South Africa Genealogical Records
South Africa Birth & Baptism Records
An index and images to registers of baptism, marriage and burial kept by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. They also cover events in what is now Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Saint Helena, South Africa and Swaziland.
An index to and images of over 375,000 birth and baptism records from over one hundred churches.
An index to and images of over 60,000 records of baptisms, marriages and deaths. They list names of family members, personal details and particulars of the event.
Registers of births/baptisms, marriages and deaths/burials containing over 160,000 entries from over 30 countries. These largely relate to British subjects.
An index to births of British citizens born overseas that were registered with the British Consul or High Commissioner. Provides a reference that can be used to order a birth certificate.
South Africa Marriage & Divorce Records
An index and images to registers of baptism, marriage and burial kept by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. They also cover events in what is now Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Saint Helena, South Africa and Swaziland.
An index to and images of registers recording over 220,000 marriages. Records contain parents' names and other details.
An index to and images of over 60,000 records of baptisms, marriages and deaths. They list names of family members, personal details and particulars of the event.
Registers of births/baptisms, marriages and deaths/burials containing over 160,000 entries from over 30 countries. These largely relate to British subjects.
An index to marriages of British citizens overseas that were registered with the British Consul or High Commissioner Provides a reference that can be used to order a marriage certificate.
South Africa Death & Burial Records
An index and images to registers of baptism, marriage and burial kept by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. They also cover events in what is now Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Saint Helena, South Africa and Swaziland.
Details in this index extracted from estate documents include court, name, date of birth, place and date of death, will, marital status, spouse’s name(s), and executor’s name, among others. A deceased estate comes about when a person dies and leaves property or a document purporting to be a will.
An index to and images of over 60,000 records of baptisms, marriages and deaths. They list names of family members, personal details and particulars of the event.
Registers of births/baptisms, marriages and deaths/burials containing over 160,000 entries from over 30 countries. These largely relate to British subjects.
A searchable database of over 1 million Jewish burials with photographs of the matzevot.
Newspapers Covering South Africa
An index to over 2.1 million people mentioned in Associated Press stories, including name, subject, location, date and a reference to the article.
An index to around 500,000 Associated Press articles.
An index to and digital images of hundreds-of-thousands of world newspaper articles.
South Africa Wills & Probate Records
A index to testators whose will was proved in the Prerogative Court of Canterbury. They principally cover those who lived in the lower two thirds of Britain, but contain wills for residents of Scotland, Ireland, British India and other countries. A copy of each will may be purchased for digital download.
Details in this index extracted from estate documents include court, name, date of birth, place and date of death, will, marital status, spouse’s name(s), and executor’s name, among others. A deceased estate comes about when a person dies and leaves property or a document purporting to be a will.
An index to over 60,000 wills of people who died with money in public funds. Useful when researching counties where wills have been destroyed. Also contains wills for citizens of British colonies.
South Africa Immigration & Travel Records
This database consists of ship muster lists of convicts being transported from the British Empire to New South Wales.
Details of 60,000 Jews who received assisted passage from Europe to the US, South American and South Africa.
This database contains a collection of details extracted from various South African immigration documents. They include 1820 settler records, German immigrants, Indian indentured migrants, and other immigrants.
An index to records detailing the ancestry of some 300 people of Devonian descent living in British colonies and the Unite States.
South Africa Military Records
An index to over 6.5 million medals and awards bestowed on British military personnel. The awards are the British War Medal, Allied Victory Medal, 1914 Star, Territorial War Force Medal and Allied Subjects Medal; the latter of which contains many French, Belgians and Dutch.
A well-illustrated history of The Boer War.
Photographs of over 1.7 million military graves, largely of British and Commonwealth soldiers Names from monuments have been indexed.
Records for over 50,000 men and women who fought with Irish regiments in World War I. Information given varies from record to record, but may contain genealogical, biographical and military service details. Contains records from people throughout the Commonwealth and wider world.
Details on nearly 270,000 individuals connected to the 2nd Boer War.
South Africa Court & Legal Records
This index contains a wide variety of details on voters in South Africa. Along with name and residence, the index may provide spouse, maiden name, occupation, employer, gender, qualifications to vote, race, maiden name, date of birth, age, even weapons or numbers of pigs owned.
A dictionary of law terminology from earliest times.
South Africa Directories & Gazetteers
A statistic and descriptive gazetteer of nations.
Several-hundred-thousand details extracted from business directories, telephone books, local almanacs, and court calendars. It largely comprises of names, addresses and occupations.
Useful for locating places, this searchable gazetteer gives brief details, latitude and longitude for more than 1.5 million features, places and regions throughout the world.
South Africa Cemeteries
Photographs and transcriptions of millions of gravestones from cemeteries around the world.
South Africa Histories & Books
Over 7 million remembrances and historic details submitted by Ancestry members. Useful for local historians.
Over 60 million historic photographs and documents submitted to Ancestry. This rich collection contains many rare sources of interest to local historians and will be relevant to most genealogical research.
South Africa Occupation & Business Records
Contains details of individuals working in South Africa as part of the civil service in the military, government and parliament, etc. Information such as office, name, dates of appointment, salary and allowances can be found. Also includes several colour maps.
A directory listing Anglican parishes and other divisions of the Church or England hierarchy and their various religious officers. The directory covers the UK and Anglican churches throughout the world.
A database of cricket scores and players.
Pedigrees & Family Trees Covering South Africa
A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.
A compilation of lineage-linked family trees submitted by Ancestry users. The database contains over 2 billion individuals and is searchable by numerous metrics.
A searchable database of linked families. It largely covers royalty and nobility, but also contains actors, footballers and American presidents.
A collection of legacy trees submitted by Ancestry users containing nearly 400 million individuals.
South Africa Royalty, Nobility & Heraldry Records
A searchable database of linked genealogies compiled from thousands of reputable and not-so-reputable sources. Contains many details on European gentry & nobility, but covers many countries outside Europe and people from all walks of life.
A searchable database of linked families. It largely covers royalty and nobility, but also contains actors, footballers and American presidents.
South Africa Church Records
An index and images to registers of baptism, marriage and burial kept by the Anglican Church of Southern Africa. They also cover events in what is now Angola, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Saint Helena, South Africa and Swaziland.
A directory listing Anglican parishes and other divisions of the Church or England hierarchy and their various religious officers. The directory covers the UK and Anglican churches throughout the world.
An index to and images of over 60,000 records of baptisms, marriages and deaths. They list names of family members, personal details and particulars of the event.
Profiles of places connected with Primitive Methodism throughout the British Empire.
South Africa Maps
An interactive index to thousands of maps covering the world, continents, countries and regions. The majority of maps cover Britain and Ireland.
South Africa Reference Works
A dictionary of law terminology from earliest times.
A dictionary of largely defunct medical terms.
Most Common Surnames in South Africa
| Rank | Surname | Incidence | Frequency | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dlamini | 310,094 | 1:175 | |
| 2 | Nkosi | 300,929 | 1:180 | |
| 3 | Ndlovu | 281,656 | 1:192 | |
| 4 | Khumalo | 273,217 | 1:198 | |
| 5 | Sithole | 216,358 | 1:250 | |
| 6 | Mahlangu | 215,528 | 1:251 | |
| 7 | Mokoena | 209,762 | 1:258 | |
| 8 | Mkhize | 173,326 | 1:313 | |
| 9 | Mthembu | 171,793 | 1:315 | |
| 10 | Zulu | 165,568 | 1:327 | |
| 11 | Ngcobo | 163,802 | 1:331 | |
| 12 | Gumede | 163,265 | 1:332 | |
| 13 | Naidoo | 153,887 | 1:352 | |
| 14 | Buthelezi | 149,129 | 1:363 | |
| 15 | Khoza | 143,494 | 1:378 | |
| 16 | Sibiya | 133,461 | 1:406 | |
| 17 | Jacobs | 130,364 | 1:416 | |
| 18 | Govender | 129,771 | 1:417 | |
| 19 | Mofokeng | 129,329 | 1:419 | |
| 20 | Botha | 128,008 | 1:423 | |
| 21 | Mhlongo | 126,648 | 1:428 | |
| 22 | Smith | 125,534 | 1:432 | |
| 23 | Baloyi | 124,602 | 1:435 | |
| 24 | Mbatha | 121,567 | 1:446 | |
| 25 | Pillay | 121,424 | 1:446 | |
| 26 | Radebe | 119,966 | 1:452 | |
| 27 | Mathebula | 114,416 | 1:474 | |
| 28 | Ntuli | 113,766 | 1:476 | |
| 29 | Zwane | 112,699 | 1:481 | |
| 30 | Mazibuko | 111,243 | 1:487 | |
| 31 | Tshabalala | 110,309 | 1:491 | |
| 32 | Nxumalo | 107,776 | 1:503 | |
| 33 | van Wyk | 106,985 | 1:506 | |
| 34 | Williams | 106,885 | 1:507 | |
| 35 | Chauke | 103,812 | 1:522 | |
| 36 | Ngwenya | 103,436 | 1:524 | |
| 37 | Cele | 102,346 | 1:529 | |
| 38 | van der Merwe | 100,825 | 1:537 | |
| 39 | Mthethwa | 99,131 | 1:547 | |
| 40 | Dube | 95,974 | 1:565 | |
| 41 | Ngobeni | 93,651 | 1:579 | |
| 42 | Pretorius | 89,359 | 1:606 | |
| 43 | Ngubane | 89,112 | 1:608 | |
| 44 | Maluleke | 89,002 | 1:609 | |
| 45 | Maseko | 87,560 | 1:619 | |
| 46 | Du Plessis | 86,080 | 1:629 | |
| 47 | Molefe | 85,700 | 1:632 | |
| 48 | Mtshali | 85,146 | 1:636 | |
| 49 | Mabaso | 84,533 | 1:641 | |
| 50 | Nel | 84,016 | 1:645 | |
| 51 | Coetzee | 83,814 | 1:646 | |
| 52 | Venter | 78,988 | 1:686 | |
| 53 | Mkhwanazi | 77,971 | 1:695 | |
| 54 | Fourie | 77,740 | 1:697 | |
| 55 | Mnisi | 77,670 | 1:698 | |
| 56 | Adams | 75,697 | 1:716 | |
| 57 | Zondi | 73,932 | 1:733 | |
| 58 | Moloi | 73,321 | 1:739 | |
| 59 | Smit | 72,776 | 1:744 | |
| 60 | Mchunu | 71,375 | 1:759 | |
| 61 | Motaung | 71,351 | 1:759 | |
| 62 | Louw | 70,966 | 1:763 | |
| 63 | Hlongwane | 68,782 | 1:788 | |
| 64 | van Zyl | 68,529 | 1:791 | |
| 65 | Zungu | 68,399 | 1:792 | |
| 66 | Mnguni | 68,130 | 1:795 | |
| 67 | Nkuna | 67,255 | 1:806 | |
| 68 | Hlatshwayo | 67,225 | 1:806 | |
| 69 | Moodley | 66,099 | 1:820 | |
| 70 | Kruger | 65,220 | 1:831 | |
| 71 | Shabangu | 64,692 | 1:837 | |
| 72 | Vilakazi | 64,486 | 1:840 | |
| 73 | Xaba | 64,220 | 1:844 | |
| 74 | Shabalala | 63,914 | 1:848 | |
| 75 | Malatji | 63,611 | 1:852 | |
| 76 | Dladla | 62,971 | 1:860 | |
| 77 | Du Toit | 60,711 | 1:892 | |
| 78 | Erasmus | 60,680 | 1:893 | |
| 79 | van Niekerk | 60,361 | 1:898 | |
| 80 | Meyer | 60,306 | 1:898 | |
| 81 | Hadebe | 59,176 | 1:916 | |
| 82 | Skosana | 58,671 | 1:923 | |
| 83 | Abrahams | 57,418 | 1:944 | |
| 84 | Singh | 57,300 | 1:946 | |
| 85 | Majola | 55,382 | 1:978 | |
| 86 | Mohlala | 53,842 | 1:1,006 | |
| 87 | Davids | 53,829 | 1:1,006 | |
| 88 | Kekana | 53,711 | 1:1,009 | |
| 89 | Kunene | 53,266 | 1:1,017 | |
| 90 | Xulu | 53,248 | 1:1,017 | |
| 91 | Khanyile | 53,081 | 1:1,021 | |
| 92 | Cloete | 52,974 | 1:1,023 | |
| 93 | Zuma | 52,855 | 1:1,025 | |
| 94 | Simelane | 52,261 | 1:1,037 | |
| 95 | van Rooyen | 52,197 | 1:1,038 | |
| 96 | Booysen | 52,009 | 1:1,042 | |
| 97 | Mudau | 51,151 | 1:1,059 | |
| 98 | Langa | 50,952 | 1:1,063 | |
| 99 | Nhlapo | 50,874 | 1:1,065 | |
| 100 | Modise | 50,411 | 1:1,075 | |
| 101 | Chetty | 50,373 | 1:1,076 | |
| 102 | Steyn | 50,347 | 1:1,076 | |
| 103 | Joubert | 50,274 | 1:1,078 | |
| 104 | Mokwena | 50,252 | 1:1,078 | |
| 105 | Shongwe | 50,140 | 1:1,081 | |
| 106 | Mdluli | 50,032 | 1:1,083 | |
| 107 | Mabuza | 49,369 | 1:1,097 | |
| 108 | Mlambo | 48,912 | 1:1,108 | |
| 109 | Shezi | 48,788 | 1:1,110 | |
| 110 | Le Roux | 48,435 | 1:1,119 | |
| 111 | Engelbrecht | 47,953 | 1:1,130 | |
| 112 | Mashaba | 47,885 | 1:1,131 | |
| 113 | Sibisi | 47,671 | 1:1,136 | |
| 114 | Hendricks | 47,502 | 1:1,141 | |
| 115 | Ntombela | 47,439 | 1:1,142 | |
| 116 | Dhlamini | 47,211 | 1:1,148 | |
| 117 | Swanepoel | 47,201 | 1:1,148 | |
| 118 | Ndaba | 47,183 | 1:1,148 | |
| 119 | Ngema | 46,974 | 1:1,153 | |
| 120 | Marais | 46,936 | 1:1,154 | |
| 121 | Mngomezulu | 46,931 | 1:1,154 | |
| 122 | Masango | 46,593 | 1:1,163 | |
| 123 | Potgieter | 46,553 | 1:1,164 | |
| 124 | Swart | 46,104 | 1:1,175 | |
| 125 | Viljoen | 45,606 | 1:1,188 | |
| 126 | van der Westhuizen | 45,553 | 1:1,189 | |
| 127 | Ntshangase | 44,853 | 1:1,208 | |
| 128 | Tsotetsi | 44,657 | 1:1,213 | |
| 129 | Ndhlovu | 44,212 | 1:1,225 | |
| 130 | Mhlanga | 43,840 | 1:1,236 | |
| 131 | Petersen | 43,703 | 1:1,240 | |
| 132 | Jansen | 43,478 | 1:1,246 | |
| 133 | Masuku | 43,139 | 1:1,256 | |
| 134 | Phiri | 42,957 | 1:1,261 | |
| 135 | Mabunda | 42,900 | 1:1,263 | |
| 136 | Muller | 42,695 | 1:1,269 | |
| 137 | Oosthuizen | 42,531 | 1:1,274 | |
| 138 | Strydom | 42,320 | 1:1,280 | |
| 139 | Matlala | 42,028 | 1:1,289 | |
| 140 | Msomi | 41,930 | 1:1,292 | |
| 141 | Olivier | 41,906 | 1:1,293 | |
| 142 | Magagula | 41,722 | 1:1,299 | |
| 143 | Mbele | 41,536 | 1:1,304 | |
| 144 | Nene | 41,350 | 1:1,310 | |
| 145 | Masilela | 41,266 | 1:1,313 | |
| 146 | Sibanyoni | 40,822 | 1:1,327 | |
| 147 | Madonsela | 40,646 | 1:1,333 | |
| 148 | de Beer | 40,218 | 1:1,347 | |
| 149 | Mabena | 40,112 | 1:1,351 | |
| 150 | Khuzwayo | 39,990 | 1:1,355 | |
| 151 | Thwala | 39,907 | 1:1,358 | |
| 152 | Du Preez | 39,839 | 1:1,360 | |
| 153 | Kubheka | 39,719 | 1:1,364 | |
| 154 | Mthombeni | 39,615 | 1:1,368 | |
| 155 | Zondo | 39,525 | 1:1,371 | |
| 156 | Khan | 39,517 | 1:1,371 | |
| 157 | Bezuidenhout | 39,308 | 1:1,378 | |
| 158 | Mbhele | 38,865 | 1:1,394 | |
| 159 | Pienaar | 38,355 | 1:1,413 | |
| 160 | Mabasa | 38,014 | 1:1,425 | |
| 161 | Duma | 37,926 | 1:1,429 | |
| 162 | Msibi | 37,902 | 1:1,429 | |
| 163 | Daniels | 37,761 | 1:1,435 | |
| 164 | Visser | 37,745 | 1:1,435 | |
| 165 | Biyela | 37,568 | 1:1,442 | |
| 166 | Johnson | 37,484 | 1:1,445 | |
| 167 | Motloung | 37,380 | 1:1,449 | |
| 168 | Mulaudzi | 37,344 | 1:1,451 | |
| 169 | Barnard | 37,329 | 1:1,451 | |
| 170 | Ndou | 37,054 | 1:1,462 | |
| 171 | Pieterse | 37,050 | 1:1,462 | |
| 172 | van Heerden | 37,008 | 1:1,464 | |
| 173 | Myeni | 36,715 | 1:1,476 | |
| 174 | Madlala | 36,554 | 1:1,482 | |
| 175 | Mashego | 36,316 | 1:1,492 | |
| 176 | Bhengu | 36,014 | 1:1,504 | |
| 177 | Sibeko | 36,011 | 1:1,504 | |
| 178 | Nkabinde | 35,959 | 1:1,507 | |
| 179 | Jordaan | 35,932 | 1:1,508 | |
| 180 | Ndlela | 35,727 | 1:1,516 | |
| 181 | van der Walt | 35,559 | 1:1,524 | |
| 182 | Mathe | 35,410 | 1:1,530 | |
| 183 | Naicker | 35,242 | 1:1,537 | |
| 184 | Mogale | 35,037 | 1:1,546 | |
| 185 | Ngobese | 34,951 | 1:1,550 | |
| 186 | Mdletshe | 34,775 | 1:1,558 | |
| 187 | Janse van Rensburg | 34,722 | 1:1,560 | |
| 188 | Prinsloo | 34,413 | 1:1,574 | |
| 189 | Brown | 34,381 | 1:1,576 | |
| 190 | Mashele | 34,379 | 1:1,576 | |
| 191 | Reddy | 34,346 | 1:1,577 | |
| 192 | Grobler | 34,309 | 1:1,579 | |
| 193 | Shange | 33,974 | 1:1,595 | |
| 194 | Mpanza | 33,967 | 1:1,595 | |
| 195 | Malinga | 33,885 | 1:1,599 | |
| 196 | Ncube | 33,685 | 1:1,608 | |
| 197 | Luthuli | 33,574 | 1:1,614 | |
| 198 | Mkhabela | 33,052 | 1:1,639 | |
| 199 | Nzimande | 32,953 | 1:1,644 | |
| 200 | Makhubela | 32,816 | 1:1,651 | |