Xhosa clan names

Xhosa clan names (isiduko (sing.), iziduko (pl.) in Xhosa) are family names which are considered more important than surnames among Xhosa people[1]. Much like the clan system of Scotland, each Xhosa person can trace their family history back to a specific male ancestor or stock. Mentioning the clan name of someone you wish to thank is the highest form of respect, and it is considered polite to enquire after someone's clan name when you meet them. The clan name is also sometimes used as an exclamation by members of that clan.

When a woman marries she may take her husband's surname, but she always keeps her own clan name, adding the prefix Ma- to it. A man and a woman who have the same clan name may not marry, as they are considered to be related.

A few clan names of amaXhosa and related ethnic groups include:

• Bhele (divides into several sub-clan groups: Dongo, Langa, etc.)
• Cirha
• Deyi
• Debeza - OoDebeza, ngoJebe, Nonyanya, Nongoqo, Mbeka Ntshiyini Bathi uqumbile, Khonkcoshe Mbokodo engava mkwetsho (These are royalty in the Amampondomse group. Their main concentration is in the former Transkei, in Tsolo, Qumbu and Umthatha in the Eastern Cape.)
• Dlamini (or Zizi,Jama kaSjadu, the clan name of Thabo Mbeki, an Mfengu subgroup)
• Dlane
• Dlomo (different lines, Thembu or Hlubi subgroups)
• Dontsa (Hlubi clan)
• Dosini
• Duma (Nxuba)
• Faku (Nyawuza, Thahla, Ndayeni, Mpondo, Hlamba ngobubend'amanz'ekhona)
• Gaba (Mngqosini, Mjobi, Thithiba, Cihoshe, Nozinga, Mnt'womlambo, Thikoloshe, Ndoko, Mbokodw'emnyama Kahili, Msuthu)
• Gadluma
• Ganu
• Gebe (a Bomvana clan name)
• Gqunu
• Gqwashu (with Khoi-khoi ancestry)
• Gubevu (Maduna)
• Gxarha (Mpodomise subgroup clan name)
• Hegebe
• Jola SingaMampondomse ngohlanga, oJola, oomphankomo, nomakhala, njuza, sthukuthezi, sithandwa mhla kukubi, hoshode, hakaha, mfaz'omabele made oncancisa naphesha komlambo
• Jwarha Mtika, Mazaleni, Jotela, Khatiti, Mnangwe, Mayarha, Mbelu, Ndabase, Bantw'abahle noba bapheth' izikhali,
• Khawuta
• Khiwa (Khonjwayo, a Pondo clan)
• Khumalo (Mfengu clan name)
• Khwetshube (Mpondo clan name)
• Kwayi (Ngconde, Togu, Ubulawi, Ngcond'oneentshaba, etc.)
• Madiba (the clan name of Nelson Mandela, a Thembu. Important rulers and chiefs include Mthikrakra, Ngangelizwe, Dalindyebo, Joyi, Jumba, Sabatha, Buyelekhaya)
• Maduna (an Mfengu clan name)
• Manci(Mbali, Wabane, Tshitshis'intaba, Mdludla ka Bekiso, Zinde Zinde Zinemiqala)
• maya (omaya oyem yem osophitsho,omagwa,ongolomsila,obhomoyi)
• Mahlangu
• Matshaya Mbathane
• Mbanjwa
• Mbatha
• Mbotho
• Mdlangathi: Mome mome Sirhama Somntwana, Juta
• Mfene (Olisa, Ojambasi)
• Mhaga
• Miya, Gcwanini
• Mjoli (Qubulashe, Wushe)
• Mkhwemte Dabane Sgadi Mekhi Ntswentswe Fulashe Nojaholo Ncibane Qhanqolo Ntlokwenyathi Ngququ venge
• Mpehle (Mpodomise subgroup clan name)
• Mpemvu (a Thembu clan name)
• Mpinga (Mawawa): the clan of Enoch Sontonga, author of "Nkosi Sikelel' iAfrika", part of Nationa Athem of Republic of South Africa.
• Mtakwenda (Leta, Libele, Tyebelendle, Ngcwadi, Kwangeshe, Mentuko, Mboyi, Solizembe)
• Mvulane
• Myirha Mzondi Sampu Ziyeka (Ithambo lenyoka lihlaba elimzondayo)
• Ncuthu
• Ndala (Ndala ka Momamana, uMncotshe, Msunu Sdumbu, Thole , Ngxunga Smukumuku, ndithinina )
• Ngcitshane
• Ngxongo
• Ngwanya
• Nkomo
• Nkwali (Mfengu/Hlubi clan name: bhukula, Mkhwanazi, Nkwali ye Nkosi)
• Nqarhwane
• Ntshilibe
• Nxasana
• Nxuba
• Nyawuza (Faku, Mpondo ruling line, chiefs including Faku, Sigcau, Bokleni, Ndamase)
• Nzothwa
• Mqadi Ngqwili Nondlobe
• Qhinebe - Gqugqugqu, Zithonga-zthathu, Haha, Mlunjwa, Mkhomanzi, Duka namahlathi
• Qocwa (Zikhali Mazembe, Jojo, Tiyeka, Butsolo Beentonga Mbizana, Mabombo)
• Qoma
• Qithi(Ndinga, Zondwa, Thembu)
• Mqwambi Holomi
• Qwathi - Inkomo zikaXesibe, zikaJojo, zikaMtshutshumbe, ogqaz'ndlel'bhek'ebuNguni. (The amaQwathi are not a clan but a heroic nation founded by Mtshutshumbe kaMthetho who split from the amaXesibe nation and settled in the Mqanduli area in Thembuland some 350 years ago. Later they settled in their present capital of Engcobo during the reign of King Dlomo of abaThembu, about 1680. This small but fiercely independent and anti-colonial nation divides into several clans: oDikela, amaTshaba, oSdindi, Bhlangwe, Bhose, amaNzolo, imiNcayi, amaNtondo, amaKhombayo, oMkhondweni, amaVumbe, etc. Chiefs include the heroic anti-colonial Stokwe ka-Ndlela, the courageous Dalasile kaFubu, the great Fubu himself(who fought and killed both Rharhabe and his son Mlawu in 1872, defended his capital and defeated Madzikane of the Bhaca in 1824 and Matiwane of Ngwane in 1828 during the Mfecane wars triggered by Shaka, etc), Zwelakhe(present chief))
• Rhadebe ndlebentle'zombini([[amaHlubi|)
• Rhoyi
• Sithathu--means "third"(the third Khoi-khoi ancestry clan)[oChisana, Khopoyi, Ndebe, Hasa,Lawu]
• Sikhosana
• Skhoji (A group of Xhosa speaking people who mainly occupy the small town called Tsolo on the Tsitsa valley. They are the direct descendants of a Scottish man by the name of William Saunders who befriended a Xhosa girl and later had issue.)
• Shiya
• Sohobese
• Sonani
• Sukwini (with Khoi-khoi ancestry) - [Chwama, Dibashe ,Lawu'ndini, Nja-bomvu, Sandlala-ngca, Ithole loMthwakazi].
• Thangana (Krila, Rhaso, M'bamba, Bodlinja, Gobingca)
• Thole (Gqagqane, Buzini, Ndlangisa, Mzimshe, Lwandle)
• Tolo (Dlangamandla, Mchenge, Mabhanekazi, Zulu, Mabele-made)
• Tshangisa (Zulu, Skhomo, Mhlatyana, Rhudulu, Nxuba, Mngwevu)
• Tshawe (the ruling house among all the Xhosa. Chiefs include Hintsa, Sigcawu, Sarhili, Xolilizwe, etc.)
• Tshezi (the ruling Bomvana clan of the Jalamba-Gambushe line, with European shipwreck ancestry)
• Tshomane (with shipwreck ancestry, split from the ruling Nyawuza clan of the Mpondo)
• Xesibe (Nondzaba, Mbathane, Tshomela ka Matsho)
• Xhamela
• Zangwa

It is important to note that not all Xhosa speaking people are amaXhosa. Xhosa are the descendents of Tshiwo and Phalo. Some people make the mistake of saying all Xhosa speakers are Umzi kaPhalo': the House of Phalo.

AmaMpondo have their different lineage that is traceable from Dlemini to Njanya, to Sibiside, Mpondo and Mpondomise (the twins). The descendants of Mpondo are Santsabe, Sukude, Msiza, Ncindise, Cabe, Gangata, Bhala, Chithwayo, Khonjwayo, Ngcoya, Hlamandana, Tahle, Nyawuza and many others.

Sources

• African Voices
• Wakahina - Izithakazelo, Iziduko
• Kirsch et al., Clicking with Xhosa (2001), David Phillips Publishers, Cape Town, p. 22
• ISBN/ISSN-00869862197, AUTHOR-Makuliwe, Mpumelelo T.A. TITLE-Iziduko zabantu abathetha IsiXhosa : isikhokelo kwintetho yesintu.

Sandiso Mncedisi Ndlala.Miya Sijekula Ngcwanini Mna ndinguNoluthando Ncumani,ndinguMampehle, Cabashe,inkomo ezibomvu,dikana, gxilishe

Mna ndilimpondo ndinguNqukhwe,umgabaz'ongafiyo,udinda,umbinda kasthulutya,gwaca......

Mna Mzwandile Shwababa,Ndingu MIYA,uGcwanini,sbewu,sjekula,umal'abomvu,uvezi,inkonjan'emnyama edlal'emafini usala kulandela,umancoba

Mna ndingu Unathi Kamlana, uZulu, uSkhomo, uMhlatyana, uMngwevu, uRhudulu ozalwa ngu Mam Ntlane

Ndlovu Gasela Ndlebe ezibhakubhaku

Ndingu Ndala Umncotshe Umomamana Usmukumuku, Msunu Sdumbu Thole uNgxunga Mna ndingu Simbongile Mpayipheli,uMpinga,uMawawa,uNyomntwana ingabanoboya seyifanele abakhulu,uMbhala kaNkqoshe,uSenziwa kaSineka unkomo singalala zingekho esibayeni kub'umfan'ufun'intombi,kuthwa hili ndini phume gadini kaloku kuhlwini

Mna, nto kaSidondi...ndinguGcwanini,uMiya,uSibewu,uNgoma,uSalakulandela,uSjekula,uMancoba,uZozo,uVezi ndingu ndlela usibhekuza, udabekhula

Mna ndingu Khanya Mkabe uMasthathu, uChisana, uKhopoyi, uNdebe,iLawu, uHasa ngo Sithathu ke abo