What is Awhina from MAFS Australia’s ethnicity? Explaining her name origin and pronunciation

19 March 2025, 12:59

How do you pronounce MAFS Australia’s Awhina Rutene's name? Her ethnicity, name origin and pronunciation explained.

Awhina (pronounced A-fee-na) is one of 13 brides on the lineup of this year’s Married at First Sight Australia where she married Adrian.

Previously, Awhina was in a relationship of 15 years with her childhood sweetheart, who she shares her six-year-old son with, but the pair eventually split leaving Awhina a single mum.

After some time out of the dating scene game, Awhina decided it was time to begin her quest for new love and applied for MAFS following a recommendation from her mum.

But one of the most interesting things about Awhina is her name, which if you haven't seen written down looks different to how it's pronounced.

So, let's take a look at her name origin and pronunciation.

• Read more: MAFS Australia’s Jacqui makes bombshell claim about Ryan’s behaviour on show
• Read more: MAFS Australia's Adrian responds to domestic violence allegations

What is Awhina from MAFS Australia's ethnicity and nationality?

30-year-old Awhina is originally from New Zealand and was born in Darwin, while her parents were born in New Zealand. She also has Māori roots, which refers to the indigenous Polynesian people of mainland New Zealand.

In an interview with Woman’s Day, Awhina made it clear she’s extremely proud of her Māori roots but said that she hasn’t been back to New Zealand since moving to Perth with her family when she was just 14.

She said: "A lot of my dad’s side of the family are still in New Zealand, however, most of my mum’s side slowly moved to Australia. Unfortunately, I don’t get over there very much."

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A post shared by Awhina (@_awhinarutene)

How do you pronounce Awhina from MAFS Australia's name?

In te reo, the language of the Māori people, ‘wh’ is typically pronounced like the English ‘f’ sound. So Awhina’s name is pronounced more closely to Ah-feena, like the Greek name Athena.

What is the origin of Awhina’s name?

The name Awhina, which derives from the Māori language, reportedly means the ‘helper’ or ‘supporter’.

Read more about MAFS Australia here:

• MAFS Australia’s Rhi and Jeff's relationship status confirmed in adorable new video
• MAFS Australia's Tim faces further backlash as his former students' parents speak out
• MAFS Australia’s Jacqui reveals she has filed police report against Ryan
• Why MAFS Australia's Tim used fake name on the show

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