Van der Merwe is a common Afrikaans surname, derived from the Dutch van der Merwe - the name of the Merwede river in the middle ages [1] ("from the Merwede"). It was brought to South Africa in 1661 by Dutch people employed by the Dutch East India Company. [2]
The progenitors of the extended family are Willem Schalk van der Merwe (born in "Broeck", probably Broek [3] no very near the Merwede so assumed and not yet proven/these are asumptions) and Elsje Cloete (born Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia). [4] Married in 1668 in Cape Town, they later farmed for a living in Hout Bay and eventually retired to Drakenstein. [5] Many if not most of the people below, who include 16 rugby players, are their descendants.
People
- Abraham van der Merwe (1897–1978), pastor, one of the main leaders of the South-African Dutch Reformed Church between 1945 and 1966
- Akker van der Merwe (born 1991), South African rugby union player; older brother of Duhan
- Alan van der Merwe (born 1980), South African racer
- Albert van der Merwe (born 1981), South African-born Irish cricketer
- Alwyn Van der Merwe (born 1927), South African physicist
- André Carl van der Merwe (born 1961), South African novelist
- André van der Merwe (born 1967), South African urologist
- André van der Merwe, South African choir conductor
- Andries van der Merwe (born 1994), South African sprinter
- Bertus van der Merwe (1929–1971), South African rugby player
- Cecile van der Merwe (born 1987), South African chess player
- Cornelis van der Merwe (1921–1985), South African government minister
- D. T. H. van der Merwe (born 1986), South African-born Canadian rugby player
- Danie van der Merwe (born 1989), South African rugby player
- Duhan van der Merwe (born 1995), South Africa-born rugby union player who represents Scotland; younger brother of Akker
- Edward van der Merwe (1903–1971), South African cricketer
- Fanie van der Merwe (born 1986), South African Paralympic athlete
- Flip van der Merwe (born 1985), South African rugby player
- Flippie van der Merwe (born 1957), South African rugby player
- Franco van der Merwe (born 1983), South African rugby union player
- François van der Merwe (born 1983), South African rugby player
- Frederick Ziervogel van der Merwe (1894–1968), South African physician and botanist
- Frith van der Merwe (born 1964), South African long-distance athlete
- Gert van der Merwe, South African Paralympic athlete
- Heinke van der Merwe (born 1985), South African rugby player
- Hendrik W. (H.W.) van der Merwe (1929–2001), South African lecturer
- Izak van der Merwe (born 1984), South African tennis player
- Jaap van de Merwe (1924–1989), Dutch comedian and lyricist
- Jan van der Merwe (born 1983), South African sprinter
- Jan van der Merwe (born 1995), South African rugby union player
- Jan H van der Merwe (1922-2016), South African physicist
- Johanna van der Merwe (1825–1888), prominent female voortrekker
- Johannes van der Merwe (born 1980), Namibian cricketer
- Kirby van der Merwe (born 1949), South African writer
- Koos van der Merwe, (born 1937), South African politician
- Krige van der Merwe (born 2006), South African Motocross Racer
- Lourens van der Merwe, South African rugby referee
- Lowaldo van der Merwe (born 1986), Namibian cricketer
- Marcel van der Merwe (born 1990), South African rugby player
- Marina van der Merwe, South African-born Canadian field hockey coach
- Marissa van der Merwe (born 1978), South African cyclist
- Marlice van der Merwe (now Marlice van Vuuren, born 1976), Namibian conservationist
- Morné van der Merwe (1973–2013), South African rugby player
- Musetta van der Merwe (known as Musetta Vander, born 1963), South African actress and model
- Peter van der Merwe, South African musicologist
- Peter van der Merwe (1937–2013), South African cricketer
- Peter van de Merwe (1942–2016), Dutch football goalkeeper
- Pieter van der Merwe, British maritime historian
- Reinier van der Merwe (born 2008), South African Motocross Racer
- Roelof van der Merwe (born 1984), international cricketer from South Africa and Netherlands
- Ryno van der Merwe (born 1979), South African rugby player
- Sarel van der Merwe (born 1946), South African rally car driver
- Schalk van der Merwe (1922–1984), South African politician and surgeon
- Schalk van der Merwe (1961–2016), South African tennis player
- Schalk van der Merwe (rugby union), Schalk van der Merwe (born 1990), South African rugby player
- Senan van der Merwe (born 1986), South African rugby player
- Sonja van der Merwe (born 1992), South African sprinter
- Stoffel van der Merwe (born 1939), South African diplomat and politician
- Sue van der Merwe (born 1959), South African politician
- Strijdom van der Merwe (born 1961), South African artist
- Yulandi van der Merwe (born 1977), South African cricketer
- Antonie van der Merwe (born 1990), South African storyteller
- Donovan-Dee van der Merwe (born 1994), South African entrepreneur
Characters in fiction
- Wikus van de Merwe, protagonist of the film District 9
- Van der Merwe (film)
See also
References
- ^ "Merwede", Wikipedia, 2023-11-28, retrieved 2024-04-06
- ^ "Willem Schalkz van der Merwe, SV/PROG". geni_family_tree. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
- ^ "Broek in Waterland", Wikipedia (in Dutch), 2024-04-06, retrieved 2024-04-06
- ^ "First Fifty Years - a project collating Cape of Good Hope records - Willem Schalks van der Merwe". www.e-family.co.za. Retrieved 2021-09-18.
- ^ "Willem Schalks van der Merwe (died 12 July 1716)". www.ballfamilyrecords.co.uk. Retrieved 2021-09-18.