Nzinga
Of Kongo origin, meaning "to walk with honors".
Name Census estimates that about 309 living Americans carry the first name Nzinga. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Nzinga today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Nzinga births was 1979 (15 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Nzinga. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
309
~ 1 in 1,109,237 Americans
Peak year
1979
15 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
2021 SSA rank
#10,121
Tracked since 1972
Popularity
Nzinga: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Nzinga from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 92 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Nzinga by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Nzinga during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Nzingas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Nzinga
Nzinga is a name of African origin, specifically from the Bantu language group spoken in parts of Central and Southern Africa. It is believed to have roots in the Kimbundu and Umbundu languages of Angola.
The name gained historical significance due to its association with Queen Nzinga Mbande (c. 1583-1663), a powerful ruler of the Ndongo and Matamba kingdoms in modern-day Angola. She is celebrated for her military prowess, diplomatic skills, and resistance against Portuguese colonization efforts in the 17th century.
The earliest recorded use of the name Nzinga can be traced back to the 16th century, when it was borne by Queen Nzinga's father, Ngola Kiliwanji, the ruler of the Ndongo kingdom. It is believed that the name may have originated from the Kimbundu word "kuzinga," meaning "to twist or curve."
Throughout history, several other notable individuals have carried the name Nzinga. One such figure was Nzinga Makitina (c. 1530-1595), a military leader and diplomat who played a crucial role in negotiating treaties between the Ndongo kingdom and the Portuguese during the early stages of colonization.
Another prominent bearer of the name was Nzinga Mona (c. 1640-1700), a renowned warrior and advisor to Queen Nzinga Mbande. She is credited with leading successful military campaigns against the Portuguese and contributing to the preservation of Ndongo's independence.
In the 19th century, Nzinga Mbandi (c. 1835-1904) was a influential chief and diplomat from the Ovimbundu people of present-day Angola. He played a significant role in negotiating treaties and maintaining peaceful relations with the Portuguese colonial authorities.
Nzinga Luluwa (c. 1880-1960) was a renowned traditional healer and spiritual leader from the Kongo region of Central Africa. She was revered for her expertise in traditional medicine and her commitment to preserving the cultural heritage of her people.
People
Nzinga + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Nzinga as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with N
Other first names starting with N with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Nzinga: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Nzinga?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 309 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Nzinga going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,109,237 US residents.
Is Nzinga a common name?
We classify Nzinga as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 325 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Nzinga most popular?
The single biggest year for Nzinga was 1979, when 15 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Nzinga is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Nzinga a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Nzinga in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.