Thandiwe
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- tahn-DEE-weh
Thandiwe is a girls' name, meaning “beloved”. Too few babies were given it in the latest year to rank.
What does Thandiwe mean?
Zulu and Xhosa, from thanda 'to love'
“beloved”
A Zulu and Xhosa name from southern Africa, from the verb thanda, to love.
Is Thandiwe a girl's or a boy's name?
Thandiwe is a girls' name.
How popular is Thandiwe in the UK?
No girls in the UK were given it in 2025, or too few to be listed. Its busiest year was 2024, with 9 girls.
Half of all the girls named Thandiwe in the UK since 1996 were born between 2006 and 2017. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.
Thandiwe in the UK, year by year
| Year | Girls | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 9 | #2,832 |
| 2023 | 4 | #4,915 |
| 2022 | 6 | #3,728 |
| 2021 | 1 | #7,491 |
| 2020 | 0 | – |
| 2019 | 3 | #5,804 |
| 2018 | 3 | #5,896 |
| 2017 | 5 | #4,250 |
| 2016 | 3 | #6,009 |
| 2015 | 8 | #3,114 |
| 2014 | 5 | #4,187 |
| 2013 | 4 | #4,953 |
| 2012 | 5 | #4,390 |
| 2011 | 0 | – |
| 2010 | 5 | #4,220 |
| 2009 | 6 | #3,603 |
| 2008 | 7 | #3,203 |
| 2007 | 3 | #5,415 |
| 2006 | 8 | #2,657 |
| 2005 | 0 | – |
| 2004 | 8 | #2,406 |
| 2003 | 5 | #3,233 |
| 2002 | 3 | #4,284 |
| 2001 | 3 | #4,156 |
| 2000 | 3 | #4,074 |
| 1999 | 0 | – |
| 1998 | 0 | – |
| 1997 | 0 | – |
| 1996 | 3 | #3,935 |
Names like Thandiwe
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Anaya, Tanvi, Tanvika, Isabelle, Vaishnavi, Takshvi, Avani, Prisha, Saanvi, Anika, Radhika, Avneet
Sources
Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland) and Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.
To cite this page: Nameling, “Thandiwe: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/thandiwe, updated 20 October 2026.