Botha (pronounced /ˈbʊərtə/ in non-rhotic dialects of English, Afrikaans pronunciation: [ˈbuəta]) is a common Afrikaans surname, derived from the East Frisian Low Saxon Both. It was brought to South Africa in 1678 by Frederich Botha.[1][better source needed]
The progenitors of the extended clan were Maria Kickers, her first partner Ferdinandùs Appel, and her later husband Frederich Botha.[2]
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.[1] This child, a son named Theunis, was later adopted by the Bothas. His descendants include:[3]
Married in 1714, Kickers and Botha later farmed for a living between Stellenbosch and Somerset West.[1] Today, their legal descendants number around 76,125 people,[3] and include:
