Cusi

♀ Unisex

Pronounced KOO-see

Meaning: joy, happiness

In 30 seconds: Quechua word meaning joy or happiness — used as a given name and name element in the Inca royal line, including as the birth name of Pachacuti, the emperor who built Machu Picchu.

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Origin Quechua

Meaningjoy, happiness

History & Origin

Cusi (modern Quechua Kusi) means joy or happiness in Quechua, the language of the Inca Empire and millions of Andean people today. The word appears as the first element in compound royal names: Cusi Yupanqui was the birth name of Pachacuti (r. 1438–1471), the ninth Sapa Inca who built Machu Picchu and expanded the empire from Ecuador to Chile. Cusi Huarcay (c. 1531–1586), a daughter of Manco Inca, served as queen consort and fought colonial administrators for decades after her husband's death. As a standalone given name, Cusi remains in use across Quechua-speaking communities in Peru and Bolivia, a name that carries the straightforward warmth of a bright Andean morning.

Did you know? Cusi Yupanqui was the birth name of Pachacuti (r. 1438–1471), the Sapa Inca who built Machu Picchu and transformed a small kingdom into the vast Tawantinsuyu spanning Ecuador to Chile — he took the throne-name Pachacuti, meaning Earth-Shaker.

Pachacuti — Wikipedia — Confirms Cusi Yupanqui as Pachacuti's birth name; kusi = joy/happinessCusi Huarcay — Wikipedia — Documents 16th-century Inca queen bearing the Cusi name elementPachacuti Inca Yupanqui — World History Encyclopedia — Authoritative secondary source confirming birth name Cusi Yupanqui and imperial achievements

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If you like Cusi…

Chasca— Quechua name for the morning star Venus — from the same Andean Quechua linguistic tradition

Illari— Quechua name meaning to dawn or shine — sharing Cusi's association with brightness and new beginnings

Killa— Quechua name for the moon goddess Mama Killa, from the same Inca cosmological tradition as Cusi's royal history

Sumaq— Quechua name meaning beautiful — another positive-meaning Quechua given name from the same Andean tradition

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Frequently Asked

What does Cusi mean?

Cusi (Quechua Kusi) means joy or happiness. It appears in Inca royal names including Cusi Yupanqui (birth name of Pachacuti, who built Machu Picchu) and Cusi Huarcay (16th-century Inca queen).

How do you pronounce Cusi?

KOO-see — two syllables, stress on the first.

What culture is Cusi from?

Cusi is a Quechua name from the Andean peoples of Peru and Bolivia, including the Inca Empire. The modern Quechua spelling is Kusi.

Is Cusi a boy or girl name?

Cusi has been used for both: Cusi Yupanqui (male, birth name of Pachacuti) and Cusi Huarcay (female, Inca queen). It is now used primarily as a feminine given name in Andean communities.