Tineka
A feminine name of uncertain origin, potentially a variant of the name Tina.
Name Census estimates that about 235 living Americans carry the first name Tineka. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Tineka today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Tineka births was 1976 (22 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Tineka. 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
235
~ 1 in 1,458,529 Americans
Peak year
1976
22 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
1993 SSA rank
#13,322
Tracked since 1967
Popularity
Tineka: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Tineka from the 1960s through to the 1990s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 124 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Tineka 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 Tineka during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Tineka
The name Tineka has its roots in the ancient Bantu languages of Central and Southern Africa, dating back to the early centuries of the first millennium AD. It is believed to be derived from the word "tinka," which means "to shine" or "to be radiant" in several Bantu dialects spoken in present-day regions like the Democratic Republic of Congo, Angola, and Zambia.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Tineka can be found in the oral histories and folklore of the Luba people, an ethnic group native to the Katanga region of the present-day Democratic Republic of Congo. In these ancient stories, Tineka is often depicted as a powerful and revered figure, associated with the sun's rays and the blessings of light and warmth.
During the era of European exploration and colonization in Africa, the name Tineka gained wider recognition and spread to other parts of the continent. In the late 19th century, a prominent Xhosa chief from the Eastern Cape region of South Africa, named Tineka Siwisa, played a significant role in the resistance against British colonial expansion.
Another notable figure bearing the name Tineka was Tineka Bhebhe, a Ndebele princess and daughter of King Lobengula, who ruled the Ndebele Kingdom in present-day Zimbabwe in the late 19th century. Tineka Bhebhe was known for her resilience and courage during the turbulent period of the Matabele Wars against British forces.
In the 20th century, Tineka Gwangwa, a South African activist and trade unionist, made a name for herself as a vocal advocate for workers' rights and as a leading figure in the struggle against apartheid. She was born in 1925 and dedicated her life to fighting for social justice and equality.
Tineka Bhengu, born in 1952 in South Africa, is another prominent figure who carried the name. She was a renowned educator and advocate for children's rights, working tirelessly to improve access to quality education in underprivileged communities.
While the name Tineka has its roots in African cultures, it has gained recognition and popularity globally, transcending cultural and linguistic boundaries. Its association with light, radiance, and strength has made it a cherished name for many parents around the world.
People
Tineka + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Tineka as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with T
Other first names starting with T with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Tineka: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Tineka?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 235 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Tineka 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 1,458,529 US residents.
Is Tineka a common name?
We classify Tineka as "Very Rare". It ranks above 76.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 255 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Tineka most popular?
The single biggest year for Tineka was 1976, when 22 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Tineka is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Tineka a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Tineka 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.