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 assumptions) 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.