Keeping Africa's roots
alive — everywhere.
Wakahina is Africa's living database of surnames, clan praises, and family heritage — built by Africans, for Africans, no matter where in the world they've landed.
A world where no African forgets
where they come from.
Africa's oral traditions — the clan praises, the totem names, the genealogies passed from grandparent to grandchild — have always been the continent's living archive. But oral traditions are fragile. Diaspora scatters families. Elders pass. Languages shift. Within a generation, an entire lineage can fall silent.
Wakahina exists to make sure that doesn't happen. A community-powered platform where every surname, every isibongo, every clan praise gets a permanent, searchable, shareable home — preserved for the next generation and the one after that.
"A people without the knowledge of their past history, origin and culture is like a tree without roots."
— Marcus Garvey · The guiding principle of WakahinaEverything you need to
know your name.
Surname Library
4,990+ African surnames with clan breakdowns, origins, and cultural context — written by community members.
Clan Praises
Every clan's isibongo — preserved in the words of the people, not the textbooks.
Family Trees
Built for African families — lobola, kingship, multiple houses, adopted children, clan migration.
Private Sharing
Generate a secure link to your family tree — shareable via WhatsApp — with a 30-day expiry.
Diaspora First
Whether you're in Johannesburg, London, Toronto, or Accra — your heritage travels with you.
Community Authored
Every entry written by people who know these names from the inside. Real knowledge from real people.
A community already growing.
If you carry an African name,
this is for you.
Wakahina is for the grandmother in Limpopo who wants her grandchildren in the UK to know their clan praise. For the second-generation South African in Melbourne trying to remember the name their father used to sing. For the teenager who got curious and searched their surname. For anyone who believes identity is worth protecting.
You don't need to be an expert. You don't need to be an elder. If you know something — a name, a praise, a story — it belongs here.
Your name has a story.
Find it, preserve it, share it. Join 25,000 community members keeping Africa's heritage alive.