Afrikaans surnames are family names used by Afrikaans speakers primarily in South Africa, Botswana, and Namibia. Afrikaans surnames can be found around the world with the largest concentrations located in the southern countries on the African continent as well as North America, western Europe, and Australia.[1]
Afrikaans surnames are less likely to be rooted in African geographical meaning and more likely to be adopted surnames common to European foreigners who settled in the region.
Many Afrikaans surnames trace their origins to Dutch, English, French, and Germanic surnames.[2] In most Afrikaans family trees, people typically use a single surname passed on from the father, listed after a first name and/or middle name is given.
History of Afrikaans Surnames
The Afrikaans language evolved from enslaved people in South African countries occupied by Dutch, French, and German colonists and settlers.[3] In fact, the word Afrikaans comes from the Dutch word Afrika. The vernacular eventually grew to have its own set of characteristics, and became a distinct language by the 1700s. Afrikaans is strikingly similar to Dutch, and is often referred to as “Cape Dutch” due to its geographic origins in the Cape of Africa.[1] There are eleven official languages in the country of South Africa, and Afrikaans is one of them. Afrikaans is also one of the predominant languages in the neighboring country of Namibia.[4] Up until Namibia declared independence in 1990 and English became the country’s official language, Afrikaans was one of the three official languages. It is still recognized as an official language within the country.[5]
Compared to other established languages, Afrikaans is a fairly young language. The earliest text in Afrikaans was not even identified until 1672, and a grammar book in Afrikaans was not published until 1876).[6] Afrikaans was only recognized as a distinct language in 1925;[2] this official status made it clear that Afrikaans was more than just a linguistic Dutch dialect. The language and its surnames have migrated across the globe as those living in the Cape emigrated to other countries.[5]
Afrikaans Naming Conventions
The majority of Afrikaans surname naming conventions follow the same conventions employed by Dutch naming conventions. For example, Afrikaans surnames commonly have a prefix such as “De” or “Van” (meaning ‘of the’ or ‘from the’) in front of the surname itself. These prefixes are discounted when alphabetizing surnames, thus a last name Van Straaten would be found under “S” and not “V.” These common prefixes were a part of the surname origins.[7]
Surname origins for Afrikaans often came from living locations, nobility, occupation, or descendancy. While some surnames may also be exact Dutch surnames, Afrikaans surnames are often contractions or derivations of such surnames, though typically with a shared meaning.[8]
Patronymic surnames derived from one’s father or descendancy. These Afrikaans surnames typically lack prefixes such as Jansen (‘son of Jan’) or Sikkema.
Geographic surnames denote what location a family is associated with. These Afrikaans surnames often have prefixes such as De Vries and Van Asten. They may also describe where a person lives such as Van Dijk or Van Vollenhoven.
Occupational surnames originate from describing what a descendant’s living would have been. Afrikaans surnames in this vein may include Scheepers (shepherds) or Vermeulen (from the wind/water mill).
Descriptive surnames often elicit a characteristic of a family member, either literally (hair color, etc.) or figuratively (personality traits). Descriptive Afrikaans surname examples are De Beer (the bear; strong personality) and Leroux (red-haired).
Most Popular Afrikaans Surnames and Their Origins
- Johannes - More people in Namibia have the surname Johannes than in any other country in the world, and it is the most popular surname in Namibia (World Surnames, 2022). The Johannes surname has a patronymic origin as descendent of Johannes in German.
- [[lastnames:pienaar Pienaar] - This surname is derived from the French word Pinard. Many South African descendants from the progenitors have gone on to be notable descendents, including rugby players, journalists, actors, and writers.
- [[lastnames:Joubert Joubert] - This surname is a regional surname with its origin in central France; it is a common Afrikaans surname in South Africa and Namibia.
- [[lastnames:Pretorius Pretorius] - Pretorius comes from the Latin word for leader. It was originally adopted by Wesselius Praetorius during the 1600s, and it is common in South Africa.
Geographic Locations for Top Afrikaans Surnames
There are more than 7 million speakers who claim Afrikaans as their first language worldwide.[9]
Afrikaans is the third-most common language spoken in South Africa and the majority language of the western half of South Africa in the Northern Cape and Western Cape.[10]
It is also spoken in Namibia, Botswana, Zambia, Zimbabwe. On the right is a map of Afrikaans speakers and their geographic locations in the world, as of 2020.
Celebrities with Afrikaans Surnames
- Francois Pienaar, South African Rugby Union Player.
- Willim Welsyn, lead singer and guitarist for the Afrikaans rock band Willim Welsyn en die Sunrise Toffies. Former podcast host for the South African Rolling Stone magazine.
- Breyten Breytenbach, widely seen as the Poet Laureate among speakers of Afrikaans.
- Charlize Theron, South African actress.
Ethnicities and Genetic Groups of Top Afrikaans Surnames
People with Afrikaans surnames are likely to have European ethnic origins. North and West European, Scandinavian, English, Iberian, and East European ethnicity are all common genetic groups according to MyHeritage DNA users' data.
See also
Explore More about Afrikaans surnames
- Last names research at MyHeritage
- Historical records from South Africa at MyHeritage
- Dutch settlement in South Africa at Geni.com
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Britannica, T. Editors of Encyclopaedia (2022, October 6). Dutch language. Encyclopedia Britannica.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Steffen, L. (2019, March 8). What is Afrikaans, and Where Is It Spoken? Babbel Magazine.
- ↑ Klerk, V. & Bosch, B. (1996). Naming Practices in the Eastern Cape Province of South Africa. Names. 44. 167-188.
- ↑ Anonymous. (2022, September 15). Languages in Namibia. Discover Africa Safaris.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Assouline, Yael. 2023. Myheritage.com
- ↑ Van Rensburg, Christo. "The First Afrikaans." Critical Arts 33.4-5 (2019): 10-19. Web.
- ↑ Hoitink, Yvette. (2013, August 26). Dutch Term: Tussenvoegsel. Dutch Genealogy.
- ↑ Powell, Kimberly. (2020, August 27). Common Dutch Surnames & Their Meanings.
- ↑ Anonymous. (2022). 44 Questions with Answers About Afrikaans. Afrikaans.com.
- ↑ Mabin, A. S. , Gordon, . David Frank , Cobbing, . Julian R.D. , Thompson, . Leonard Monteath , Vigne, . Randolph , Lowe, . Christopher C. , Nel, . Andries , Bundy, . Colin J. and Hall, . Martin (2022, December 18). South Africa. Encyclopedia Britannica.