Around the world, "Kiwi" is a popular nickname for New Zealanders, and people from New Zealand will often call themselves "Kiwis" too. For most New Zealanders, the word Kiwi is a positive and friendly nickname — but where did it come from? The name actually comes from the kiwi: a fluffy bird that has a round body, a long beak and cannot fly. It is only found in New Zealand. While the bird was already used on New Zealand's stamps and money by the late 19th century, it was first used to represent New Zealand in 1904 — when it was used in a cartoon to represent the country's rugby team. After that, the bird was often shown in cartoons to represent the country. During World War I, soldiers from New Zealand who were fighting in Europe wore an image of the bird on their uniforms. "Kiwi" became a popular nickname for these soldiers, and it continued to be used after the war. So the people and the birds don't get mixed up, "Kiwi" as a nickname for New Zealanders is usually written with a capital K, while the bird's name is usually written with a small k: "kiwi." The kiwi fruit, which is originally from China, is also named after the bird. In 1959, fruit exporters in New Zealand started calling it "kiwifruit" because its fluffy, brown skin looks similar to the fluffy bird. However, it is important not to mix up Kiwi people, kiwi birds and the kiwi fruit! Although the fruit is usually just called "kiwi" in other parts of the world, New Zealanders only ever call it "kiwifruit."