New Zealanders around the world are now able to activate their .kiwi domain name with almost 4,600 domain names activated within the past two weeks alone.

After completing all pre-registration periods mandated by ICANN (Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers) on May 1, .kiwi domain names are now sold through leading domain name registrars and resellers.

According to Dot Kiwi, the domain names have been bought by individuals, bloggers, non-profit organisations and companies all looking for a new way to represent their personality online with one of the most recent being Mad Butcher, now available at www.madbutcher.kiwi.

Mike Morton, CEO of Mad Butcher, says the word Kiwi has come to represent New Zealanders all around the world and it’s not just about where they come from, it’s about who they are.

“Here at Mad Butcher we’re proud to be Kiwi so it made sense to change our website to the only domain name that lets us show our Kiwiness online,” he says.

Tim Johnson, CEO of Dot Kiwi, says this sentiment has been echoed by Kiwi organisations and individuals around the world.

A select few .kiwi domains have been live since February this year and as more people have seen them, there’s been an increase in interest.

“In the first ten minutes of general availability on the first of May 1,491 new domain names were registered," Johnson adds.

"So it’s clear lots of people wanted to buy and activate their domain name straight away.

"So far around 80 per cent of domain names have been bought by organisations, but we are seeing more and more individuals buying domain names to use as their personal email addresses and websites."