indicate the level to which a name has been verified.
Type Surname
Usage Maori
Meaning & History
The name means "reason, cause, origin". Punga is the name of the daughter of Ra (Sun) and his spouse Tame. This was the name of Ngati Mutunga chief Apitea Punga (1827?-1885) who had Moriori slaves and was a big land owner. This is the name of a academic Martin Theodore Te Punga.