Botha (pronounced in non-rhotic dialects of English, ) is a common
Afrikaans
Afrikaans (, ) is a West Germanic language that evolved in the Dutch Cape Colony from the Dutch vernacular of Holland proper (i.e., the Hollandic dialect) used by Dutch, French, and German settlers and their enslaved people. Afrikaans gra ...
surname
In some cultures, a surname, family name, or last name is the portion of one's personal name that indicates one's family, tribe or community.
Practices vary by culture. The family name may be placed at either the start of a person's full name ...
, derived from the
Friso-Saxon
Friso-Saxon ( nl, friso-saksisch) is a group of West Germanic dialects found around the North Sea coast of the Netherlands and Germany, in an area historically known as Frisia. They are dialects of Low German/Low Saxon which have experienced str ...
''
Both
Both may refer to:
Common English word
* ''both'', a determiner or indefinite pronoun denoting two of something
* ''both... and'', a correlative conjunction
People
* Both (surname)
Music
* The Both, an American musical duo consisting of ...
''. It was brought to
South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the southernmost country in Africa. It is bounded to the south by of coastline that stretch along the South Atlantic and Indian Oceans; to the north by the neighbouring countri ...
in 1678 by Frederich Botha.
The progenitors of the extended clan were Maria Kickers, her first partner Ferdinandùs Appel, and her later husband Frederich Botha.
Descendants of Ferdinandùs Appel
Prior to her marriage to Frederich Botha, Maria Kickers had an out-of-wedlock child fathered by Ferdinandùs Appel, another Hollander from an Amsterdam family.
This child, a son named Theunis, was later adopted by the Bothas. His descendants include:
*
Louis Botha
Louis Botha (; 27 September 1862 – 27 August 1919) was a South African politician who was the first prime minister of the Union of South Africa – the forerunner of the modern South African state. A Boer war hero during the Second Boer War, ...
(1862–1919), first Prime Minister of South Africa, often referred to as "General Botha"
*
Pieter Willem "P.W." Botha (1916–2006), South African prime minister from 1978 to 1984 and state president from 1984 to 1989
Descendants of Frederich Botha
Married in 1714, Kickers and Botha later farmed for a living between
and
Somerset West
Somerset West ( af, Somerset-Wes) is a town in the Western Cape, South Africa. Organisationally and administratively it is included in the City of Cape Town metropolitan municipality as a suburb of the Helderberg region (formerly called Hottent ...
.
Today, their legal descendants number around 76,125 people,
and include:
Artists, artisans and businesspeople
*
Danila Botha
Danila Botha is a Canadian author and novelist. She has published two short story collections, with a third to be published in 2024 and two novels, with the second to be published in 2025.
Personal life and work
Botha was born in Johannesbu ...
, South African-born Canadian novelist
*
Hannah Botha, South African actress
*
Johan Botha (tenor) (1965–2016), opera singer
*
Leon Botha, South African artist and progeria victim
*
Mike Botha Mike Botha is a master diamond cutter, with more than five decades in the profession. His training and subsequent career began in South Africa and has led him to Mauritius, Russia and Canada and from Vancouver to the Northwest Territories and Saskat ...
, South African-born master diamond cutter
*
Piet Botha
Piet Botha (18 July 1955 – 2 June 2019) was a South African musician
at Musicians.co.z ...
, South African rock musician
*
Roelof Botha
Roelof F. Botha (born 19 September 1973) is a South African actuary, venture capitalist and company director.
Botha is a partner at Sequoia Capital and as of 2022 sits on the boards of MongoDB, Evernote, Bird, Ethos, Natera, Square, Unity, an ...
, South African actuary, former PayPal chief financial officer
*
Willem Botha
Willem () is a Dutch and West FrisianRienk de Haan, ''Fryske Foarnammen'', Leeuwarden, 2002 (Friese Pers Boekerij), , p. 158. masculine given name. The name is Germanic, and can be seen as the Dutch equivalent of the name William in English, Gui ...
, South African singer and actor
Politicians, civil servants, and activists
*
Andries Botha Andries Botha may refer to:
* Andries Botha (politician)
Field Cornet Andries Botha was an influential leader of the Khoi people of Kat River, Cape Colony.
Early life
Little is known about his childhood. However, he was probably born at the end ...
, Khoikhoi leader in the Cape Colony
*
Annie Botha
Annie Botha ( Emmett; 3 July 1864 – 20 May 1937) was a South African civic leader and political hostess. She was the wife of Louis Botha, who served as the first Prime Minister of South Africa. She established an orphanage in South Africa an ...
, wife of the Prime Minister of the Union of South Africa
*
Cornelius Botha, South African politician
*
Roelof Frederik "Pik" Botha (1932–2018), South African politician and diplomat
*
Sandra Botha
Celia-Sandra Botha (born 25 February 1945) is a South African politician, who served as South Africa's Ambassador to the Czech Republic. She is the former Leader of the Opposition in the National Assembly, on behalf of the Democratic Alliance an ...
, South African diplomat and ambassador
*
Stoffel Botha, South African politician
*
Theo Botha, South African shareholder activist
*
Thozamile Botha
Thozamile Botha (born 16 June 1948) is a South African politician.Naki, Eric. "Shock as Botha Decides to Quit." The Daily Dispatch. 16 Oct. 1997. Web. 27 Oct. 2010. . He started his political career as a trade unionist and was an executive member ...
, South African politician
Rugby players
*
Arno Botha
Arnoldus Francois Botha (born 26 October 1991) is a South African rugby union footballer for the and . He can operate either as a flanker or number 8.
School and early career
Botha began primary school at Laerskool Messina before moving ...
, South African rugby player
*
Bernado Botha, South African rugby player
*
Brendon James Botha, South African rugby player
*
Chrysander Botha
Chrysander Antonio Botha (born 13 July 1988) is an international rugby union player for Namibia. He plays full-back and plays for the in the South African Rugby Challenge competition.
Rugby career
He previously played for the in the Curri ...
, Namibian rugby player
*
Gary Botha, South African rugby player
*
Hendrik Egnatius "Naas" Botha, South African rugby player
*
John Philip "Bakkies" Botha, South African rugby player
*
Mouritz Botha
Mouritz Botha (born 29 January 1982) is a former rugby union player who played for the Saracens and Newcastle Falcons in the Aviva Premiership. He joined English club Bedford Blues in 2006 and made 73 appearances before moving to Saracens in 20 ...
, South African rugby player
*
Ruan Botha
Ruan Botha (born 10 January 1992) is a South African rugby union player. He plays as a lock for Kubota Spears in the Japanese Top League. He made his provincial debut on 31 March 2012 as the Golden Lions thrashed the Griffons 71–25 in Johann ...
, South African rugby player
*
Tom Botha, South African rugby player
Cricketers
*
Andre Botha (cricketer)
Andre Cornelius Botha (born 12 September 1975) is a former Irish cricketer. He played 55 times in all for Ireland, including the 2005 ICC Trophy and the European Championship in 2004 and 2006. Botha retired in May 2011.
Domestic career
A le ...
(born 1975), South African-born Irish cricketer
*
Anthony Greyvensteyn Botha, South African cricketer
*
Beverly Botha
Beverly Anne Botha (born 23 October 1953) is a South African former cricketer who played as a right-handed batter. She appeared in three Test matches for South Africa
South Africa, officially the Republic of South Africa (RSA), is the S ...
, South African female cricketer
*
Dewald Botha, South African cricketer
*
Dawid Botha, Namibian cricketer
*
Johan Botha (cricketer)
Johan Botha (born 2 May 1982) is a South African-Australian cricket coach, cricketer and long-distance runner, who played for the South African national team between 2005 and 2012. He moved to Australia in 2012 to play in that country's dome ...
(born 1982), South African born Australian cricketer
Other sportspersons
*
Adriaan Botha, South African sprinter
*
Andre Botha (bodyboarder)
Andre Botha is a South African bodyboarder. Born in Cape Town in 1981, he left school at the age of 15 to become a professional bodyboarder and won his first world title at the age of 17 and his second at 18, winning both the World GOB Tour Seri ...
(born 1980), South African bodyboarder
*
Francois Botha
Francois "Frans" Botha (born 28 September 1968) is a South African former professional boxer and kickboxer. He competed in boxing from 1990 to 2014, and is perhaps best known for winning the IBF heavyweight title against Axel Schulz in 1995, ...
, South African boxer
*
Heidi Botha, South African fencer
*
Johan Botha (athlete) (born 1974), South African middle distance runner
*
Lukas "Luki" Botha, South African Formula One driver
*
Riaan Botha, South African pole vaulter
*
Tyler Botha, South African skeleton racer
*
Wendy Botha
Wendy Botha (born 22 August 1965) is a four-time world surfing champion. She won her first title as a South African citizen in 1987, then she became an Australian citizen and won three more titles in 1989, 1991, and 1992. She also posed nude f ...
, South African-born Australian surfer
Other uses
*Botha, village in the
Lundazi
Lundazi is a town in eastern Zambia, lying near the border with Malawi, around from Chipata. Lundazi is known as a "''Boma''" or administrative centre (Boma (enclosure), ''boma'' derives from the Swahili language, Swahili word for a thorn fence, ...
district in Eastern Province, Zambia
*
1354 Botha, asteroid
*
Anna Elizabeth Botha (née ''Rossouw''), former South African first lady
*
Blackburn Botha
The Blackburn B.26 Botha was a four-seat reconnaissance and torpedo bomber. It was produced by the British aviation company Blackburn Aircraft at its factories at Brough and Dumbarton.
The Botha was developed during the mid 1930s in response t ...
, Royal Air Force reconnaissance aircraft
*
Botha, Alberta
Botha is a hamlet in central Alberta, Canada within the County of Stettler No. 6. It is located approximately east of Red Deer and east of Stettler.
History
The community was founded in 1909 around the train station named after Louis Botha ...
, Canadian settlement in Alberta
*
Botha Sigcau
King Botha Sigcau (died 1 December 1978) was a King in Eastern Pondoland, Transkei, South Africa (1939–1976) and later the figurehead President of Transkei from 1976 to 1978. A graduate of University of Fort Hare, Sigcau was an early supporter ...
, former President of Transkei
*
Botha's Hill
Botha's Hill (locally , ) is a small town outside Hillcrest in KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa. It remains a peaceful beautiful hill where regular country style food and craft markets are held. It is the gateway to the Valley of a Thousand Hills. Ke ...
, South African settlement in KwaZulu-Natal
*
Botha's lark (''Spizocorys fringillaris''), a South African lark
*Gunther Botha, South African mercenary in Matthew Reilly's ''
Area 7''
*Jaapie Botha, fictional South African Police officer in the film ''
The Power of One''
*Karl Botha, fictional counterfeiter from
Pepetela
Artur Carlos Maurício Pestana dos Santos (born 1941) is a major Angolan writer of fiction. He writes under the name Pepetela.
A Portuguese Angolan, Pepetela was born in Benguela, Portuguese Angola, and fought as a member of the MPLA in the long ...
's novels
*
Louis Botha Avenue
Louis Botha Avenue (part of Johannesburg Metropolitan Route '' M11'') is a major street in Johannesburg, South Africa. Originally part of the main road between central Johannesburg and Pretoria, it runs along through the north-eastern parts of ...
, Johannesburg street
*Mutro Botha, assassin in the television series ''
Batman Beyond
''Batman Beyond'' (known as ''Batman of the Future'' outside the United States) is an American superhero animated television series developed by Bruce Timm, Paul Dini, and Alan Burnett. It was produced by Warner Bros. Animation in collaborati ...
''
*
Regiment Botha
The General Botha Regiment (formerly Regiment Botha) is a reserve infantry regiment of the South African Army. The Regiment was named after General Louis Botha, the first prime minister of South Africa.
History
The regiment was formed in Erme ...
, South African Army unit
*SATS
''General Botha'', South African warship
References
{{surname
Surnames
Afrikaans-language surnames
Surnames of Frisian origin
South African families