71%RatingSave Gender Masculine Usage African American (Modern) Pronounced Pron. zah-EER(English) [key·IPA] Meaning & History From the name of a country in Africa from 1971 to 1997, now called the Democratic Republic of Congo. It is said to be derived from Kikongo nzadi o nzere meaning "river swallowing rivers", referring to the Congo River. Related NamesFamily Tree·Details VariantZyaireSame SpellingZaïreUser SubmissionsZaïre, Zaire PopularityDetails Last ranked #495 in 2022 United States Categories place names, rivers, water