Mutupo Ndiani?
Check out what I found from my 'Mutupo Ndiani?' survey. But please don't just end there; also take part, or simply leave your email address. That way you can follow my stories as I talk to different people and try to fill in all the gaps!
The Sponsors
The Findings
I last updated the data on 10 November 2024. Those yet to participate are still welcome, I'll keep updating!
Beta
Ishwa (Flying Termite)
1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Dhliwayo, Hanzu; Common female titles: MaDhliwayo; Commonly come from: Mutare
Bonga
Bonga/ Nhiriri (Wild Cat)
1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Chihwa; Common female titles: ABonga, Bonga, Chihwa; Commonly come from: Mutare Rusape
Bonga
Mhumhi (Painted Dog)
LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Chihwa; Common female titles: Chihwa, VaBonga; Commonly come from: Bocha, Mutambara, Rusape
Dziva
Hove (Fish)
1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Musaigwa, Save; Common female titles: Masiziba; Commonly come from: Chivi
Dziva
Mvuu (Hippo)
LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Save; Common female titles: Masiziba; Commonly come from: Chipinge, Nyanga
Gumbi
Gwai (Sheep)
2% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Gora, Gumbi, Mukuruvambwa, Mukuruwambwa; Common female titles: MaChuma; Commonly come from: Mhondoro
Gumbi
Kamba (Tortoise)
LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Chuma; Common female titles: MaChuma; Commonly come from: Honde, Mutare, Nyanga
Gumbo
Mombe (Cattle)
LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Madyirapazhe; Common female titles: Magumbo; Commonly come from: Gutu
Honde
Humba (Pig)
2% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Humba, Makombe; Common female titles: Humba; Commonly come from: Nyanga
Hwesa
Mbeva (Mouse)
2% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Hwesa, Musoni; Common female titles: MaMbeva; Commonly come from: Buhera, Nyanga, Wedza
Mbuya
Mhara (Impala)
1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Chikonamombe; Common female titles: AMaromo, Mapara; Commonly come from: Mhondoro
Mheta
Shato (Python)
LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Chikata, Saunyama, Svova; Common female titles: Mheta, Saunyama; Commonly come from: Nyanga
Moyo
Mombe/ Gono remombe (Cattle/ Male Beast)
5% OF PARTICIPANTS
Male titles: Chirandu, Gono; Female titles: MaMoyo, Vapamoyo; Come from: Bikita, Chipinge, Masvingo
Ngara
Nungu (Porcupine)
2% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Chirasha, Wamambo; Common female titles: Maphosa; Commonly come from: Chirumhanzu
Ngare
Magondo/ Magwinhi (Spotted Hyena)
LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Magwinhi; Common female titles: Ngare; Commonly come from: Rusape, Nyanga
Ngonya
Garwe (Crocodile)
1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Gushungo; Common female titles: Mangwenya, Ngonya, Tsiwo; Commonly come from: Zvimba
Nhewa
Ingwe/ Mbada (Leopard)
LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Nhewa, Simboti, Tsoka; Common female titles: Chirukamachira, Simboti, Tsoka; Commonly come from: Honde, Nyanga, Rusape
Nyere
Mbiti (Cape Clawless Otter)
LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Nhewa, Simboti, Tsoka; Common female titles: Chirukamachira, Simboti, Tsoka; Commonly come from: Honde, Nyanga, Rusape
Shava
Mhofu (Eland)
12% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Mhofu, Mhofu yemukono, Mufakose, Museyamwa, Musiyamwa, Vhuramai, Vhuramavi; Common female titles: AChihera, Chihera, AShava, Shava, Seke Mutema; Commonly come from: Buhera, Chihota, Chivhu, Chiweshe, Gokwe, Gutu, Masvingo, Mhondoro, Seke, Shurugwi
Shonga
Nyati (Buffalo)
2% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Mhukahuru, Nyati, Shonga; Common female titles: MaNyati, Muzvare, Shonga; Commonly come from: Rusape
Soko
Gudo (Baboon)
1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Mukanya, Murehwa; Common female titles: ADewa, Dewa, Mwenewazvo, Mancube, Soko; Commonly come from: Mudzi, Murehwa, Mutoko
Soko
Tsoko (Vervet Monkey)
7% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Jena, Mukanya, Murehwa, Soko, Vhudzijena; Common female titles: Mancube, Mwenewazvo, Soko; Commonly come from: Chikwaka, Domboshava, Guruve, Hwedza, Masvingo, Mhondoro, Murehwa
Tembo
Mbizi (Zebra)
7% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Mazvimbakupa, Samaita, Tembo; Common female titles: Madhuve, Manjenjenje; Commonly come from: Chihota, Chiweshe, Guruve, Shamva
Zhou
Mudhende (Elephant Shrew)
LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Mushavi; Common female titles: Mposi, Maadi; Commonly come from: Mberengwa
Name of totem animal given as clan name
Vaera Hanga
Hanga (Guinea Fowl)
LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Zenda; Common female titles: Zenda; Commonly come from: Mutasa
Vaera Hungwe
Hungwe (Fish Eagle)
2% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Chasura, Maokomavi; Common female titles: Manyoni; Commonly come from: Shurugwi, Malawi
Vaera Nhire
Nhire (Springhare)
LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Mugombi; Common female titles: Mahelani, Matutu; Come from: Masvingo
Vaera Nondo
Nondo (Tsessebe)
LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Mwendamberi; Common female titles: ANondo, MaNondo, Nondo; Commonly come from: Chipinge, Mhangura, Murewa
Vaera Nzou
Nzou (Elephant)
4% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Mhukahuru, Nyamasvisva, Samanyanga, Unendoro; Common female titles: AChihoro, Chihoro, Mandlovu; Commonly come from: Mt Darwin
Vaera Shumba
Shumba (Lion)
12% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Marerwa, Mhazi, Murambwi, Nechinanga, Nyamuzihwa, Samaita, Shumba; Common female titles: Masibanda, Madau, AShumba; Commonly come from: Bocha, Buhera, Chihota, Chirumhanzu, Goromonzi, Malawi, Masvingo, Mutare, Mutoko, Shurugwi
Clan name given as a totem
Gumbo
No totem animal
2% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Chitova, Madyirapanze; Common female titles: Magumbo; Commonly come from: Gutu, Masvingo, Mberengwa
Moyo
No totem animal
6% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Dhewa, Gono, Chirandu, Nematombo, Sinyoro; Common female titles: MaMoyo; Commonly come from: Masvingo, Murehwa
Soko
No totem animal
3% OF PARTICIPANTS
Common male titles: Mukanya, Soko, Soko Murehwa; Common female titles: MaNcube, Mwenewazvo; Commonly come from: Wedza, Murehwa
The Participants
Over 700 Zimbabweans spread all over the world have taken part in the survey so far! Below is a breakdown of participants by country.
| Country | Participants |
| Zimbabwe | 408 |
| South Africa | 112 |
| Unidentified | 89 |
| Great Britain | 36 |
| Canada | 18 |
| Zambia | 14 |
| Australia | 10 |
| USA | 10 |
| Ireland | 7 |
| Netherlands | 7 |
| Botswana | 5 |
| Mozambique | 5 |
| Kenya | 4 |
| Malawi | 4 |
| UAE | 2 |
| Spain | 2 |
| India | 2 |
| Country | Participants |
| Nigeria | 2 |
| New Zealand | 2 |
| Angola | 1 |
| Austria | 1 |
| Belgium | 1 |
| Belarus | 1 |
| DRC | 1 |
| Denmark | 1 |
| Namibia | 1 |
| Poland | 1 |
| Qatar | 1 |
| Rwanda | 1 |
| Sweden | 1 |
| Swaziland | 1 |
| Thailand | 1 |
| Tanzania | 1 |
Not yet a participant?
If you haven't already done so, please share your mutupo information. That will make the survey even better! Thereafter you will regularly receive stories that I share as I talk to different Zimbabweans about their mitupo and ancestry.
Or simply submit just an email address, so you never miss a story!