Save Type Surname (from occupation) Usage Southern African Pronounced Pron. ʧiˈluːpe, chee-LOO-peh [key] Meaning & History Chiefly used among the Bemba ethnic group in Zambia in the Lusaka, Copperbelt, and Luapula Provinces. It is in reference to the agricultural tool 'chilupe' which is used to separate husks from pounded grain.