The Complete List of Limbu Clans and Tribes

The Limbu nation is made up of hundreds of clans. Each Limbu clans are classified under their Tribe or subnational entity or according to their place of origin. Some of the Tribes are Aakwajungo/Awajung, Phombo, Singthaba, Kurumbang, Kedem, Khajum, Nalbo, Huukpa, Samba etc. Almost all the Limbu clan names are unique, therefore it is not necessary to specify the Tribe or the place of origin every time the clan name is said. Although, some of the clan names may not be unique for example: Chongbang or Maden. They are divided by listing their tribe name before or after their clan. Chongbang can be Sering-Chongbang or Huuppa-Chongbang or Tilling-Chongbang, similarly Maden clan can be specifically Tilling-Maden or Thokleng-Maden or Tunglung-Maden.

Listed Chaobisia, Mawakhola, Tambarkhola, Charkhola, Maiwakhola, Panthar, Tinkhola, Phedap and Yangrok are the names of the places where the respective clans belong to. Chaobisia refers to present day Dhankuta and Morang districts, Tambarkhola area is in present day Taplejung district, Mewakhola area refers to present day Taplejung and Sankhuwasabha districts, Charkhola is a present day Ilam and Jhapa districts, Maiwakhola area is in present day Taplejung district, Tinkhola is in Panchthar district, Panthar is Panchthar district, Phedap is the north-central area of Terhathum district, Athraya is in northeastern Terhathum district, Chethar is in southern Terhathum, Sankhuwasabha and eastern Dhankuta district. Yangrok area is in present day Southeast Taplejung, Northeast Panchthar districts and west Sikkim. All of these areas make up Limbuwan.

Nationality and the Name

Before the unification of Limbuwan with Gorkha, the Term Limbu did not stand as Jaat or Varna of Hindu system, but Limbu meant anyone living in the Limbuwan's domain. After the Unification of Limbuwan and Gorkha, the Gorkhali King and Khas-Brahmin immigrants classified all those living in Limbuwan as Limbus and ranked them as one of the "Namasine Matwali Jaat". The term "Subba" is not a clan name of a Limbu nationality, Subba is a title given by the Shah Kings to Limbu village chiefs. Subba is not an indegenous Limbu terminology, but now Limbu and Subba are almost interchangeable terms. The term "Yakthumba or Yakthungba" is also not a clan name. Limbus call themselves Yakthumba in their own language and thus its an endonym of term Limbu. The clan names have terms attached to it as well, Libang means the Archer, Tilling means the Police, Menyangbo means the unsuccessful one, Samba means the priest, etc. However, clans also have meanings which evolved from sentences e.g. Hembya was according to legend, evolved from "Hey' nangh wa" which translates to "Over there also". However, on original verbal dialect, 'Hembya' would be pronounced as "Hem-phe". This name was previously used to identify Thebe's next clan who settled in a different territory. 

Clans and Marriages

To Limbus, genealogy is very important before conducting marriages. Limbus don't marry within their own clan and not into their mother's clan or their grandmothers' clan. Some Traditional and cultural Limbus with strong background, avoid marriages into clans from which they derive their blood, up to seven generations in their father's line and up to five generations in their mother's line. That means Marriages into great-great-great grandmothers' clans are also avoided. A person of Sering-Chongbang clan can marry a person of Phago-Chongbang or Kajum-Chongbang clan but not of Sering-Chongbang clan, this is because all the members of Sering-Chongbang are descended from the same male ancestor and considered related by bone and blood. 

The following are the list of Limbu clans.

List of Limbu clans

A Ajibungia Angbuhang Angbe Angbo Angbung Anchangbo Angdembe (also Angdembey) Angdemba - Papo Angdemba - Phendua Angdemba - Nembang Angla - Tokleng Anglabang Anglabang - Khewa Angthumba Anchangbong Awajungo/Akwajungo/Awajung

B Bokkhim - Yyorong Bokkhim - Kangva Bokkhim - Maa Bokkhim - Lokshom Banta Baphu Baragahri - Sangwa Baragahri - Khajum Begha - Tunglung Begha - Panthar Bengtak Bhotangwa Burra Burumba C Chambang Charkhele Chebegu Chekphong Chengsui Chenwaphu Chermali Chethare Chilikchan

Chemjong - Mabho-hang Chemjong - Panthar Chemjong - Lad-ho Chemjong - Chikcho Chilikehomba Chintung Chikcho - Kajum Chabeghu Chungsu Chongbang - Huukpa Chongbang - Khajum Chongbang - Khewa Chongbang - Nalbo Chongbang - Phago Chongbang - Samba Chongbang - Sering Chongbang - Tilling Chongbang - Tukyuma Chongbang - Tunglung

D Durombo E Edhingo Ehpheng Ejam Ekdem Espo Emsong(Emehang) G Gnoyongba H Hamphia Hangemba - Ijam Hangemba - Yangrok Hangemba - Yungwa Hangemba - Mawakhole Hanggam - Mawakhole Hanggam - Nalbo Hanggam - Sering Hangserung Hangun Hanserumba Hembya Hinah Hingo

Hangbang

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I Idingo - Tunglung Idingo - Tinkole Idingo - Athraya Imusong Inemba Inglamphen Ingnamphe Ingwa - Chethar Ingwa - Tambarkhole Ingwaba - Nembang Ingwaba - Papo Ingwarem Iringba Isubo J Jabegu Jeyoh Jimbukang K Kadi Kambang - Mabohang Kambang - Sambahang Kanbonan Kandangwa Kanthak Karamba Kawepung Kebok - Tilling Kebok - Yongyahang Kebok - Khewa Kedemba - Sering Keiba - Kebang Keiba - Lingden Kekluke Kerabare Kerong Kerumba Kerung Kerungma Keye Keyung Khajum - Parghari Khajum - Khewa Khajum - Kurumbang khangwa Khapung Khimding Kobok Kochpongo Kodang Koggeknamba Kogling Kohyang Koklung Kondongwa Kongliba Kongwa - Singjango Koyahang Koyohang Kudanamba Kugetnamba Kulunglong Kungari Kurumbang - Khajum Kurumbang Kyadapa

L Labang Labong Labyung Lad-ho - Chemjong Lahbung Lahoron Laksemba - Ijam Laksomba - Yongyahang Lambeba Laoti(Lawati) Lechharbo Lejenji Lekhongwalong Lekhwa - Kajum Lekwa - Kamthak Lekwa - Samba Lengwa Lepcha Lewahang - Kajum Lewahang - Sambahang Lianmphe Libang Limkhim Lingdam - Immechang Lingdem - Charkole Lingdem - Tinkole Lingdem - Panthare Lingden - Khewa Lingden - Sering Lingden - Yangroke Lingden - Songyokpa Lingdom Lingjemba Lingka Lingkhim Lingthep Lohringen Lokhsambo Lokpeba Loksomba Loksomba Loksong Loktam Loktong Loli Longwa Longwa Longwago Lua Lugumba Luhimba Lumdhoyu Lumphungwa Lung Maden Lungkimba Lunkimba Luwa

M Ma Mabo Madem Mademba - Huuppa Mademba - Chathare Maden Maden - Bakkim Maden - Khewa Maden - Nalbo Maden - Samba Maden - Tilling Maden - Tokleng Maden - Tukyuma Maden - Tunglung Maden - Phendua Madongya Mage Magmu Mahbe Mahbo - Chemjong Mahbo - Tinkole Mahbo - Yangrok Mahbo - Mahbo Mahsuwa Maken Makkhim Makim Maksingbung Malahang Mangap Mangbo Mangdemba Mangden Mangea Manglap Mangmo Mangmu Mangmu Mangsrukha Mangthumbo Mangwayak Mangyeh Mangyunbgo Mangyung - Tambarkhola Mangyung - Chathar Manjia Mansingbung Mapejong Mardin Marinda Maringdom Mauba Mayang Mayongba Mebek Meblak Mebok Mehokpa Mehokpa Mekending Menyangbo - Taplejung Mikluke Mingemba Miyongma Modengba Modengsomba Modenyak Moraba Moringlahang Moro Moyongba Muden Mudenchain Mudensong - Samba Musuhang

N Nabu Naidemba Naika Naklebu Nalbo Nalibe Nalutem Namdehang Namlakpa Nangen Nayamba Neyong Nembang (also Nemwang) Nembang - Nanglakpa Nembang - Yangdemba Nembeke Neongoa Neonwa Neshie Thapa Ninja-Warrior Ninglekhu Ninglekhu - Manjia Nogo - Tambarkhola Nogo - Chaobisia Nogo - Lingden Nogo - Tinkole Nugedemma Nugo - Athraya Nundehang O Ogu Okhebu Okhrabo Ongba Onim

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P Pabemba Padupling Pahim Pahtangna Painger Pak - Sangwa Pak - Serma Pak - Pheyak Pakpasomba Paksangwa Pakseng Pakserma Palahajum Palange Palghe Palungwa Pambokpa Paneyanggu Pangboma Pangenhang Pangma Pankemyang Panphoma Panthap Papalang Papo - Kurungbang Papo - Panthare Papsong Parghari - Khajum Parangden Parangen Pahango Pataha Patare Pegwa Pekim Pemba Pembasong Penchangwa Penjelam Penjetamlingba Pettehba Phaklecha Phakole Phalechuwa Phalechuwa Phamphe Phedapea Pheguba Phegwaden Phejonba Phejong Phemphu Phemsong Phewaden Pheyak Pheyak Phombo Phonjela Phonpho Phonthak Phonyang Phopra Photre Patangwa Phudunghang Phuglala Phungenahang Pichchowa Pobemba Podalung - Tilling Podalung - Tinkhole Poinyanggu Pomo Pongjange Ponthak - Maiwakhola Ponthak - Phedap Ponthok - Phago Potangna - Tumbangphe Potangwa - Sambahang Pothangehere Potro Pundhak Punglai-ing Punjemba Puradin Purumbo Purungbo

S Sabenhimba Sademba Sakwademba Sakwaden - Ponglai Sakwaden - Tegim Sakwaden - Tumbangphe Selling Samba - Nalbo sambiu Samdangwa Sameakamba Samsomba Samsong Samsohang Sangba Sangi Sangita Sangpanggye Sangreba Sangreba Sangsangbo Sangsangu Sangwa Sangwareba Sanjung Sansoyang Sapla Sapta Sardaphe Saring Sawaden Sawaden Sayorana Sendang Sedemba - Mabho Sedemba - Sambahang Selling Semhang Sene Senehang Sengsaugbo Sengwangyang Sere Serima Serangchongbang Setling Sewa Sialungma Siba Silingbo Sinehang Sing - Thebe Sing Maden - Khewa Sing Maden - Tilling Singak Singdaba Singgokhang Singokua Singthape Singyemba Singyemba Skuwaba Sobegu Sodemba Sodung Sokiklumba Song Songbamphe Sambahangphe Songbo Songmeba Songrungbang Songyokpa - Chaubisia Songyokpa - Phago Songyokpa - Kurumbang Subasang - Lingden Subasong - Lingkhim Subasong - Tambarkhole Suguwa Suhang Sukarengba Suknawab Sungwapak

T Tababung Tabelung Thaklung Takmademba Takwaden Tamba Tambe Tambedem Tamdem Tamling Tamorangba Tangba Tangbhopa Tangdewa Tanjamba Tegela Tegim Tegoba Tegothopra Teyung Tellok Tembeh Tengubumthupia Tentak Terathare Thalong Thamsuhang Thandemba Theguba Thebe-thuppoko Thoglema Thokpeba Thoksuba - Khewa Thoksuba - Songyokpa Thopra - Phago Thopra - Thegim Thumba Thumsa Thumyangba Thupukum Tigalla Tikapatti Tinglabe Tinkote Todopa Togleng Toklehang Toklengkya Tokphela Tokponden Tole Topetlagu Tubuk Tukimo Tukohang Tum - Papo Tum - Pheyak Tum - Sangwa Tum - Serma Tum - Kurumbang Tumbah - Khewa Tumbahang Tumbang Tumbahangphe - Phedapea Tumbahangphe - Tokleng Tumbahangphe - Phendua Tumbapo - papo Tumbrok - Papo Tumbrok - Phago Tumrok - Tokleng Tumruk - Panthare Tumsangwa Tumsengwate Tumsong Tunesang Tungbamphe - Chethare Tungbamphe - Mewakhole Tungbamphe - Nembang Tungbanphe Tungbaphu - Nalbo Tungkamphs Tungkong - Chaobisia Tungkong - CHethare Tunglung Tungohang Tupunge

U Umdeme Unglingba Unjumba Usuk W Wabungia Wade Wahek Waji - Chaobisia Waji - Phedapea Waji - Athraya Wanem - Phago Warakpa Warupa Wayahnag-Kajum Wayam Kajum Wegu Werniba Wetupma Wobungia Wodokba Woyang Y Yakka Yakso Yakpaden Yambhota Yangboku Yangboten Yangdem Yangdemba Yanghimba Yangnam Yangrokia Yangsata Yangseba Yangsoba Yangwago Yangya Yanroke Yanwabhu Yawa Yekten Yengdem Yengden Yengdemba Yohimbang Yokippa Yokpangden Yoksoba Yoksuba Yoksuma Yongatemba Yongden - thopra Yongeywa Yonghang

  (Wikipedia)