Find out how surnames are ranked in popularity, how many people in the United States of America bear a particular name, and how the statistics change between 1990 and 2000 US Censuses. With Africa as the second largest continent on the planet with a huge population of over 1 billion people, you are in for lots of very interesting African last names. In this way we can guess what kind of relations South Africa has with its neighboring countries, and whether there has been mobility between the countries or not. Williams. These surnames are most common in South Africa due to the immigration of the French Huguenots to the Cape of Good Hope in the 17th century. Abrahams. Discover the ethnic origin and meaning of last names. Top 10 Most Common African American Last Names: Jacobs. appears among these 200 surnames, we are afraid that you will have to stand out for other qualities, as you will be quite common as far as surnames for South Africans Abel (6) 8. The Xhosa as well Zulu languages have 3 distincts clicks “X”, “C” and “Q” but Xhosas use more clicks than Zulus in their everyday conversations. I am certain that many other cultures equally create such names. Abbot (4) 5. Adébáyọ̀ Origin: Nigerian (Yoruba) Meaning: ‘He came in a joyful time’ or ‘the king/crown/royalty … PLEASE NOTE: This is ONLY a listing of who is interested in which South African families. Discover the ethnic origin and meaning of last names. Tawedzwegwa Purpose Katakwa, Zimbabwe, Your email address will not be published. They have a whole lot of history behind them, and serve as a constant reminder of what their African American ancestors went through. Over several hundred years, borders have been made, changed and broken, making family history difficult to trace. If you keep searching in other countries you will surely find that surname that you thought was South African and that turns out to be more common in another country than South Africa. What do you think? Derefaka Gogo, Canada, In Most West African countries (Togo, Benin, Ghana, Cote d’Ivoire), the majority of Southern people name their children based on their day of birth. While the name is currently very common in South Africa, it originates in Holland, literally meaning "From the Merwe". Country by country, we are going to see which are the most common surnames in Africa. BR, USA, I am responding to Vince Gainey’s point – “Why are African Christians so ashamed of their Christian names in comparison to Muslims who have pride in their Arabic Islamic names.” I think Vince is confusing “European” with “Christian”. Here are some common South African last names: Dlamini: A popular surname in Southern Africa. Learn how your comment data is processed. And many of the names in Oromo (another Ethiopian language) that contain “Waaq” as in Waaqgari, or Waaqayoo are similar derivations from the Oromo word for God (“Waq”). But by the grace of God, my first and middle names are not only African but reflect the ethnic origin of where I know my maternal ancestors come from, the Mandinka people. My parents wanting to embue me with an African name, unknowingly gave me a first and middle name that reflects part of my ethnic origin In anticipation of National Archives Awareness Week, we have taken a closer look at the 10 most common surnames in the Western Cape. Your email address will not be published. In this way, and crossing these data we have about the current South African surnames with the most abundant South African surnames one hundred or two hundred years ago, we could get an idea of how South African society has changed and the level of impact that migration may have had in a country like South Africa. but you may be surprised to see surnames in this list that you didn't know were so common in a country like South Africa. Oratilwe. These do not represent a particular country but are carefully handpicked as the most common last names. Africa is home to several language families and hundreds of languages all these different cultures countries and people have something in common they can be found now world wide and one way of keeping and telling others about your roots is African Surname and there for it is considered as very important in todays African culture. My first name is from the bible as Christanity was an old religinon in Ethiopia/Africa. The surnames which were hard to pronounce and write were changed by the rulers according to their convenience. We can be baptised another Kenyan/African and more meaningful name than being another of the somewhat bland Peters and Janes of the world. Onomastics is the branch of linguistics that deals with the study of names. stand out in South Africa, we warn you that if it is not in this list, yes, your surname would be something uncommon in South African lands . There we go! For example “Gebre-Egziabher” in the Ethiopian/Eritrean languages of Amharic/Tigrinya means “Servant of God” and those are Christian names. 1. 2. Frequency: 83,937 people in 2007; 55,480 in 1947. So a name is really very important. My family name has a click “C” as well. When I was born, she gave me this name NOXOLO because she wanted peace. Dlamini was the most common surname for both sexes followed by Nkosi and Ndlovu. Surnames of South Sudanese origin‎ (1 P) Surnames of Algerian origin‎ (25 P) Surnames of ... Swahili-language surnames‎ (4 P) Y Yoruba-language surnames‎ (80 P) Pages in category "Surnames of African origin" The following 101 pages are in this category, out of … “What’s in a name?” When a pining Juliet made her famous speech in Romeo and Juliet, she may have been thinking of the field of onomastics. Durban - Dlaminis continue to rule the roost in South Africa and KwaZulu-Natal as the most common surname, according to figures for births in 2018 released by Statistics SA. When my mother was pregnant, she was always fighting with my father and his family; she was in this constant state of depression. The origins and usage of our surnames reveal extraordinary insights into the history and culture of different societies. Relebohile. That number is the number of people who carry that surname in South Africa. The people can be divided into over a thousand different … If you're here, it's because you've decided to look up the 200 most common surnames in South Africa. Most Common British Last Names That You Will Love British last names are spread far and wide, and more likely than not, you will have heard quite a few before. So it is possible that you may find in South Africa a surname that you know perfectly well is not a South African surname, that may help you get an idea of how many people from the same country from which that surname originates have emigrated to South Africa and have settled there. Bonolo. This is because many people from West Africa, India, Madagascar, Indonesia etc. What a wonderful name; Maduabuchi Onwuachimba (Igbo-Nigeria). Last name Onwuachimba means Death could never wipe out a community. Pronunciation : case sensitive: see the pronunciation key for a guide on how to write the sounds; sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations * is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters in the pronunciation example: *lee matches names which end with the sound lee _ is a wildcard that will match exactly one letter in the pronunciation Therefore, you are bound to find plenty of South African names for male children, considering the massive population and abundant identities. There are rare names and there are names shared by millions of people. In abreviation “ABUCHI” for my Western folks, short and simple is’nt it. Wairimu Kuria, Kenyan in US, African names comes with great pride and power. Rethabile. According to legend, surnames were first used in China in 2852 BC to aid the collection of census information.In Western Europe, the use of surnames became more common in … Complete as of 13 January 2021. Traditional African given names often reflect the circumstances at the time of birth. Sekou Nkrumah was named after Guinea’s first President Sekou Toure, while Gamal Nkrumah got his name from Egyptian President Gamal Abdel Nasser. In many languages of Ethiopia for example, typical names are compounded of the divinity and some aspect of it. I am a product of religious parents and culture; hence I shall carry this name, however unfitting it seems, to the grave. 3. Have you missed any surname that you thought was very common in South Africa, and yet it has turned out not to be on the list? The people can be divided into over a thousand different ethnic groups. It also … Nowhere in the Bible does it say one should have a Christian name and it certainly did not require it to be English or Western. The nation on the Southern-most part of Africa has a population of around 58 million people who speak 11 languages. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Ghana’s founding father Kwame Nkrumah chose to name his two sons after fellow African leaders. South african last names starting with V Amohelang. Any child named after the above names is a blessed one whom the community expect to live up to the due reputation e.g has leadership qualities and being honest. If not, remove the wrong ones in the widget settings. updated statistical information about the most common surnames among South Africans, so if you are looking for information about whether your surname would Mine’s Margaret, or Latin for some Catholics. Abell (2) 9. Sometimes the data surprises us, but that is what encourages us to want to know more about surnames and the reasons why the 200 most common South African surnames are the ones presented in this list, and not others. You e-mail me the surnames you are interested in, and I send you the e-mail address(es) of the person(s) who are researching these surnames for their own family history. 100 Unique and Most Common African Last Names (Surnames), While doing our research for African Names we found these interesting aricle parts and we feel like sharing them with you, My name (Noxolo) means peace in Xhosa. There are 54 countries, between 900 and 1,500 languages and several thousand ethnic groups in Africa, according to Britannica. 5. This complex background makes summing up African naming traditions in a few paragraphs very difficult. Vocabulary words are also often used as given names. From the time I got to know about the traditional meaning of my name, I developed a sense of responsiblity to my Family, my heritage and my culture. I think my name shows more the hope and wish of my parents than mine (given that I am on the atheistic side of things). A few French Huguenot surnames that remain common today include the surnames Du Plessis, De Villiers, Joubert, Le Roux, Naude and Rousseau. Abbey (1) 4. Abioye: A well-liked Yoruba male name, Abioye means ‘born into royalty’ or ‘the son of royalty’. My African name reflects my personality – I hate fights and arguments ; I am a peaceful person. What I like about this name is it reflects which tribal group of South Africa I come from. A common name throughout West Africa, it is the French transcription of a surname of Fula origin. The table below includes last names ranked 16,001-20,000 in America. Surely you've heard of some South African surnames, Maduabuchi means Humans are not God. If you're here, it's because you've decided to look up the 200 most common surnames in South Africa. However, these are only a few last names in Africa. DIOP Western African , Wolof From Joob , the name of a Wolof clan, derived from a totemic word meaning "black craned swan" or "peacock". Free State: Girls. South African male names and surnames originate from the different cultures of the country. More boys were born in 2017 than girls. Listed in this article, are the most common African American surnames. Surely you've heard of some South African surnames, but you may be surprised to see surnames in this list that you didn't know were so common in a country like South Africa. Playing with names really is part of many African cultures. For example: Sefu “sword” and Tau “lion” (masculine) and Marjani “coral” and Ife “love” (feminine). (Both proud and amused!). As you can see, a few simple statistics on surnames in South Africa can provide much more information than may appear at first glance. Surname count: 706. Bokamoso. I just feel happy to say that this programme of conscientization is excellent. Actually just after I was born, peace was restored in my family. These name are used in the Republic of South Africa. The first van der Merwes hail from the Merwede river. South Africa boasts a variety of cultures, traditions and languages, and parents often choose to name their children according to these distinctions. YM, Ethiopia. Knowing which surnames are most abundant in South Africa at the moment helps us to take a snapshot of the country's current reality. Abendroth (1) 10. … They have a long history and tell you more about an individuals family ancestry than you would have thought. South African last names have a totally unique story. Abuchi, USA, I have a western surname, presumably that of the slavemaster of my forebears. So “Ndubueze” means that “life is king” – to live is to be a king. Africa is home to several language families and hundreds of languages all these different cultures countries and people have something in common they can be found now world wide and one way of keeping and telling others about your roots is African Surname and there for it is considered as very important in todays African culture. Hendricks. The Muslim name Abd-Allah is equivalent to the “Gebre Egziabher” I mentioned above. For instance in Togo, apart from their original meanings, those names also have other interesting meanings. Tel +27-12-991-1772 (H), +27-11-350-5291 (W), +27-11-350-2001 (Fax) Below you will find. Africa is home to several language families and hundreds of languages all these different cultures countries and people have something in common they can be found now world wide and one way of keeping and telling others about your roots is African Surname and there for it is considered as very important in todays African culture. Each surname is linked to the corresponding article(s). Some names describe the parents’ reaction to the birth (such as Kayode, Gwandoya, Abeni and Monifa) and still others are descriptive of the newborn or of desired characteristics (like Yejide, Dada, Chiumbo and Zuberi). Deng Mador K-Dengdit, Sudanese in Australia, African names like most traditional names like John (Yahweh is gracious) , Patrick (nobleman) , Natasha (christmas day), Abdul (servant of..) etc.. have meanings. Walter V. Volker, PO Box 37672, Faerie Glen, 0043, South Africa. Paul Gisemba, Kenya, Given the importance of names in my social background (among the Dinka people), I am proud to be one of those named after the “famous” legendary ancestor of the Dinka people of Sudan, Deng, who was believed to be the direct decendant of Adam (Garang) and Eve (Abuk). Names such as Mwanajuma “Friday”, Esi “Sunday”, Khamisi “Thursday”, and Wekesa “harvest time” refer to the time or day when the child was born. Banchiamalck Dessalegn, Ethiopian in U.S. My name Derefaka figuratively means: Continuing the heritage of our fathers. Dlamini was the most common surname among babies born and registered in 2014, the report stated. This is perhaps the most common last name identified with blacks. Brazil. 6. Find out how surnames are ranked in popularity, how many people in the United States of America bear a particular name, and how the statistics change between 1990 and 2000 US Censuses. The most popular baby name for boys in 2014 in South Africa was Junior; for girls it was Iminathi, Statistics South Africa revealed in its latest Recorded Live Births 2014 Report. Translating literally as "the young," the … For example if you were born on a Monday and named Kojo or Kodjo for a boy or Adjo for a girl, you would be taken as a zealous man or woman because Monday is the first day of work after the weekend, and if you were born on a Wednesday and named Kokou for a boy or Akwa for a girl, you were taken as a half-lazy person because people usually work or go to school for just the first half of the day -from 7 to 12- and use the other half as leisure time, and if you were born on a Sunday and named Kossi for a boy or Kossiwa for a girl, you were taken as the child of God, the pure, pretty child because people dress up pretty to worship God at the mass on Sunday. So I would say that perhaps one would find God in a lot more African names than one would suspect. Also: no one can dictate my life, nor my destiny, strong to be God to my destiny and my self. Of course it is the official number given according to the latest statistics made in South Africa, and they take into account not South Africans, Most Common African American Surnames By Count. The name went to South Africa with the Dutch settlers in 1652. Required fields are marked *. Aalgaard (1) 3. A. Abbott (22) 6. A'Bear (22) 2. – Advertisment – The following are among the most common last names of African Americans: Williams. DE JONG. If you look, next to each surname in this list you will find a number. Omphile. 1111 penpals Top 100 South African names - South Africa See also first names from South Africa on Top-Names.info : [] - My name is meaningful (‘in your God’s name I’m happy’ is the direct translation of my first and last names taken together). African American Last Names Flag . (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); (adsbygoogle = window.adsbygoogle || []).push({}); Please check if there are posts that match all the below criteria. 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I maintain the list. Davids. Having information about surnames helps us to have information about our history, but also about the history of the different countries. PH It is actually an oxymoron, a religious friend has suggested I change my name BUT, why should I? The people can be divided into over a thousand different … It was released by statistician-general Pali Lehohla, on 1 September. Dlamini is also the surname of the reigning royal family of eSwatini. were brought to South Africa as slaves. Most of the surnames of the Brazilian population have a Portuguese origin, due to … The main difference is that African parents will not just put a label on their progeny without finding out what the label is saying about their hopes and aspirations, beliefs and culture and life experiences. Statistics SA on Monday published the most popular names for babies in South Africa. Nkrumah is not alone in fostering the identity of Africanism – the late President Mobutu Sese Seko dropped his own Christian name and even renamed his country – the then Belgian Congo – which became Zaire. We encourage you to continue your research. but people who currently live in the country. And a Nigerian friend has told me that many Ibo names are equivalent compounds of the divine’s name and some desirable relationship. In May 2003 I took a genetics test and found out that I’m a direct descendent of the Mandinkas maternally. Some practice various tribal religions, others Islam or Christianity. Am certain that many other cultures equally create such names ghana ’ s name and aspect... Means ‘ born into royalty most common south african surnames or ‘ the son of royalty or... Settlers in 1652 were changed by the rulers according to their convenience cultures equally create such.. 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