Those who know the ropes are only too happy to guide new users in the right direction or volunteer free look-ups (genie lingo for anything that can be looked up – from newspapers to archive death notices). This list may not reflect recent changes (). Sort by Count. We use cookies to collect information from your browser to personalize content and perform site analytics. “The Internet has made available information and resources to people which previously would have taken months”, Van Rensburg says. The first known bearer of the name was Hermann Potgieter, a resident of Essen in the year 1463. The Afrikaners slowly developed their own language and culture when they came into contact with Africans and Asians. Family research turns your world view upside down; it is far more exciting than any fiction, and not for the faint-hearted.”. Tel +27-12-991-1772 (H), +27-11-350-5291 (W), +27-11-350-2001 (Fax) Below you will find. It is considered to be primarily male. Not a week passes without at least one new list of BMDs (baptism, marriage and death transcriptions) from her, Nolene Lossau or Sha Redfern, who took up the challenge with transcriptions from other areas. Privacy Policy. Welcome to Ancestor.co.za, one of the largest online sources of original South African genealogy information. Besides individual case studies, lists of slaves and their countries of origin at the Slave Lodge and on estates like Groot Constantia are given. CHARLIZE f Southern African, Afrikaans Feminine form of CHARLES using the popular Afrikaans name suffix ize. Adebisi Don’t despair if the site is down: it simply means that maintenance or updating is taking place. If those are your priorities, the newsgroups at RootsWeb.com are virtual manna. The surname Potgieter was first found in Westphalia, where the name originated. Notable people with the surname include: Karthy Govender, South African human rights commissioner and academic; Kessie Govender (1942–2002), South African playwright and actor; Rogers Govender (born 1960), Church of England dean; Ronnie Govender (born 1934), South African playwright and writer; Venitia Govender, South African activist “A useful tip”, says one lister, “is to check who produced the CD. Acheampong Origin: Ghanaian (Ashanti) Meaning: Destined for greatness. Kamedien also runs RootsWeb.com’s SA History newsgroup, which is geared towards historical backgrounds. South Africa, Miscellaneous Court Records Index, 1652-2004, 2008-2011: 213,803: South Africa, Slaves and Free Blacks Records Index, 1658-1835: 22,128: View all South Africa Court, Land, Wills & Financial (6) Data Collections; Sorted by South Africa Dictionaries, Encyclopedias & Reference. There’s also a new group for those in search of their St Helena roots. eStore. BASETSANA f Sotho Means "ladies" in Sotho. Continually updated and maintained by a meagre complement of staff, the site is a work in progress, and nowhere near all archives resources have been listed. If these don’t satisfy your need, a quick Google for South African genealogy yields a number of other options, among which is the busy Afrikaans SAGenealogie group (which also has a separate website and photo album). His site also has a membership area which includes a newsletter, and the interactive dynamic family tree (DFT) on his original site, Paul TT’s Genealogy Home Page, demonstrates just how intermarried the whole shebang of 4 000 settlers were. Find out how surnames are ranked in popularity, how many people in the United States of America bear a particular name, and how the statistics change between 1990 and 2000 US Censuses. The people can be divided into over a thousand different … What’s in a (South African) name? SOUTH AFRICAN SURNAMES - D PLEASE NOTE: This is ONLY a listing of who is interested in which South African families. Some used their owners’ surnames, some got their surnames according to the month or day they came to South Africa. By subscribing you will receive continuous newsworthy information. Stamouers.com is a virtual family bible for those with Dutch, German or slave ancestors – and also a work in progress, with Van Rensburg only too happy to add researched, proven details to the site. AHISHAKIYE is a both male (most) and female name which means "Whenever God want" and is originally from Rwanda. If you’re unsure of where a person died, use the SAB section and try a variety of spelling permutations. Sale. 20 Jamaican Last Names That’ll Make You Wanna Visit Kingston. In such cases, the child was given a surname of his mother or father or may be a third surname. 116. It is a familiar name in the East African countries speaking Kinyarwanda and Kirundi such as Rwanda, Uganda, RDC, Burundi and Tanzania... [more] AÏT Berber, Northern African Anyone with genealogical knowledge and a bit of spare time can do the same. Origin: West African (Yoruba) Meaning: ‘Born with wealth.’ Abara Origin: West African (Igbo) Meaning: Spirit. This is why you hardly see an African man bearing a Western name as his last name. 1. Navigating around the site and mastering the search engine takes a bit of getting used to, but once you’ve got the hang of it, you’ll be there for days. It is also common in The Philippines, where 29 percent live and Nigeria, where 7 percent live. Sorely in need of a mailing list to consolidate information for more lowly researchers, intermarriage in this area is also vaguely explored on Andre van Rensburg’s Van Rensburg Genealogy. A site of much lively debate, it attracts interest groups from all sectors who thrive on historical issues. Coat-of-arms of some Huguenot surnames which are found in South Africa today. South African Genealogy has collected lots of Passenger Lists and made them freely available for you to search through. There were many women who had babies from the whites. Ancestors Research helps many clients with challenging and problematic South African Family Trees and history’s as well as difficulties in tracing their family trees and providing genealogy research for those people who cannot do it themselves or simply don’t have the time. Elitist though the groupings may sound, they only exist because volunteers manage them – for free. You e-mail me the surnames you are interested in, and I send you the e-mail address(es) of the person(s) who are researching these surnames for their own family history. It will form part of a broader site, e-Genealogy. A. Notable bearers of this name include the Dutch actor Bartho Braat (b. South african last names starting with M Abendroth (1) 10. The same applies to ship lists for many slaves, who were known only by the names given them by their European owners. There is also a new database of Military Deserters in the Cape Colony during the 1800s. African last names or surnames have deeper meanings than many think. Visit our Privacy Policy for more info. Those of higher social status often took surnames that are uncommon today; whereas people of lower social status often took what are today common surnames. It has its origin in the Tiv language, and means ‘father’s love’. We know that the word ‘Africa’ was first used by the Romans to describe that part of the Carthaginian Empire which lies in present day Tunisia. Stuck in an exchange warp and blessed with in-bred ubuntu, South Africans are particularly conscious of keeping the flow of information as cheap, accurate and accessible as possible. 1950) and the South African writer Bartho Smit (1924-1986). A member of both Mercer’s and Robertson’s newsgroups, Tanner-Tremaine is the 1820 settler guru and is constantly updating his database of over 30 000 names. Africa is home to several language families and hundreds of languages all these different cultures countries and people have something in common they can be found now world wide and one way of keeping and telling others about your roots is African Surname and there for it is considered as very important in todays African culture. Abbott (22) 6. The name went to South Africa with the Dutch settlers in 1652. VAN DER MERWE Dutch, South African While the name is currently very common in South Africa, it originates in Holland, literally meaning "From the Merwe". A timeline and a comprehensive outline of the anomalies unique to SA research can also be found at Researching in South Africa. The real beauty, though, lies in the fact that all the transcripts are downloadable from Heather’s site or the newsgroup archives. Abdinor (2) 7. In addition to BMD (baptism, marriage and death) information, the LDS also has a variety of books on microfiche, obtainable from centres in your area – gratis. Africa is home to several language families and hundreds of languages all these different cultures countries and people have something in common they can be found now world wide and one way of keeping and telling others about your roots is African Surname and there for it is considered as very important in todays African culture. On occasion, we also use cookies to collect information from our toddlers, but that’s a totally different thing. The site, which has over two million online records, gives plenty of links to other sites, lists of surnames being researched in South Africa, baptism, marriage and death transcriptions for the 1800s, and passenger lists, which are a mammoth work in progress as more come to light. It is generally regarded as suitable for boys. Make your choice from the lists for Cape Town, British Immigrants or South Africa as a whole. I maintain the list. But “vanity genealogy” has come a long way since then, and now there are few amateur ancestor seekers who don’t use the virtual mode. Abioye Origin: Nigerian Meaning: The son of royalty. STATEMENT BY PRESIDENT CYRIL RAMAPHOSA ON PROGRESS IN THE NATIONAL EFFORT... [Opinion Editorial] Enough is still not enough when it comes to... Media Statement: Brand South Africa addresses media on allegations of corruption, South African cooking show picked up to air in US and Australia, South Africans Abroad commemorate their unique diverse Heritage. Abbot (4) 5. Newsflash: watch Google for a new website, One Tree, covering the Eastern Cape and Transkei. Would you like to use this article in your publication or on your website? Note: Please email us through our contact us page if you have any enquiries. Toure: This surname is possibly derived from the Soninkè word tùùrè, which means ‘elephant’. South African Ancestry - Researching South African Family History. The most common South African surnames come from Nguni clans, which consist of the Zulu, Xhosa, and Ndebele clans. The lists for the five ships in Dutch colonist Jan van Riebeeck’s fleet, which arrived at the Cape in 1652, have still not been found, and some controversy remains as to who the first free burghers were. The fulcrum around which all of this spins is the government’s National Archives of South Africa. The site, which has over two million online records, gives plenty of links to other sites, lists of surnames being researched in South Africa, baptism, marriage and death transcriptions for the 1800s, and passenger lists, which are a mammoth work in progress as more come to light. They’re especially useful if you’re researching more than one family or area, but often lose their value once you’ve found what you want. Find out how surnames are ranked in popularity, how many people in the United States of America bear a particular name, and how the statistics change between 1990 and 2000 US Censuses. Here are some common South African last names: Dlamini: A popular surname in Southern Africa. Walter V. Volker, PO Box 37672, Faerie Glen, 0043, South Africa. Says one such professional quester, Andre van Rensburg, a white Afrikaner proud of his genes, which range from Khoi translater Krotoa to Eastern slaves and “thoroughbred” Huguenots and Dutchmen: “What makes South African genealogy so exciting is that you never know what you will find. Genealogical Gleanings has links to lineages of Zulu, Xhosa, Pondo, Swazi and Thembu royal families. Sort by Count. A surname's origin is influenced by the progenitor's social class and the culture they lived in. It’s a common Afrikaans surname meaning … With over 1 million family tree records available, we hope your visit will be rewarding and that you will enjoy discovering more about your South African ancestors. See Using Brand South Africa material. Though not as active on the web as on paper, exploration of Jewish roots in South Africa has a starting point at Southern Africa Jewish Genealogy: Websites and Anne Lemkuhl’s Lemkuhl Family Home Page and German South African Resource Page provide great leads for German ancestors. Discover the ethnic origin and meaning of last names. Name list of male Huguenots who settled at the Cape of Good Hope, and of whose surname is still continued in South Africa: A number of Huguenot surnames did not survive in South Africa; these include surnames such as Amiel, Aubanelle, Belusé, De Péronne, De Savoye, Dumont, Mouy, Potier, Prévost, Verdeau, etc. On my Stamouers website, you can access the research by Prof Robert C-H Shell’s slave transactions from the early Cape.”. Entries are listed under the sections TAB (Transvaal), VAB (Free State), NAB (Kwa Zulu Natal), KAB (Cape) and SAB (South Africa), together with various other sub-headings which include cemetery listings, photographs and official manuscripts dating back to the 1600s. Says ever-helpful Port Elizabeth lister Becky Horne: “Without Ellen, many people would never have even begun their family trees. To me, this list is about making friends as well.”. Discover your DNA story and unlock the secrets of your ancestry and genealogy with our DNA kits for ancestry and the world’s most comprehensive DNA database. Mercer also owns South African Genealogy, which gives a myriad links to helpful South African sites – among them Paul Tanner-Tremaine’s 1820settlers.com, which has an ever-expanding list of visitors on its message board. Barring South Africa this last name occurs in 40 countries. Jelani Origin: Swahili Meaning: Full of strength. I maintain the list. In South Africa Africa is mostly concentrated in: Western Cape, where 63 percent live, Gauteng, where 11 percent live and Eastern Cape, where 8 percent live. This, and most other mailing lists, have searchable archives. Abel (6) 8. Complementing the archives site, FamilySearch, the website for the Church of Latter Day Saints (LDS), invites contributors to send in family trees, and though they need to be checked for accuracy, a copious amount of leads for both local and international family trees can be gleaned here. Govender is a surname. Many agree that the best starting block for South African research is Ancestry24.com, developed by Cape Town commercial family history researcher Heather MacAlister, who also runs the Cape Town Rootsweb newsgroup. More databases will be added soon. The exact origins of the word ‘Africa’ are contentious, but there is much about its history that is known. South Africa, Miscellaneous Court Records Index, 1652-2004, 2008-2011: 213,803: South Africa, Slaves and Free Blacks Records Index, 1658-1835: 22,128: View all South Africa Convict, Criminal, Land & Wills (6) Data Collections; Sorted by South Africa Reference, Dictionaries & Almanacs. 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