Xhosa clan names are family names which are considered more important than surname

Surname

A surname is a name added to a given name and is part of a personal name. In many cases, a surname is a family name. Many dictionaries define "surname" as a synonym of "family name"...

s among Xhosa peoplehttp://www.nelsonmandela.org/index.php/memory/views/names/. Much like the clan system of Scotland

Scotland

Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...

, 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

Exclamation

Exclamation may refer to:* Exclamation mark, the punctuation mark "!"* Exclamation, an emphatic sentence* Exclamation, an emphatic interjection* Exclamation, a statement against penal interest in criminal law* Exclamation, a fragrance by Coty, Inc....

 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:

• Bhayi (Khetshe, Mkhumbeni, Msuthu - they belong to the amaVundle people)
• Bhele (divides into several sub-clan groups: Dongo, Langa, etc.)
• Cethe (ooChizama)
• Cirha (ooNcibane)
• 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
  Thabo Mbeki
  Thabo Mvuyelwa Mbeki is a South African politician who served two terms as the second post-apartheid President of South Africa from 14 June 1999 to 24 September 2008. He is also the brother of Moeletsi Mbeki...
  
  , an Mfengu subgroup)
• Dlane
• Dlomo (different lines, Thembu or Hlubi subgroups)
• Dontsa (Hlubi clan
  AmaHlubi
  The Hlubi are a South African ethnic group. For at least two centuries they have been a part of the Nguni, Mbo or Lala nation. They are found in the Republic of South Africa in the KwaZulu/Natal, Eastern Cape and North West provinces, with an original settlement on the Buffalo River...
  
  )
• 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)
• 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
  Nelson Mandela
  Nelson Rolihlahla Mandela served as President of South Africa from 1994 to 1999, and was the first South African president to be elected in a fully representative democratic election. Before his presidency, Mandela was an anti-apartheid activist, and the leader of Umkhonto we Sizwe, the armed wing...
  
  , a Thembu. Important rulers and chiefs include Mthikrakra, Ngangelizwe, Dalindyebo, Joyi, Jumba, Sabatha, Buyelekhaya)
• Maduna (Gubevu, Nokhala, an Mfengu clan name)
• Manci(Mbali, Wabane, Tshitshis'intaba, Mdludla ka Bekiso, Zinde Zinde Zinemiqala)
• Maya (omaya oyem yem osophitsho,omagwa,ongqolomsila,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 (Ncilashe, Msuthu - they belong to the amaVundle people)
• Myirha Mzondi Sampu Ziyeka (Ithambo lenyoka lihlaba elimzondayo)
• Ncuthu
• Ndala (Ndala ka Momamana, uMncotshe, Msunu Sdumbu, Thole , Ngxunga Smukumuku, ndithinina )
• Ngcitshane
• Ngxongo
• Ngwanya
• Nkomo (Mntungwa, Khumalo - amaMfengu. They are originally Ndebele from Natal and arrived in as refugees in Thembuland in 1828 during the time of the Mfecane wars.)
• Nkwali (Mfengu/Hlubi clan name: bhukula, Mkhwanazi, Nkwali ye Nkosi)
• Nqarhwane
• Ntshilibe
• Nxasana
• Nxuba (Mduma, Rhudulu)
• 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 - Iinkomo zikaXesibe, zikaJojo, zikaMtshutshumbe, ogqaz'indlel'ebhek'ebuNguni. (The amaQwathi are not a clan but an independent 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: amaDikela, amaTshaba, ooSdindi, ooBhlangwe, ooBhose, amaNzolo, imiNcayi, amaNtondo, amaKhombayo, ooMkhondweni, amaVumbe, ooKhebesi, amaBangula, amaDumba, ooMhotho, ooCakeni, ooBhabha, amaMvala, amaDabisa, ooS'ximba, etc. Prominent 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 (amaMfengu - 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 (AmaXesibe are a nation made up of several clans and tribes but their history is not well documented. Common clan names are: Nondzaba, Mbathane, Tshomela ka Matsho).
• Xhamela (They are also called amaGcina, found in Thembuland).
• Zangwa (Khwalo - amaMpondo).

Not all Xhosa speaking people belong to the amaXhosa nation whose rulership descends from amaTshawe (the Gcaleka and Rharhabe rulerships. The amaXhosa nation are the descendents of the line of Tshiwo to Phalo who begot Gcaleka and Rharhabe. Some people make the mistake of saying all Xhosa speakers are Umzi kaPhalo. The House of Phalo split into the amaGcaleka and amaRharhabe and the kingdom is presently being fought over between these two Xhosa houses. The issue of a Xhosa kingdom remains unresolved.

Major Xhosa-speaking nations or groups include:

• AmaBhaca (descended from Madzikane, chief of the amaNgwane, killed during the invasion of Thembuland in 1828)
• AmaGqunukhwebe
• AmaMfengu (amaHlubi, amaBhele, amaZizi, amaNgwane, etc.)
• AmaMpondo (their kingdom is in dispute, like that of the amaXhosa)
• AmaMpondomise (their kingdom was destroyed by British colonists in revenge for the killing of magistrate Christopher Hope by Mhlontlo's forces during the Anti-Colonial Revolt of 1880. The revolt was led by Mhlontlo of the amaMpondomise together with Gecelo of the amaGcina, Dalasile and Stokwe of the amaQwathi and Squngathi of the abaThembu).
• AmaQwathi
• AbaThembu (their kingdom is in dispute between the Matanzima and Dalindyebo descendants).
• AmaVundle
• AmaXesibe
• AmaXhosa (the kingdom is in dispute between amaGcaleka and amaRharhabe)

• AmaMpondo have their different lineage that is traceable from Sibiside to Dlemini to Njanya, to Mpondo and Mpondomise (twins) and Xesibe. The descendants of Mpondo are Santsabe, Sukude, Msiza, Ncindise, Cabe, Gangata, Bhala, Chithwayo, Khonjwayo, Ngcoya, Hlamandana, Tahle, Nyawuza and many others. The descendants of Xesibe are Ntozabantu to Ndzuza to Miyana to Bimbi to Nondzaba who begot Hlabe to Mthetho to Mtshutshumbe who founded the amaQwathi nation. Mtshutshumbe begot Mndwana begot Ncobe begot Nkovane begot Ntswayibana begot Dikela. The amaMpondo, amaMpondomise, amaXesibe and amaQwathi nations are related but the amaQwathi settled in Thembuland more than 350 years ago and as a result Qwathi chiefdom is more Thembu in culture and political association.

Sources

• Mlungisi Ndima (1988). A History of the Qwathi People from the Earliest Times to 1910. MA Thesis. Rhodes University.
• 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.