Mandela

Mandela Meaning & Origin

About Mandela
The name "Mandela" is of Xhosa origin and is derived from the word "Rolihlahla," which means "pulling the branch of a tree" or "troublemaker." It was given to Nelson Mandela by his teacher, as it was customary to give African children English names in school. Mandela later embraced the name and it became synonymous with his legacy as a prominent anti-apartheid activist and the first black President of South Africa. The name "Mandela" has come to symbolize resilience, courage, and the fight against injustice.

🌍 Origin
📏 Name Length
💬 Number of Syllables
🔠 Starting Letter
Discover Your Ancestry with 23andMe Logo

Discover Your Ancestry with 23andMe

Explore your ancestry and health insights with exclusive savings.

Save 15%-60% this holiday season

Name Popularity

Gender Distribution

Most individuals with the name Mandela are male.

Mandela Popularity Trends

The popularity of the name has remained the same by 0% over the past year.

Pronunciation

📇 Metaphone
MNTL
🗽 NYSIIS
MNA
🔊 Soundex
M053040
🎵 Syllabic Pronunciation
M AE2 N D EH1 L AH0
🌐 IPA
/ˌmænˈdɛlə/
🔊 Double Metaphone
('MNTL', '')
🈯 Cross-Lingual Phonetic
M534

Accessibility & Communication

How to write the name Mandela in Braille

Here's how to represent Mandela in Braille, with each pattern of raised dots corresponding to a letter of the name.

The name Mandela in braille

How to Spell the Name Mandela in American Sign Language (ASL)

The image below shows how you can spell Mandela using American Sign Language (ASL). In sign language, each hand shape corresponds to a specific a letter of the name.

The name Mandela in sign language

Numerology