Coat of arms of Christchurch, New Zealand T-Shirt

The name Christchurch was adopted at the first meeting of the Canterbury Association on 27 March 1848. The reason it was chosen is not known with certainty, but the most likely reason is it was named after Christ Church, Oxford, the alma mater of many members of the association, including John Robert Godley. Christ Church college had similarities with the planned new city, including its own cathedral, the smallest in England. Other possibilities are that it was named for Christchurch, Dorset, or for Canterbury Cathedral. The Māori name Ōtautahi, meaning 'the place of Tautahi', was adopted in the 1930s. Ōtautahi was the name of a specific site by the Avon River / Ōtākaro (near the present-day fire-station on Kilmore Street). The site was a seasonal food-gathering place of Ngāi Tahu chief Te Pōtiki Tautahi. Although, a different account claims the Tautahi in question was the son of the Port Levy chief Huikai. Prior to that, Ngāi Tahu generally referred to the Christchurch area as Karaitiana, an anglicised version.