Nelson Mandela’s first name at birth was Rolihlahla.
He was born Rolihlahla Mandela on 18 July 1918 in Mvezo, in the Transkei region of South Africa. In Xhosa, Rolihlahla is commonly explained as meaning “pulling the branch of a tree,” and it is also used figuratively for a troublemaker.
His teacher at the mission school in Qunu gave him the English name Nelson. Giving African pupils English names was common in colonial-era schools, where teachers often found them easier to pronounce or used names familiar to European culture.
Madiba is not Mandela’s birth name: it is his Thembu clan name and became a respectful form of address. Dalibhunga was a name associated with his initiation into manhood, while Tata means “father” in Xhosa and was a later honorific used by many South Africans.