Friedrich Both (1653-1730)

The progenitor of many of the Bothas was Friedrich Both, born in 1653 in Wangenheim, Germany, who arrived in the Dutch Cape Colony as a soldier in 1678. He began writing his surname as "Botha" in 1699.

The mother of his children was Maria Kickers, who also had an out-of-wedlock son with her first partner Ferdinandus Appel. From this son, Theunis, who was later adopted by Friedrich Botha, descended two famous South African statesmen: Louis Botha (1862–1919) and Pieter Willem Botha (1916–2006).

Samuel Friedrich Bode (1730-1800+)

The rest of the Bothas reportedly trace their origin to Samuel Friedrich Bode, born in 1730 in Lüneburg, Germany, who arrived in the Dutch Cape Colony as a soldier in 1767. His surname was recorded as "Botha" for the first time in 1776.

European Heritage

The surname Botha was first found in Holland, where the name became noted for its many branches in the region, each house acquiring a status and influence which was envied by the princes of the region. The name was first recorded in Friesland, a province historically almost independent, but which joined the Union of Utrecht to escape the tyranny of Spain.

In the 17th and 18th centuries the house of Nassau-Siegen were stadtholders, but in 1748 William of Nassau-Siegen became Prince William IV of Orange and all the provinces. His grandson became William I, King of the Netherlands 1815. In their later history the name became a power unto themselves and were elevated to the ranks of nobility as they grew into this most influential family.