“I Thought It Was Unique”: US Woman Learns Her Zulu Name Is Actually a Boy’s Name

• A young woman from the United States shared that her mother gave her a Zulu name she found in a book of baby names
• The professional athlete's name contained one of the three clicks, which she failed to include in her mispronunciation
• Some South Africans pointed out her error, while others told her the name was predominantly given to boys

After Mzansi social media users hogged an American woman's comment section about her Zulu name, the young content creator found out that her "unique" South African name was actually listed under boys' names.

The woman, named Xolani Hodel, took to her TikTok account last week to share the origin and pronunciation of her name. With a smile on her face, the professional beach volleyball player said:

"I thought the name was unique, but my mom actually found it in a baby book, like a book of baby names. You'd be surprised at the pronunciations I got."

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Xolani then shared her pronunciation of her name, omitting the click, and pronouncing it as 'Zolani,' which is completely different.

SA informs the woman about her name

Thousands of South African members of the online community gathered in the comment section to school Xolani about her name. Many people attempted to share the pronunciation via text, while others reiterated that it wasn't a common girls' name.

@snush345_, who found the clip humorous, stated with a laugh:

"Xolani and Zolani are two different names, and they are boys' names."

@iam_forever_black noted in another video:

"It’s predominantly a boy's name, but the meaning is not. Also, most South African names are unisex."

@niphonguse told the athlete:

"The 'X' is the sound you make when you wink and point at the same time."

@msbee_phakathi added under the post:

"We need to send you a voice note. A text won’t help you."

@yolie877 shared their take of the name in the comments:

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"Let me help you, my sister. The name Xolani, which is primarily of Zulu and Xhosa origin, means 'forgive' or 'be at peace.' It reflects the cultural value of forgiveness and harmony in these African societies. The name embodies a wish for tranquility and reconciliation."

@lilonke_duma also told the TikTok user:

"Girl, Xolani means 'forgiveness/be at peace.' It's pronounced with a click. You are pronouncing it as Zolani, meaning 'be still,' 'calm' and 'accepting.'"

Take a look at the TikTok video below:

3 Other stories about people's names

• In another article, Briefly News reported about a young isiZulu-speaking woman who surprised her Uber driver after he saw her name. The curious man wondered about her background and asked about her parents' ethnicities.
• While on a local radio show, South African rapper Big Zulu spoke in Sesotho to explain his stage name's origin. Many people were fascinated to hear him speak in another language besides isiZulu.
• Controversial sangoma and reality TV star Gogo Maweni left social media users curious and questioning her Zulu name after finding out her Sotho name when she appeared in court.

Source: Briefly News