Surname · isiXhosa · isiZulu · iKalanga · isiNdebele (Northern Ndebele)
Ndlovu
Also spelled Ndhlovu, Gatsheni, Gabula, Mthombeni, Tlou.
Carried by the amaHlubi, amaZulu, BaKalanga and amaNdebele (Matabeleland).
isiXhosa
An isiduko of the amaHlubi.
- PeopleamaHlubi
Recorded Praise Names
These are praise names, not a full recitation.
MntungwaGengesiMalungaMancoba Part of Iziduko: Xhosa clan names
isiZulu
An isithakazelo of the amaZulu.
- PeopleamaZulu
- RegionKwaZulu-Natal
- TotemiNdlovu (the elephant)
The Izithakazelo
Ndlovu,Gatsheni,Boya benyathi, obusonga busombuluka,Mpongo kaZingelwayo,Nina bakwaNdlovuzidl' ekhaya, ngokweswel' abelusi,Zaze zeluswa intombi uDemazane,Nina bakwaKhumbul' amagwala,Nina bakwaDemazane Ntombazana,Nina bakwaS'hlangu sihle,Mthiyane,Ngokuthiy' amadoda emazibukweni,Nina bakwaMdubusi! The Name
"Elephant" — a totemic name; the Ndlovu-Gatsheni line traces to a Sotho/Hlubi chief absorbed into the Zulu nation.
iKalanga
A clan name of the BaKalanga, which the sources also call Kalanga.
- PeopleBaKalanga
- Totem Elephant
- Recorded as, in the languages Kalanga families live in Ndou, Tlou, Zhowu, Hhowu
isiNdebele (Northern Ndebele)
An isibongo of the amaNdebele (Matabeleland), which the sources also call Northern Ndebele.
- PeopleamaNdebele (Matabeleland)
- Grouping Elephant totem carried by several unrelated lines
- Surnames recorded Ndlovu
- Places recorded Matabeleland, Midlands
- Branch Matabeleland
Written down by families and by the people who recorded them.
Where This Came From
- izithakazelo.blog/iziduko-zamaxhosa/ (read 2026-08-23)
- nivile.co.za/iziduko.html (read 2026-08-23) — independent cross-check
- Supplied by Themba, 2026-08-10
- Community compilation: iafrika.org
- Community compilation: zuluring.blogspot.com
- Community compilation: izithakazelo.blog
- Community compilation: izithakazeloizibongo.blogspot.com
- Community compilation: izithakazelo.wordpress.com
- TG Silundika Cultural Community Centre — tgsilundikaculturalcommunitycentre.org (read 2026-08-12)
- Sabelo J. Ndlovu-Gatsheni, Nation Building in Zimbabwe and the Challenges of Ndebele Particularism (African Journal on Conflict Resolution 8(3)…, 2008, ACCORD — https://www.accord.org.za/ajcr-issues/nation-building-in-zimbabwe-and-the-challenges-of-ndebele-particularism/
- Mloyiswayizizwe Sokhela, Reconstruction of the Kalanga history welcome but beware of distortions! (opinion column, Bulawayo24, reprinted on ka…, 2012-05-09, Bulawayo24 / kalanga.org — https://kalanga.org/blogs/reconstruction-of-the-kalanga-history-welcome-but-beware-of-distortions/
- totems.co.zw (Zimbabwean community heritage site, uncredited), totems.co.zw - Ndebele Totems category (about thirty entries: Ngwenya, Khumalo, Nyoni, Dlamini, Mthunzi, Gumbo, Mnkan…, 2023-2025 (post dates), totems.co.zw — https://totems.co.zw/category/ndebele-totems/
- totems.co.zw (Zimbabwean community heritage site, uncredited), totems.co.zw - Ndebele Totems category (about thirty entries: Ngwenya, Khumalo, Nyoni, Dlamini, Mthunzi, Gumbo, Mnkan…, 2023-2025 (post dates), totems.co.zw — https://totems.co.zw/category/ndebele-totems/ (Ndlovu)
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