Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Kinshasa

Kinshasa

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Kinshasa

Pronounced kin-SHAH-sah /kɪnˈʃɑ.sə/Medium

Meaning: Kinshasa is the name of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, itself derived from a Bantu village name; used as a given name it functions as a place-name honoring African heritage, in the way American families also use Kenya or Sahara.Medium

In 30 seconds: Kinshasa is the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, used as a heritage given name. It appeared in the early 1970s, peaking around 1977 (said kin-SHAH-sah).
💕 Browse more names
Origin MediumCongolese, American
MeaningKinshasa is the name of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, itself derived from a Bantu village name; used as a given name it functions as a place-name honoring African heritage, in the way American families also use Kenya or Sahara.
U.S. rank (1997)#11472 ↘ Falling
1997 U.S. births7 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year1977
Total births (all-time)≈ 116

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 197719711997

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Kinshasa takes its name directly from the capital of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, itself rooted in an earlier Bantu village name. Used as a first name, it belongs to a wave of African place-names (Kenya, Sahara, Zambia) American parents adopted from the 1970s on to honor African heritage and identity.

Kinshasa was never common as a given name, given to about nineteen girls a year at its peak around 1977, and it faded by the late 1990s. It reads as a proud, distinctly Pan-African-era name.

Did you know? Kinshasa became internationally famous in 1974 as the host city of the 'Rumble in the Jungle,' the Muhammad Ali-George Foreman fight, right around the years the name saw its strongest use in the United States.
Overall data confidence 55%
References - Kinshasa — Capital of DR Congo, Bantu-rooted place-name; used as African heritage given name

Variations

KinshashaKenshasa

Nicknames

KinShasa

Famous Bearers

  • Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Kinshasa…

Kenya— a like African place-name given as a first name
Sahara— another African-geography name of the same style
Nairobi— another African capital-city name used the same way
Mikasa— shares Kinshasa's American roots
Lakeisa— a fellow American choice

Explore names like Kinshasa

By themeheritageplace-nameafrican-americanafrican

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Kinshasa mean?

It is the name of the capital city of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, used as a heritage given name honoring African identity.

How do you pronounce Kinshasa?

It is said kin-SHAH-sah /kɪnˈʃɑ.sə/, three syllables with the stress on the middle.

Is Kinshasa a boy or girl name?

Kinshasa is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Kinshasa?

It has always been rare as a given name in the United States, given to about nineteen girls a year at its peak in the late 1970s.

💬 Ask Nia