Van der Merwe
From Infogalactic: the planetary knowledge core
Van der Merwe is a common Afrikaans surname, derived from the Dutch van der Merwen. It was brought to South Africa in 1661 by Hollanders in the employ of the Dutch East India Company.[1] Van der Merwe roughly translates to "from the Merwede" in Middle Dutch.
The progenitors of the extended clan are Willem Schalk van der Merwe (born Broek, South Holland) and Elsje Cloete (born Cologne, North Rhine-Westphalia).[2] Married in the Cape of Good Hope, they later farmed for a living in Hout Bay and eventually retired to Drakenstein.[3] Some of their descendants include:
- Alan van der Merwe, South African racer
- Albert van der Merwe, South African-born Irish cricketer
- Alwyn Van der Merwe, South African physicist
- André Carl van der Merwe, South African novelist
- André van der Merwe, South African urologist
- Andries van der Merwe, South African sprinter
- D. T. H. van der Merwe, South African-born Canadian rugby player
- Edward van der Merwe, South African cricketer
- Fanie van der Merwe, South African paralympic athlete
- Flip van der Merwe, South African rugby player
- Franco van der Merwe, South African rugby player
- Frith van der Merwe, South African long-distance athlete
- Gert van der Merwe, South African paralympic athlete
- Heinke van der Merwe, South African rugby player
- Hendrik W. (H.W.) van der Merwe, South African lecturer
- Izak van der Merwe, South African tennis player
- Jan van der Merwe, South African sprinter
- Jan van der Merwe, South African rugby union player
- Johanna van der Merwe, prominent female voortrekker
- Johannes van der Merwe, Namibian cricketer
- Lourens van der Merwe, South African rugby referee
- Lowaldo van der Merwe, Namibian cricketer
- Marcel van der Merwe, South African rugby player
- Marcel H. van der Merwe, South African conservationist
- Marina van der Merwe, South African-born Canadian field hockey coach
- Marissa van der Merwe, South African cyclist
- Morné van der Merwe, South African rugby player
- Musetta Vander (née van der Merwe), South African actress and model
- Peter van der Merwe, South African musicologist
- Peter van der Merwe (1937–2013), South African cricketer
- Pieter van der Merwe, Dutch maritime historian
- Roelof van der Merwe, South African cricketer
- Sarel van der Merwe, South African rally car driver
- Schalk van der Merwe (1961–), South African tennis player
- Schalk van der Merwe (1990–), South African rugby player
- Strijdom van der Merwe, South African artist
- Yulandi van der Merwe, South African cricketer
- Marlice van Vuuren (née van der Merwe), Namibian conservationist
Characters in fiction
- Wikus van de Merwe, fictional protagonist of the film District 9.
Use in jokes
'Van der Merwe' is the butt of many South African jokes.[4]
