What was Nelson Mandela’s middle name in his full English name?

Nelson Mandela’s middle name in his full English name was Rolihlahla.

His birth name was Rolihlahla Mandela. In Xhosa, the name is commonly explained as meaning “pulling the branch of a tree,” while it is also colloquially associated with the idea of a troublemaker. His teacher at the Methodist school later gave him the English name Nelson, a common practice in colonial-era schools.

Mandela became internationally known as Nelson Mandela, but Rolihlahla remained part of his formal identity. He was also widely called Madiba, his Thembu clan name, and Dalibhunga, a name associated with his initiation into adulthood.

These names are not interchangeable. Rolihlahla is his given name, Nelson is the English name assigned during childhood, and Madiba is a respectful clan-based form of address. The distinction matters because each name belongs to a different stage or tradition in his life.