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!

ishwa_

Beta

Ishwa (Flying Termite)

1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Dhliwayo, Hanzu; Common female titles: MaDhliwayo; Commonly come from: Mutare

bonga_

Bonga

Bonga/ Nhiriri (Wild Cat)

1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Chihwa; Common female titles: ABonga, Bonga, Chihwa; Commonly come from: Mutare, Rusape

mhumhi

Bonga

Mhumhi (Painted Dog)

LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Chihwa; Common female titles: Chihwa, VaBonga; Commonly come from: Bocha, Mutambara, Rusape

hove

Dziva

Hove (Fish)

1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Musaigwa, Save; Common female titles: Masiziba; Commonly come from: Chivi

mvuu

Dziva

Mvuu (Hippo)

LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Save; Common female titles: Masiziba; Commonly come from: Chipinge, Nyanga

hwai

Gumbi

Gwai (Sheep)

2% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Gora, Gumbi, Mukuruvambwa, Mukuruwambwa; Common female titles: MaChuma; Commonly come from: Mhondoro

kamba

Gumbi

Kamba (Tortoise)

LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Chuma; Common female titles: MaChuma; Commonly come from: Honde, Mutare, Nyanga

mombe_

Gumbo

Mombe (Cattle)

LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Madyirapazhe; Common female titles: Magumbo; Commonly come from: Gutu

humba

Honde

Humba (Pig)

2% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Humba, Makombe; Common female titles: Humba; Commonly come from: Nyanga

_mbeva

Hwesa

Mbeva (Mouse)

2% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Hwesa, Musoni; Common female titles: MaMbeva; Commonly come from: Buhera, Nyanga, Wedza

mhara

Mbuya

Mhara (Impala)

1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Chikonamombe; Common female titles: AMaromo, Mapara; Commonly come from: Mhondoro

shato

Mheta

Shato (Python)

LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Chikata, Saunyama, Svova; Common female titles: Mheta, Saunyama; Commonly come from: Nyanga

mombe_

Moyo

Mombe/ Gono remombe (Cattle/ Male Beast)

5% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Chirandu, Gono; Common female titles: MaMoyo, Vapamoyo; Commonly come from: Bikita, Chipinge, Masvingo

nungu

Ngara

Nungu (Porcupine)

2% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Chirasha, Wamambo; Common female titles: Maphosa; Commonly come from: Chirumhanzu

magondo

Ngare

Magondo/ Magwinhi (Spotted Hyena)

LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Magwinhi; Common female titles: Ngare; Commonly come from: Rusape, Nyanga

garwe

Ngonya

Garwe (Crocodile)

1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Gushungo; Common female titles: Mangwenya, Ngonya, Tsiwo; Commonly come from: Zvimba

ingwe

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 

mbiti

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 

mhofu_

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

nyati_

Shonga

Nyati (Buffalo)

2% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Mhukahuru, Nyati, Shonga; Common female titles: MaNyati, Muzvare, Shonga; Commonly come from: Rusape

gudo

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

tsoko

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

mbizi

Tembo

Mbizi (Zebra)

7% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Mazvimbakupa, Samaita, Tembo; Common female titles: Madhuve, Manjenjenje; Commonly come from: Chihota, Chiweshe, Guruve, Shamva

_mudhende

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

hanga

Vaera Hanga

Hanga (Guinea Fowl)

LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Zenda; Common female titles: Zenda; Commonly come from: Mutasa

hungwe

Vaera Hungwe

Hungwe (Fish Eagle)

2% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Chasura, Maokomavi; Common female titles: Manyoni; Commonly come from: Shurugwi, Malawi

nhire

Vaera Nhire

Nhire (Springhare)

LESS THAN 1% OF PARTICIPANTS

Common male titles: Mugombi; Common female titles: Mahelani, Matutu; Commnly come from: Masvingo

nondo

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

nzou

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

shumba

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!

Don't worry if what you know differs from what others have submitted!