Pienaar
Pienaar is a well-known Afrikaans surname, derived from the French Pinard.[1] It was brought to South Africa in 1688 by Huguenot settlers traveling with the Dutch East India Company.[2] The extended progenitors of the Pienaar clan are Jacques Pinard, a carpenter from Eure-et-Loir, and Esther Foucher (born Suèvres, Orléanais). After Esther's death Pinard later remarried Marthe le Fèbre, a native of Paarl.[2] An extensive genealogy of the Pienaar family in South Africa was compiled by ZJ (Sakkie) Pienaar, and privately published as "Die Pienaars in Suid-Afrika." An updated version of the Pienaar genealogy is now compiled by prof H Christo Viljoen, whose mother was née Pienaar, with the view of eventually having it published by the Huguenot Society of South Africa.[3]
Some of the descendants of the Pienaar progenitors include:
- Antoinette Pienaar, South African actress and writer
- Ben Pienaar, British rugby player
- Dan Pienaar, South African career soldier
- Daniel-Ben Pienaar, South African classical pianist
- Francois Pienaar, South African rugby player
- Gerhardus Pienaar, South African javelin thrower
- Jacobus Johannes (Jack) Pienaar, parliamentarian, Administrator of Transvaal
- John Pienaar, British journalist
- Jonathan Pienaar, South African actor
- Louis Pienaar, South African diplomat
- Michael Pienaar, Namibian football player
- Pierre Pienaar, Namibian record producer
- Pierre de Villiers Pienaar, South African academic
- Peet Pienaar, South African performance artist
- Roy Pienaar, South African cricketer
- Ruan Pienaar, South African rugby player
- Steven Pienaar, South African football player
- Uys de Villiers Pienaar, Park-head of the Kruger National Park, Chief Director of National Parks
- Aidan Pienaar, All round legend.
Characters in fiction
- Peter Pienaar, fictional World War I flying ace
- Ross Pienaar, fictional character in the movie "District 9"