# Somali clan tree: every clan, sub-clan and lineage > The full Somali clan tree, family by family down to diya-paying groups, from Abbink 2009, ACLED 2025 and the World Bank, with a download. Source page: https://calankii.com/en/society/somali-clan-tree/ Last checked: 2026-11-12 Publisher: Calankii (https://calankii.com) ## What this tree is Somalis trace descent through the father's line. Counting the fathers is called *abtirsiinyo* or *abtirsiimo*, "the counting of fathers" ([Abbink, *The Total Somali Clan Genealogy*, 2nd edition, 2009, p. 2](https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14007)). The most detailed published tree is by the anthropologist Jan Abbink of the African Studies Centre in Leiden. It names about 850 groups, from the clan families down to the groups that pay blood money together. The conflict-data project ACLED published its own list of about 430 clan groups in 2025 ([ACLED clan actor list, September 2025](https://acleddata.com/system/files/2025-10/Somalia-clan-actor-old-to-new-list_16-September-2025.xlsx)). This page gives both lists in full, family by family. Each group sits where that source places it. Where the sources place a group differently, both placements are shown. The [download](#download) holds every row with its source. ## How to read it Abbink uses six levels ([Abbink 2009, pp. 5-6](https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14007)): | Level | What it means | |---|---| | Clan family | The largest group, such as Dir or Hawiye | | Division | Two "moieties" or territorial parts of a family, where there are any | | Clan | Called *qabiil* or *qolo* in Somali | | Sub-clan | A branch of a clan | | Lineage | A branch of a sub-clan | | Sub-lineage or diya-paying group | The group that pays blood money (*mag*) together, often called *jilib* or *reer* | Abbink writes that diya-paying groups "typically range from c. 1000 to 4000 people" (p. 6). He adds that people "know their clan and clan family" and their own lineage, "but the levels in-between may be fused or telescoped" (p. 6). Two marks in his tree are shown here in words. A name with a question mark "could not be confirmed from more than one source", in Abbink's words. The sign -/- means "intervening ancestors or nodes in a line are omitted" (p. 7). Some lines are traced through a mother, called *bah* in Somali. Abbink gives the Hawiye *Bah Girei* and *[Bah Arbera](/en/society/karanle/)* as examples (p. 5). ## What the sources say about the tree itself Abbink writes that his tree "does not purport to be an accurate historical tree at any specific point in time" ([Abbink 2009, p. 2](https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14007)). He notes that groups join other lines through *heer* (contract) and *sheegad* (adoption). Over time some lines split off and others are "telescoped" (p. 3). He quotes two views on how far the tree is history. I. M. Lewis found that northern genealogies contain "a very significant basis in fact". A. O. Mansur wrote that the system is "mythic" and "the fruit of the nomadic pastoral life" (pp. 2-4). The World Bank says "there is no clear agreement on the clan and subclan structures" ([World Bank 2005, Appendix 2](https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/b2109b26-2d10-5ac6-85c2-dbfa820c5f6e)). ## The top of the tree Abbink traces all Somalis to Hiil, a "mythical" first ancestor. From Hiil come [Samaale](/en/history/where-the-somalis-come-from/) and, "often, on the same level", Sab ([Abbink 2009, p. 11](https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14007)). | Line | Families Abbink places under it | |---|---| | Saab | Digil, Rahanweyn, Tunni | | Irir, son of Samaale | Dir, Isaaq, Hawiye | | Darod | Harti and Ogaden, Marehan | | "Pre-Hawiya" | Gardere, Yakabur, Mayle | The EUAA counts five large families: Dir, Isaaq, Darod, Hawiye and Rahanweyn ([EUAA Country Guidance, 2025](https://euaa.europa.eu/country-guidance-somalia/1-general-remarks)). Each has its own page: [Dir](/en/society/dir/), [Isaaq](/en/society/isaaq/), [Darod](/en/society/darod/), [Hawiye](/en/society/hawiye/) and [Rahanweyn](/en/society/rahanweyn/). ## The tree, family by family The full lists are on one page per clan family. Each page gives Abbink's tree and ACLED's 2025 list for that family, level by level ([Abbink 2009](https://hdl.handle.net/1887/14007); [ACLED, September 2025](https://acleddata.com/system/files/2025-10/Somalia-clan-actor-old-to-new-list_16-September-2025.xlsx)). - [Dir](/en/society/somali-clan-tree-dir/) - [Isaaq](/en/society/somali-clan-tree-isaaq/) - [Darod](/en/society/somali-clan-tree-darod/) - [Hawiye](/en/society/somali-clan-tree-hawiye/) - [Rahanweyn, Digil and Tunni](/en/society/somali-clan-tree-rahanweyn/) - [Groups outside the clan families, and the Somali Bantu](/en/society/somali-clan-tree-other-groups/) ## The World Bank charts The World Bank printed two charts from Somali research partners in 2005 ([World Bank 2005, Appendix 2](https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/b2109b26-2d10-5ac6-85c2-dbfa820c5f6e)). | Family | South-central partner (CRD) | Puntland partner (PDRC) | |---|---|---| | Darod | Kablalah (Koombe, Kumade), Sade (Marehan, Facaye), Leelkase | Marehan, Awrtable, Leelkase, Harti, Ogaden | | Hawiye | Karanle (Murusade), Gugundhabe (Badi Adde, Jidle, Jejele), Haskul, Gorgate (Abgal, Habar Gidir, Sheekhaal, Duduble, Ujejen), Rarane, Jambeele; associates Hawadle, Gaaljecel, Ajuran, Degoodi | Habar Gidir, Abgaal, Mururusade, Hawaadle, Ujuuran | | Dir | Isaaq (Garxajis, Habar Jeclo, Habar Awal, Habar Tol Jaclo), Isse, Gadsan, Ortoble, Gadabursi, Biyomal, Qubeys | Gadabursi, Iise, Biyamaal | | Isaaq | Placed under the Dir | Habar Yoonis, Habar Awal, Habar Tol Jaalo, Habar Jaalo, Iidagale | | Rahanweyn | One family: Digil (Geledi, Tunni, Garre, Jiiddo, Begedi, Shanta Aleen) and Mirifle (17 sub-clans) | Rahanweyn and Digil as two families | ## Where sources differ - **The Isaaq.** The World Bank's south-central chart places the Isaaq under the Dir. Its [Puntland](/en/states/puntland/) chart, Abbink and ACLED show the Isaaq as a family of their own. - **[Digil](/en/society/digil/) and Rahanweyn.** Abbink shows Digil, Rahanweyn and [Tunni](/en/society/tunni/) as three families under Saab. ACLED and the south-central chart put the Digil and [Mirifle](/en/society/mirifle/) under one Rahanweyn family. The Puntland chart shows two families. - **The Hawadle and Ajuran.** Abbink places the Hawadle in a "pre-Hawiya" group and the [Ajuraan](/en/society/ajuuraan/) under the Hawiye Jambelle. The south-central chart calls both "Hawiye associates". ACLED places the Hawadle under the Hawiye. - **Murusade and Karanle.** Abbink puts [Murosade](/en/society/murusade/) beside Karanle. The south-central chart and Wikipedia put Murusade under Karanle. - **Spellings.** The same group can appear in several spellings, such as [Habr Gidir](/en/society/habar-gidir/) and Habar Gidir, or [Abgal](/en/society/abgaal/) and Abgaal. ACLED's list gives its older spellings for many groups; they are in the download. ## Download Every row on this page and the six family pages is in [somali-clan-tree.csv](/data/society/somali-clan-tree.csv). The file also holds the clan trees printed on Wikipedia's Dir, Isaaq, Darod, Hawiye and Rahanweyn pages, row by row as indented there (backup). It has these columns: | Column | What it holds | |---|---| | group | The group's name, as the source spells it | | clan_family | The family the source places it in | | lineage_path | Its full line from the family down, as the source gives it | | source | Abbink 2009, ACLED 2025, World Bank 2005 (CRD or PDRC chart), or Wikipedia (backup) | | source_note | The source's own marks, and ACLED's older names for the group | ## Read more - [Somali clans and lineage: how the system works](/en/society/clans-and-lineage/) - [Dir](/en/society/dir/), [Isaaq](/en/society/isaaq/), [Darod](/en/society/darod/), [Hawiye](/en/society/hawiye/) and [Rahanweyn](/en/society/rahanweyn/) - [Xeer, Somali customary law](/en/society/xeer-customary-law/) - [Clan conflicts, district by district](/en/society/clan-conflicts/) - [Minority communities](/en/society/minority-communities/) --- I want to help with this: email hello@calankii.com. Fix this page: email hello@calankii.com with the page link and your source.