Pfungwe's Lost Dynasty Blog

Posts tagged with "Shona Names"

From Feremenga to Tomasi to Thomas: A Name Shaped by Encounter

Tags: African Naming Traditions, Colonial Zimbabwe, Feremenga, Mazowe River History, Oral History, Pfungwe Dynasty, Pfungwe History, Shona Names, Thomas Name History, Tomasi, Zimbabwe Heritage

Published March 8, 2026 by Mike Thomas

The story of the name Tomasi reflects a fascinating journey through cultural contact and historical change. According to family memory, the man later known as Tomasi was originally born with …

Feremenga: Exploring the Possible Roots of the Name

Tags: African Naming Traditions, Colonial Zimbabwe, Family Lineage, Feremenga, Mazowe River History, Pfungwe Dynasty, Pfungwe History, Portuguese in Zimbabwe, Shona Names, Zimbabwe Oral History

Published March 8, 2026 by Mike Thomas

The name Feremenga appears in the history of the Pfungwe lineage as an unusual and intriguing surname. Unlike many traditional Shona names that can easily be interpreted through familiar linguistic …

Thomas Feremenga and Nyauyanga: Names Across the Colonial Divide

Tags: African Naming Traditions, Colonial Identity, Colonial Zimbabwe, Cosmas Mupararano, Family Lineage, Feremenga, Mazowe River, Mupararano, Nyauyanga, Oral History, Pfungwe Dynasty, Pfungwe History, Portuguese Influence, Portuguese in Zimbabwe, Rhodesia, Shona Names, Thomas Feremenga, Tomasi, Zimbabwe History, Zimbabwean Heritage

Published March 8, 2026 by Mike Thomas

In the history of the Pfungwe people, the names Nyauyanga and Thomas Feremenga appear to mark two different eras: the period before colonisation and the period after foreign …