Before Europeans came to New Zealand, the Māori did not need a name for themselves as a people. After Europeans came to New Zealand, the indigenous people called themselves "Māori. Māori" means "normal" or "ordinary". They called other people, especially those who came from Britain, “Pākehā”, meaning "white person". Today, in New Zealand English "Pākehā" is often used as a name for New Zealand Europeans.