Surname Minga - Meaning and Origin
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Minga: What does the surname Minga mean?
The surname Minga can have several different origins and meanings. The most likely source is from the Portuguese language, where it is derived from the verb mingar, which means “to worry” or “to complain”. This links the name to a quality of being always hard to please. It can also originate from the Spanish language, derived from the Latin word mingo, which is a bird-name; in this case it would refer to someone who is lively and active, an image that also applies to the Portuguese source.
Minga can also originate from the Indigenous Tupí-Guarani language, which is spoken in South America, where it is a term for “good friendship”. Here, it is associated with someone who is kind and reliable.
Another possible origin for the surname Minga is from the Italian region of Lombardy, where it is a rare toponymic surname indicating a place of origin. The Italian word minga can also mean “blend” or “mix,” referring to the combination of people of multiple cultures that inhabited this area throughout history.
In any case, the surname Minga is fundamentally associated with positive concepts and qualities such as trust, loyalty, activity, warmth, and friendship.
Order DNA origin analysisMinga: Where does the name Minga come from?
The last name Minga is primarily found in China, Brunei, and Thailand, and is derived from the given name Ming or Meng. In Brunei, Minga is the most popular variant of the name, and is particularly common among the Sea Dayak people.
In China, Minga is also a common surname, but it is more commonly spelled as Ming. This spelling variant is shared by the majority of people with the last name Minga who live in the country. It is closely linked to the loanword Míng, which derives from the Chinese pronunciation of the ancient word for “bright”. While most Chinese genealogies have been lost due to war and political turmoil, this surname is believed to originate from the Ming Dynasty which ruled from 1368 to 1644.
In Thailand, Minga is either derived from its Chinese counterpart, or from the last name Mien (เมียน), which is also written as Ming. It is believed to be of Thai-Lao origin, and is associated with the people of the Isan region in northeastern Thailand.
Today, Minga remains popular in the countries mentioned above, and is also found in small numbers in various other countries, including the United States, Australia, Canada, Germany, and the UK. As a result of cultural and economic migrations, it is slowly gaining popularity in other parts of the world.
Variations of the surname Minga
Minga is of Spanish origin and is a surname and variant spelling. It is derived from the Latin name Mauritius, meaning “dark” or “black”, and was popular among the nobility of medieval Spain. The spelling of Minga has been found in the regions of Catalonia, Aragon, and other parts of Spain. Other variants of the surname include Mingue, Menchaca, Minguez, Minchaca, Meinga and Mingâo. The Portuguese variant of Minga is Meneguete.
In some regions, the surname has been transformed from Minga to Mina. Several other orthographical variations of Minga have been documented, including Mingue, Menchaca, Mingues, Minga, Menega, Minging, Miñga, and Miñguez. Other early migrants to the U.S. and Canada with the surname Minga include Jose Minga, who arrived in New Orleans, Louisiana in 1834, and Josefa Minga, who arrived in the same city in 1853.
The Minga surname is also found in Mexico and some other parts of Latin America. It is found in some areas of Peru, Chile and Argentina, among other countries. In Peru, the surname Minga is derived from the Quechua indigenous people and is related to a local folk tradition known as minga or mingas, which is a type of collective labor that provides mutual aid to members of the community. In the Dominican Republic, the surname Minga is derived from the African-Caribbean Taino language and cultural tradition and has come to be used as a generic term for people living internally displaced due to the Dominican Civil War of the 1960s.
In other parts of Europe, the surname Minga is derived from German, English and French language origins and has been found in Austria and other countries in the region. In the United States, the surname Minga has been documented in California, Oregon and Colorado, among other states.
Famous people with the name Minga
- Devon Minga, professional basketball player from the Dominican Republic
- Blake Minga, American artist and sculptor from Idaho
- Stephen Minga, former head of the National Transport and Safety Authority in Kenya
- Paulo Minga, Brazilian football coach and former professional player
- Baffour Gyan Minga, Ghanaian footballer
- Efe Minga, Nigerian professional footballer
- Aminu Minga, world-class sprinter from Tanzania
- Ryan Minga, Dutch model
- Nasibe Minga, Congolese footballer
- Moses Minga, former world amateur boxing champion from Zimbabwe