8, 1986
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 5'5" (165 cm)
 21 
Kiri Te Kanawa
(Opera singer)
Kiri Te Kanawa
8
Birthdate: March 6, 1944
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Gisborne, New Zealand
 22 
Zoë Bell
(Stuntwoman and Actress)
Zoë Bell
10
Birthdate: November 17, 1978
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Waiheke Island, New Zealand
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 23 
Anna-Louise Plowman
(Actress)
Anna-Louise Plowman
10
Birthdate: May 9, 1972
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Napier, New Zealand
Height: 5'11" (180 cm)
 24 
Rebecca Gibney
(Actor)
Rebecca Gibney
6
Birthdate: December 14, 1964
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Levin
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 25 
Jessica Watson
(Australian Sailor Who Attempted a Solo Global Circumnavigation at the Age of 16)
Jessica Watson
9
Birthdate: May 18, 1993
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Gold Coast, Australia
 26 
Hayley Westenra
(New Zealand Classical Crossover Singer Best Known as Member of Irish Folk Group 'Celtic Woman')
Hayley Westenra
3
Birthdate: April 10, 1987
Sun Sign: Aries
Birthplace: Christchurch, New Zealand
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)
 27 
Michelle Ang
(Actress known for her work on Fear the Walking Dead: Flight 462)
Michelle Ang
3
Birthdate: October 17, 1983
Sun Sign: Libra
Birthplace: Christchurch, New Zealand
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 28 
Brooke Fraser
(New Zealand Rock Singer and Songwriter Best Known for Her Hit Single 'Something in the Water')
Brooke Fraser
4
Birthdate: December 15, 1983
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 29 
Jean Batten
(Aviator Who Made Record Breaking Trans-world Flights)
Jean Batten
2
Birthdate: September 15, 1909
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Rotorua, New Zealand
Died: November 22, 1982
 30 
Emma Lahana
(Actor, Film actor)
Emma Lahana
4
Birthdate: June 27, 1984
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Auckland
Height: 5'1" (155 cm)
 31 
Patsy Reddy
(21st Governor-General of New Zealand)
Patsy Reddy
2
Birthdate: May 17, 1954
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Matamata, New Zealand
 32 
Helen Clark
(37th Prime Minister of New Zealand)
Helen Clark
6
Birthdate: February 26, 1950
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Te Pahu, New Zealand
Height: 5'8" (173 cm)
 33 
Brooke Williams
(Actress)
Brooke Williams
5
Birthdate: January 3, 1984
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Christchurch, New Zealand
Height: 5'3" (160 cm)
 34 
Niki Caro
(Director known for 2002 film Whale Rider was critically praised and won a number of awards)
Niki Caro
4
Birthdate: September 20, 1966
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 35 
Kate Sheppard
(The Most Prominent Member of the Women's Suffrage Movement in New Zealand)
Kate Sheppard
11
Birthdate: March 10, 1847
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Liverpool, England
Died: July 13, 1934
 36 
Ngaio Marsh
(Writer, Theatre director, Novelist, Autobiographer, Screenwriter, Stage actor, Film actor)
Ngaio Marsh
3
Birthdate: April 23, 1895
Sun Sign: Taurus
Birthplace: Christchurch
Died: February 18, 1982
 37 
Alexia Barlier
(Actress)
Alexia Barlier
4
Birthdate: December 21, 1982
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Neuilly-sur-Seine, France
Height: 5'9" (175 cm)
 38 
Ladyhawke
(singer, songwriter)
Ladyhawke
4
Birthdate: July 13, 1979
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Masterton
 39 
Janet Frame
(Novelist, Essayist, Poet, Writer, Short Story Writer)
Janet Frame
1
Birthdate: August 28, 1924
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Dunedin
Died: January 29, 2004
 40 
Bic Runga
(New Zealand Pop Singer Known for Her Hit Single ‘Sway')
Bic Runga
1
Birthdate: January 13, 1976
Sun Sign: Capricorn
Birthplace: Christchurch, New Zealand
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 41 
Robyn Malcolm
(Actress)
Robyn Malcolm
1
Birthdate: March 15, 1965
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Ashburton, New Zealand
 42 
Monica Galetti
(Chef)
Monica Galetti
5
Birthdate: August 26, 1975
Sun Sign: Virgo
Birthplace: Samoa
 43 
Wing
(Singer whose singing style has drawn comparisons to Florence Foster Jenkins and Mrs. Miller)
Wing
2
Birthdate: 1960 AD
Birthplace: Hong Kong
 44 
Jenny Shipley
(36th Prime Minister of New Zealand (1997 - 1999))
Jenny Shipley
1
Birthdate: February 4, 1952
Sun Sign: Aquarius
Birthplace: Gore, New Zealand
 45 
Dianna Fuemana
(New Zealand Pacific Writer, Director and Performer)
Dianna Fuemana
3
Birthdate: 1973 AD
Birthplace: New Zealand
 46 
Antonia Prebble
(Best known for her role as Loretta West in the series Outrageous Fortune)
Antonia Prebble
2
Birthdate: June 6, 1984
Sun Sign: Gemini
Birthplace: Wellington, New Zealand
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 47 
Rose Matafeo
(Writer and performer on the NZ late-night comedy sketch show Funny Girls)
Rose Matafeo
5
Birthdate: February 25, 1992
Sun Sign: Pisces
Birthplace: Auckland, New Zealand
Height: 5'10" (178 cm)
 48 
Lesley-Ann Brandt
(Film actress)
Lesley-Ann Brandt
8
Birthdate: December 2, 1981
Sun Sign: Sagittarius
Birthplace: Cape Town, South Africa
Height: 5'7" (170 cm)
 49 
Emily Barclay
(New Zealand AFI award winning actress)
Emily Barclay
5
Birthdate: October 24, 1984
Sun Sign: Scorpio
Birthplace: Plymouth, Devon, England
Height: 5'4" (163 cm)
 50 
Lisa Carrington
(Canoeist)
Lisa Carrington
2
Birthdate: June 23, 1989
Sun Sign: Cancer
Birthplace: Tauranga, New Zealand
Height: 5'6" (168 cm)

While talking about famous New Zealand women, one cannot restrain from mentioning Kate Sheppard at the top – she was the face of the equality campaign. Thanks to her futuristic vision which was powered by her political skill, Kate successfully guided New Zealand to become the first country in the world that gave women the right to vote. In the field of literature too, New Zealand women made their worth count. Katherine Mansfield, an author and short story writer, was amongst the literary giants of the 20th century. And who can forget the pioneering aviator Jean Batten and her flying endeavour which made her the first person to fly solo from London to Auckland? Get inspired by the life history and works of famous New Zealand women and their achievements in this segment.