[1] The general belief amongst Bahraini scholars is that the reason why the suburb literally translates to "negros" or "blackamoors", is because it pertains to the African slaves who were sold there.

Some foreign scholars disagree and claim that it is named after the Zanj Rebellion against the Abbasid caliphate in the 9th century.

Old Zinj is an old section adjacent to the village of "Bilad Al Qadeem" (Arabic: بلاد القديم).

In J. G. Lorimer's Gazetteer of the Persian Gulf, it is mentioned that 30 huts belonging to the Baharna are located in the village, and that cement is locally produced in 1908.

[6] Several roads in Zinj were barricaded with concrete blocks, and special security forces were frequently seen in the area at night during the 2000s.