Kunta

Literary, English, African-American

Kunta Origin and Meaning

The name Kunta is a boy's name .

Kunta Kinte is the hero of the Roots series of books and TV series, which stem from a novel by Alex Haley. The character -- a Gambian man captured and sold into slavery in America -- is a model of strength in the face of terrible cruelty, and an icon of modern American fiction. Though some may find him too iconic to use his name for a child, others will be drawn to the name's strength and cultural ties. The origins of the name Kunta and the character who bears it are shrouded in controversy. Haley claimed to have based him on a historical account, but others have said that he is mostly invented.

# 572 in the US

Kunta Rank in US Top 1000

Kunta in Pop Culture

  • Kunta Kinte
    main character in book/film "Roots" by Alex Haley
  • pronounced KUNE
    tuh