The name Ngā Whenua Tapotu uses a descriptive approach to translate the etymological meaning of the Netherlands or ‘Low-Lands’. Tapotu describes a low-lying area, while Ngā Whenua refers to multiple lands. Previously, the common transliteration was Hōrana, which referred only to the provinces Zuid-Holland and Noord-Holland. Te Kīngitanga o Ngā Whenua Tapotu not only refers to all of the provinces, but also encompasses Aruba, Curaçao, and Sint Maarten.

When referring to the Dutch language and people, Tati and Tatimana remains the widely recognized transliteration for Dutch and Dutchman, respectively.

During the festive opening of the new chancery and the dawn tohi tangaengae (rededication ceremony), the new name was revealed by representatives of Te Āti Awa, marking a new area of further collaboration with tangata whenua. Together with our Dutch and English names, the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in New Zealand is now also known as Te Māngai Kāwanatanga o Te Kīngitanga o Ngā Whenua Tapotu ki Aotearoa.