How popular is the baby name Tandeka in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name Tandeka.

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Popularity of the baby name Tandeka


Posts that mention the name Tandeka

Where did the baby name Tandeka come from in 1967?

Tandeka and Zoleka Tukutese at 6 months old.
Tandeka and Zoleka Tukutese

The baby name Tandeka was a one-hit wonder in the U.S. baby name data in 1967:

  • 1969: unlisted
  • 1968: unlisted
  • 1967: 7 baby girls named Tandeka [debut]
  • 1966: unlisted
  • 1965: unlisted

Where did it come from?

A quintuplet!

Tandeka was the name of one of the famous Tukutese quintuplets born to Xhosa parents Nogesi Gquzulu (mom) and Tafeni Tukutese (dad) in South Africa in February of 1966.

The Tukutese quintuplets (b. 1966)
The Tukutese quintuplets

U.S. newspapers and periodicals spelled (and defined) the quints’ names in various ways…

  1. Kululekile or Kolekile (boy), “happy” or “happiness” (5 lbs., 2 oz.)
  2. Tembekile (boy), “trusted” (4 lbs. 12 oz.)
  3. Mbambile (boy), “devoted” or “I’ve got it” or “he’s got it” (4 lbs. 12 oz.)
  4. Zoleka (girl), “serenity” (4 lbs. 12 oz.)
  5. Tandeka (girl), “beloved” or “loved one” (4 lbs. 2 oz.)

And, interestingly, the name of quint #3 was later changed. The quints’ mother had “defied an age-old tribal custom” by choosing the names herself while at the hospital. According to tradition, it was “the prerogative of the grandfather or great grandfather to name children.”

One of the baby boys was named Mbambile, meaning “He’s Got It” by the mother, but he had his name changed by his great grandfather, 89-year-old Mr. Gqusungu Zenzile, who came from the Transkei to see his great grandchildren. Mr. Zenzile changed his name to Gilindoda, meaning “Giant.”

This change was never mentioned by the U.S. media, though. Even when Ebony magazine published an article about the quints in December of 1966 — an extra round of exposure that no doubt contributed to Tandeka appearing in the SSA data in 1967 — quint #3 was still being called Mbambile.

What are your thoughts on the name Tandeka?

P.S. These days, the names Tandeka and Tembekile are more commonly rendered “Thandeka” and “Thembekile.” In Xhosa, th is pronounced like t, but with more aspiration.

Sources:

Images: Clippings from Ebony magazine (Dec. 1966)

Interesting one-hit wonder names in the U.S. baby name data

single flower

They came, they went, and they never came back!

These baby names are one-hit wonders in the U.S. baby name data. That is, they’ve only popped up once, ever, in the entire dataset of U.S. baby names (which accounts for all names given to at least 5 U.S. babies per year since 1880).

There are thousands of one-hit wonders in the dataset, but the names below have interesting stories behind their single appearance, so these are the one-hits I’m writing specific posts about. Just click on a name to read more.

2020s

  • (none yet)

2010s

2000s

1990s

1980s

1970s

1960s

1950s

1940s

1930s

1920s

1910s

1900s

  • (none yet)

1890s

As I discover (and write about) more one-hit wonders in the data, I’ll add the names/links to this page. In the meanwhile, do you have any favorite one-hit wonder baby names?

Image: Adapted from Solitary Poppy by Andy Beecroft under CC BY-SA 2.0.

[Latest update: Dec. 2023]