Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post documents the use of the name "T'Challa" in Africa and in the United States prior to its use as the name for the fictional character of Black Panther in Marvel comic book and its subsequent movies.
The content of this post is presented for cultural and onomastic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post and thanks to the legacy of Chadwick Bosman who will always live on as Black Panther and other memorable roles.
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An earlier pancocojams post that includes some of this content was published in January 31, 2018 with the title "Traditional African Languages, Arabic Languages, & Other Sources For Names In The 2018 Black Panther Movie" http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2018/01/possible-origins-meanings-of-names-from.html. That post also includes information and my speculations about some other names of Black Panther comic book and/or movie characters.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE SURNAME "T'CHALLA" IN TOGO, WEST AFRICA
"T'Challa" is a Togolese (West African) surname.
Here's more information about that last name from https://forebears.io/surnames/tchalla;
"T'challa
The meaning of this surname is not listed.
[T'Challa is the] 30,791st Most Common surname in the World
Approximately 17,344 people bear this surname
MOST PREVALENT IN:
Togo
HIGHEST DENSITY IN:
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From https://www.names.org/n/tchalla/about
…"Fun Facts about the name Tchalla
How Popular is the name Tchalla?
Tchalla is the 79,216th most popular name of all time.
How many people with the first name Tchalla have been born in the United States?
From 1880 to 2019, the Social Security Administration has recorded 8 babies born with the first name Tchalla in the United States.
What year were 5 or more babies first named Tchalla?
The name was first given to 5 or more babies in the year 1975 when it was given as a first name to 8 new born babies.
When was Tchalla first recorded in the United States?
The oldest recorded birth by the Social Security Administration for the first name Tchalla is Monday, November 6th, 1961.
What year had the most people named Tchalla born?
The highest recorded use of the first name Tchalla was in 1975 with a total of 8 babies.
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The use of the name "Tchalla" as a personal name in the United States in 1961 predates the name of the Black Panther comic book character. However, it's likely that the use of the name Tchalla in the United States in 1975 as a personal namemay have been influenced by the Black Panther comic book character which debuted in 1966:
.https://www.behindthename.com/name/t02challa
"T'Challa
GenderMasculine
UsagePopular Culture
Meaning & History
The real name of the superhero Black Panther from Marvel
comic books, debuting in 1966. In a 2018 issue it was revealed that his name
means "he who put the knife where it belonged" in the fictional
Wakandan language [1]. "
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The www. names.com page that is quoted above doesn't note whether the name "Tchalla" was given to boys or to girls in the United States, but my guess is that these names were only given to boys.
That www.cnames com page also doesn't note the race or ethnicity of the children who were given the name "Tchalla". It's possible that a person or people from Togo or from Angola might have emigrated to the United States and conferred the name "T'Challa" on their child who was born in 1961. If that were the case, that person or people and that child were of Black African descent. But as to the race of the eight babies who received the name "T'Challa" in 1975 (and the race/s of their birth parents), I couldn't hazard any guess.
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AN HISTORIC EXAMPLE OF THE AFRICAN NAME "T'CHALLA" FROM ANGOLA, SOUTH AFRICA
Francisco Travassos Valdez, the Portuguese author of Six Years of a Traveller's Life in Western Africa, writes that his journey in Africa "commenced in 1852". Discussion of King Challa (termed the great king Challa at one point in this book) is found in chapter VI.. Challa's name is given earlier in that chapter, but the main portion that refers to him and his people is found on pages 192-211.
King Challa is also mentioned in the more widely known book The Golden Bough:
Google Books Result
https://books.google.com/books?isbn=162558251X
James Frazer - 2013 - History
"The Matiamvo is a great king or emperor in the interior of Angola. One of the inferior kings of the country, by name Challa, gave to a Portuguese expedition the following account of the manner in which the Matiamvo comes by his end”...
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*"In the context of this quote "inferior kings " means "lesser kings" who owed submission to the great king" (in that region). That great king and all of his people-including his lesser kings-were formally under the control of the Portuguese, in large part because the Portuguese's guns "vomited death".
TWO CONTEMPORARY NOTABLE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THE NAME "T'CHALLA"
1. From https://www.last.fm/music/Tshala+Muana [personal name]
"Tshala Muana is a [female] singer from the Democratic Republic of Congo. She began her career as a dancer for the great Zairian singer Abeti Massikini, practising "mutwashi" dances from the Kasai region. In the 80's she began performing as a singer. She has enjoyed success in several West African countries, more so than in her own country."...
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Click https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tshala_Muana for more information about Élisabeth Tshala Muana Muidikay, alias Tshala Muana (birth date: May 13, 1958 in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, then known as the Belgian Congo.)
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2. From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Tchalla [surname]
"Vincent Orode Tchalla (born 7 October 1987) is a Nigerian-Togolese football striker, who plays for Akanda FC.
Career
Tchalla began his career by ASKO Kara and joined in summer 2008 to Tunisia who signed for Club Africain, he scored in his first season in the CLP-1 five goals,[1] on 21 November 2008 turned back after visa problems.[2] Tchalla signed for the 2009 season for Club Athlétique Bizertin a loan contract and will turned back in January 2010 to Club Africain.[3]
International career
Tchalla was called up on 20 November 2008 for a friendly game for the Togo national game against Rwanda national football team.[4]
Full name Vincent Orode Tchalla
Date of birth 7 October 1987 (age 33)
Place of birth Kaduna, Nigeria
Height 1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s) Striker”…
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EXAMPLES OF SOME TRADITIONAL AFRICAN WORDS THAT ARE SPELLED THE SAME AS OR SIMILARLY TO THE NAME "T'CHALLA"
1. https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames "Most Common Last Names In South Africa" [retrieved August 22, 2021]
#620 [out of 1,000] - Tshehla
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Note that # 856 [out of 1,000] is the name "Tshaka".
That forebears page indicates that "Forebears knows about 821,426 unique surnames in South
Africa and there are 66 people per name.". Hopefully, someone familiar with South African last names share information about whether "Tchalla" is actually is used in South Africa as a surname and/or as a personal name.
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2. "Tshala" is Zulu word that means "sow"/"plant" and is the title of a contemporary South African Gospel song. https://africangospellyrics.com/2013/01/15/tshala-sowplant-by-sphumelele-and-joyous-celebration-16/
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I believe that the "t" in the (Xhosa? or Zulu?) word "tshala" is silent. Is this correct?
If so, is the "t" in the South African name "T'Chaka" also silent?
The "t" in the names of that fictional Black Panther characters T'Chaka and T'Challa are pronounced.
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3. name of an ethnic group in Nigeria's Plateau State
Daily Trust (Abuja)
"Nigeria: Plateau - Fulani, Challa to Form Vigilante Group
Jos — Fulani, Challa and other tribes in Bokkos Local Government Area of Plateau State have resolved to form a joint vigilante group to help restore peace to the area.
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-https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lake_Chala
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"Lake Chala" is also given as "Lake Challa"
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