Tonga

♀ Girl

How to Pronounce Tonga

Pronounced TONG-guh /ˈtɒŋ.ɡə/Medium

Meaning: Tonga is the name of the Polynesian island kingdom in the South Pacific, where it is often read as meaning roughly south; it is also the name of a Bantu people of Zambia and Zimbabwe, and appears among other communities.Low

In 30 seconds: Tonga is the name of a Polynesian island kingdom, often read as roughly south, and also of a Bantu people of southern Africa. As a first name it was always rare (said TONG-guh).

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Origin LowPolynesian, African

MeaningTonga is the name of the Polynesian island kingdom in the South Pacific, where it is often read as meaning roughly south; it is also the name of a Bantu people of Zambia and Zimbabwe, and appears among other communities.

U.S. rank (1986)#12726 ↘ Falling

1986 U.S. births5 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1968

Total births (all-time)≈ 159

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

Tonga can arrive as a given name by several honest paths: the Polynesian kingdom whose name is often read as roughly south, the Tonga people of southern Africa, or usage among Hmong and other communities. It is a place and people name more than a traditional personal one.

Tonga appears in United States records from the nineteen-fifties, reaching its small peak around 1968 when it was given to only about twenty girls a year, and it stayed uncommon before fading. A girl named Tonga at that peak would be in her late fifties today.

Did you know? Tonga is a sovereign island kingdom in the South Pacific, while the same name belongs to a Bantu ethnic group of Zambia and Zimbabwe, so it reaches families by more than one route.

Overall data confidence 30%

References - Tonga — Polynesian island kingdom; Tonga people of southern Africa; multiple routes

Variations

TonjaTongiaTanga

Nicknames

ToniTonie

Famous Bearers

Famous bearers coming soon.

If you like Tonga…

Tonya— a close-sounding girl's name of the same era

Sonya— a like two-syllable name ending in -ya

Latonya— shares the Ton- sound

Tana— another short, warm girl's name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Tonga mean?

It is the name of the Polynesian island kingdom, often read as roughly south, and also of a Bantu people of southern Africa.

How do you pronounce Tonga?

It is said TONG-guh /ˈtɒŋ.ɡə/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Tonga a boy or girl name?

Tonga is used here as a girl's name.

How popular is Tonga?

It has always been rare in the United States, given to only about twenty girls a year at its peak in the late nineteen-sixties.