This name was not bestowed by the Rangitaane people in pre-Pakeha days, but was chosen by a gathering of all the principal Maori people of the Manawatu district about the year 1878.
These chiefs had assembled together at the invitation of the Rangitaane people to discuss the selection of a suitable Maori name for the central courtyard (The Square) of the new township of Palmerston North.
The name "Te Marae-o-Hine" (which means "the Courtyard of the Daughter of Peace") was suggested by Matene Te Whiwhi, the senior representative of Ngati Raukawa, and was unanimously agreed upon by all those present at the meeting. The name originates from the Waikato district , where it was the name of the home of a Ngati Raukawa chieftainess named Te Rongorito, who was famous for her activities as a peacemaker. Her home (Te Marae-o-Hine) was a place of peace, where no weapons were to be used and where people of all tribes could find sanctuary. The name was chosen by the Maori people of Manawatu to symbolise their hope that people of all tribes and all races would live together in lasting peace (maungarongo) and love.