Name Explorer — Baby Names
The Name Thembu
How many South Africans are called Thembu, which surnames go with it, and how old they are.
Boys and Girls Named Thembu
We make use of verified data and algorithms to determine gender. Thembu is listed as unisex because neither boys nor girls make up 90% of them.
Popularity of Thembu since 1900
Most popular in the 1920s, when about 0.1 in every 10,000 South Africans born had the name.
* 2020–2026 so far — this decade isn’t over yet. “Per 1,000 births” compares Thembu with everyone born in the same decade in our records, so decades with more records don’t look more popular. Decades with fewer than 1,000 records are left out of that view. Includes people who have since passed away.
Show the numbers
| Decade of birth | People named Thembu | Everyone born | Per 1,000 births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020–2026 (so far) | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2010s | 0 | 0 | — |
| 2000s | 5 | 7,233,222 | 0.00 |
| 1990s | 8 | 9,262,591 | 0.00 |
| 1980s | 12 | 9,119,350 | 0.00 |
| 1970s | 10 | 8,269,186 | 0.00 |
| 1960s | 20 | 7,146,440 | 0.00 |
| 1950s | 22 | 5,508,070 | 0.00 |
| 1940s | 15 | 3,939,672 | 0.00 |
| 1930s | 8 | 3,121,587 | 0.00 |
| 1920s | 15 | 2,250,943 | 0.01 |
| 1910s | 1 | 1,303,466 | 0.00 |
| 1900s | 1 | 580,265 | 0.00 |
People by Age Group
| Age | All | Living |
|---|---|---|
| 20 and under | 0 | 0 |
| 21 – 40 | 17 | 17 |
| 41 – 60 | 26 | 22 |
| 61 – 80 | 45 | 34 |
| 81 – 100 | 18 | 11 |
| Over 100 | 11 | 7 |
Ages are worked out from the year of birth. “Living” means no date of death is recorded.
Top 10 Surnames with Thembu
| # | Surname | People |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Mthembu | 9 |
| 2 | Ndlovu | 4 |
| 3 | Dhlamini | 2 |
| 4 | Khumalo | 2 |
| 5 | Mbatha | 2 |
| 6 | Mhlongo | 2 |
| 7 | Mokoena | 2 |
| 8 | Mvelase | 2 |
| 9 | Ngwenya | 2 |
| 10 | Sithole | 2 |
Our Baby Name Generator is based on our South African records, counting every first name a person has. Only real verified South African names are used with this tool. Due to privacy restrictions, records after 2010 are not included. * Updated 21 October 2026.