'Bamangwato' originates from Tswana (Setswana), specifically the element 'Ba-' meaning 'people' (plural) combined with the clan name 'Ngwato' (rendered as 'Mangwato' in some forms).

'Bamangwato' reflects the Setswana plural prefix 'Ba-' + clan name 'Ngwato'; in English sources it appears in forms like 'Bangwato' or 'Bamangwato' through transliteration and colonial-era records.

Initially it referred specifically to the people or followers of the ancestor Ngwato; in modern English usage it denotes the tribe, its people, or the traditional chiefdom in Botswana.