Home › Clan names › Tswana › Bakgalagadi
Bakgalagadi Clan — History & Meaning
Tswana clan · Setswana
Totem Varies by sub-group (the Bakgalagadi are several chiefdoms rather than a single totemic clan); the name means 'people of the Kalahari'
History & origin
A Sotho-Tswana ethnic group native to Botswana, regarded as among the earliest Sotho-Tswana speakers to move westward across the Limpopo, with their language diverging from proto-Sotho-Tswana around the 13th-14th century. The Moritsane archaeological culture is associated with early Kgalagadi chiefdoms, who were noted for cattle-keeping and hunting. Originally occupying the more fertile eastern parts of Botswana, they were pushed deeper into the Kalahari by later in-migrating Tswana groups, who sometimes subordinated them. Sub-groups include the Bangologa, Baboloongwe, Baphaleng, Bakgwatheng and Bashaga.
Associated surnames
Surnames that share this clan: Bangologa, Baboloongwe, Baphaleng, Bakgwatheng.
We publish the full diboko (clan praises) only once we can verify them against documented tradition — for this clan they are still being confirmed. If you can share an authoritative version, corrections are warmly welcomed.