1937 in New Zealand

January

• 1 January – Lance Pearson, cricketer, basketball player, coach and administrator (died 2019)
• 3 January – Archie Taiaroa, Māori leader (died 2010)
• 10 January – Ralph Caulton, rugby union player, coach and administrator
• 13 January – Guy Dodson, biochemist (died 2012)
• 14 January – Ann Chapman, limnologist (died 2009)
• 15 January – Ray Henwood, actor (died 2019)
• 16 January – Ahmed Said Musa Patel, Muslim cleric (died 2009)
• 21 January – Colin Barclay, cricketer (died 2009)
• 26 January
  • Murray Ball, cartoonist (died 2017)
  • Bruce McPhail, rugby union player (died 2020)
• 31 January – David Tarrant, cricketer

February

• 2 February
  • Tony Shelly, motor racing driver (died 1998)
  • Neale Thompson, cricketer, badminton player
• 19 February – Warwick Dalton, racing cyclist
• 23 February – David Kinsella, cricket player and umpire

March

• 4 March – Graham Dowling, cricketer
• 8 March
  • Barry Robinson, athlete, architect
  • Prince Tui Teka, singer, actor (died 1985)
• 10 March – John Creighton, rugby union player (died 2022)
• 11 March – John Ward, cricketer (died 2021)
• 13 March
  • Trevor Blake, cricketer, field hockey player (died 2004)
  • Chris Kenny, boxing coach (died 2016)
• 31 March – Jindra Tichá, academic, writer

April

• 1 April – Dent Harper, cricketer (died 1997)
• 2 April – John La Roche, civil engineer, author
• 3 April – Eve Rimmer, para athlete (died 1996)
• 5 April – Brian Blacktop, lawyer (died 2007)
• 7 April – Graeme Davies, metallurgist, university administrator (died 2022)
• 8 April – Philip Havill, cricketer
• 15 April – Bill Ballantine, marine biologist (died 2015)
• 16 April
  • David Braithwaite, politician (died 2021)
  • Ivan Keats, athlete (died 2020)
  • Don Oliver, weightlifter, fitness centre founder (died 1996)
• 18 April – Rangi Hetet, master carver
• 20 April – Ernest Barnes, field hockey player
• 22 April
  • Michael Dormer, cricketer (died 2021)
  • Bruce Gregory, politician (died 2015)
  • Roger Slack, plant biologist and biochemist (died 2016)
• 29 April – Tīmoti Kāretu, Māori academic

May

• 4 May – Terence Shaw, cricketer
• 18 May – Ron Watson, sailor
• 20 May – Thomas Goddard, lawyer, judge (died 2019)

June

• 8 June – Michael Crozier, physicist, politician (died 2012)
• 20 June
  • David Lloyd, botanist (died 2006)
  • Phil Skoglund, lawn bowls player (died 2015)
• 21 June – John Kent, cartoonist (died 2003)
• 23 June – Greer Twiss, sculptor
• 24 June – Louise Clough, cricketer

July

• 2 July – Judith McKinlay, biblical scholar (died 2019)
• 9 July – Bill Kini, boxer, rugby union player (died 2012)
• 15 July – Judi Doull, cricketer
• 21 July – Barry Thomas, rugby union player (died 2018)
• 24 July – Te Wharehuia Milroy, Māori language academic (died 2019)
• 25 July – Rose Pere, educationalist, Māori language advocate, conservationist (died 2020)

August

• 1 August – Gugi Waaka, musical entertainer (died 2014)
• 2 August – Ron Brierley, businessman
• 4 August – Charmian O'Connor, physical organic chemist
• 7 August – Don McKay, rugby union player (died 2024)
• 9 August – Trevor Chinn, glaciologist (died 2018)
• 10 August
  • Ian Bradley, naval officer, politician (died 2015)
  • Valerie Young, athlete
• 17 August – Patricia Grace, author
• 19 August – Mick Brown, judge (died 2015)
• 21 August – Elizabeth Hanan, politician, community leader
• 24 August – Philip Newman, cricketer
• 26 August – John Veitch, cricketer (died 2009)
• 30 August – Bruce McLaren, racing driver and car designer (died 1970)

September

• 2 September – Frank Rapley, cricketer
• 7 September – Ngātata Love, business academic, Te Āti Awa leader (died 2018)
• 10 September – Dave Gallop, cricket player and administrator
• 11 September – Marilynn Webb, artist (died 2021)
• 14 September
  • Stuart Chambers, ornithologist
  • John Cullen, field hockey player
• 21 September – Dennis Browne, Catholic bishop
• 22 September
  • Graham Houghton, missionary, educator (died 2022)
  • Trevor McKee, Thoroughbred racehorse trainer (died 2019)
• 23 September – Alexander Morrison, cricketer
• 28 September
  • Graeme Caughley, ecologist (died 1994)
  • Vincent O'Sullivan, writer (died 2024)

October

• 5 October – Brian Maunsell, boxer (died 2021)
• 9 October – Richard Walls, businessman, politician (died 2011)
• 21 October – Robert Monteith, cricket umpire (died 1988)
• 23 October – Lawrie Creamer, milk protein chemist (died 2019)
• 27 October – Neville Huxford, cricketer (died 2006)
• 28 October – Jim Dawson, cricketer

November

• 2 November – Dylan Taite, music journalist (died 2003)
• 3 November – Peter Coutts, cricketer (died 2015)
• 4 November – Brian Edwards, broadcaster, author
• 12 November – Helen Thayer, explorer
• 13 November – Abdul Rahim Rasheed, Muslim community leader, lawyer (died 2006)
• 19 November
  • Meg Campbell, poet (died 2007)
  • Kenneth Keith, jurist
• 23 November – James Wallace, businessman, arts patron
• 25 November – Frances Cherry, writer (died 2022)

December

• 1 December – Bill Hume, association footballer (died 2005)
• 3 December – Peter Morris, cricketer
• 4 December – Ross Dallow, police officer, politician (died 2020)
• 5 December – Roger Douglas, politician
• 12 December – Grant Tilly, actor (died 2012)
• 25 December
  • Reese Griffiths, rugby league player (died 2016)
  • Ginger Molloy, motorcycle racer
• 26 December
  • Pam French, fencer
  • Gavin Hitchings, jeweller (died 2018)
• 29 December
  • Ian Lawrence, lawyer, politician (died 2019)
  • Ethna Rouse, cricketer (died 2023)

Undated

• Bridget Armstrong, actor
• Mary Cresswell, poet
• Peter Dwyer, zoologist, anthropologist
• Michael Harlow, poet, publisher, editor, librettist
• Ken Maddock, anthropologist (died 2003)
• Toi Te Rito Maihi, artist (died 2022)
• Reihana Parata, master weaver
• Jim Peters, politician
• Pauline Rhodes, artist
• Judy Siers, writer, historian
• Barry Vercoe, computer scientist, composer
• Allan Wallbank, politician
• Judy Wilson, sculptor and fibre artist
• Spiro Zavos, cricketer, journalist, writer