[1] Their name's usage is a Swahili translation of the Arabic word "Khadim," which means "a servant," with the Bantu prefixes Mhadimu for the singular and Wahadimu for the plural.

In addition to their tribal heritage, there are numerous other signs suggesting they originated on the mainland; nonetheless, their chiefs, whose line died out around 1870, appear to have been of Persian descent, similar to those of Kilwa, Vumba, Shake (near Kipini), and maybe other Medieval Swahili communities.

[2] A Hadimu man by the name of Mwenyiuzi claimed that the Wahadimu originally hailed from the seashore close to the town of Windi (between Saadani and Bagamoyo) both in present-day Pwani Region.

According to another source, the Wahadimu summoned Sayidi Hariri an Omani officer for assistance after the Portuguese seized Hadimu women against their will and forced them to become concubines.

A doctor stationed at the same location tried speaking in Swahili with three Wahadimu patients who were admitted to the hospital from far-off shambas(farms), but the same thing happened: "they were completely ignorant of their tribal history and only knew a few stray words of their language".