Gonxhe

Gonxhe is a feminine given name used in Albanian-speaking communities, principally in Albania and Kosovo, and among the Albanian diaspora. It appears in historical and contemporary records as a personal name.

The most prominent bearer of the name is Anjezë Gonxhe Bojaxhiu (1910–1997), better known as Mother Teresa, the Catholic nun and missionary who founded the Missionaries of Charity. She was born in Skopje, then part of the Ottoman Empire and now the capital of North Macedonia, and she adopted Gonxhe as part of her birth name. She later took religious vows and became widely known by her chosen name.

In Albania, Gonxhe is used as a given name and may appear in official records, and it can also function as a middle name in some families. It is one of several Albanian feminine names that reflect the country’s Christian and cultural heritage. The name’s recognition outside Albanian-speaking communities largely rests on Mother Teresa’s global prominence.