The place was named by the German missionary Carl Franz and his wife Helene to a mission station they established here in 1890.

They call the town Senwabarwana, a commemorative name for an incident that took place in a pond where the Khoi people found and drank water in their travelling, thus passing by.

Due to their height they are proclaimed dwarfs by natives which literally means Morwana in Northern Sotho (Sepedi) and in a plural form is Barwana, hence "Sen-wa-barwana".

[1] German missionary Carl Franz and his wife Helene founded a hospital that used to cater for people with leprosy.

[citation needed] The place is also known for its diverse people from chieftaincies such as Ga-Manthata, Ga-Matlala, Ga-Mmalebogo, Makgababeng, Moletši and the small town of Mogwadi.