Zaire

Zaire takes its name from the mighty central African river and the country that bore the name from 1971 to 1997, the former Zaire now called the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The word itself comes from a Kongo phrase meaning "the river that swallows all rivers." As a first name it entered American use in the late twentieth century, favored for its bold sound and its sense of continental scope. At 472 it remains distinctive. The opening Z cuts sharp, the long central vowel opens wide, and the silent final E lends it polish. Strong, original, and quietly monumental.