The word "khinkal" is of Avar origin and simply means "dumpling" ("Avar-Andian etymology").
According to Salome Kuchukhidze, a Georgian native, "Khin" comes from the proper woman's name Khinda, corresponding to previous story about Khinda, and "kali" means "woman" in Georgian (Kuchukhidze). Kuchukhidze's research led her to speculate that Khinda was most likely the first one who cooked a dish similar to the khinkali we know today, and therefore the dish was named after her.
