IFLA Cataloguing Section
Names of Persons
Introduction:
According to the International Cataloguing Principles (ICP)1 the Form
of Name for Persons as an authorized access point should be constructed following a
standard: "When the name of a person consists of several words, the choice of first word
for the authorized access point should follow conventions of the country and language
most associated with that person, as found in manifestations or reference sources". Thus,
this set of documents summarizes the conventions for each country, established by each
national cataloguing agency, to help other cataloguing agencies creating authority data
worldwide.
Please access IFLA Names of Persons2 to submit updates from your country and to
access more information.
Country name in English: South Africa
Country name in official language(s): [OTHER NAMES FOR COUNTRY IN
CAPS]
Language(s): 1. English
2. Afrikaans
SUID-AFRIKA
3. Ndebele
ISEWULA AFRIKA
4. Northern Sotho 5. Southern Sotho 6. Swazi
AFRIKA BORWA AFRIKA-BORWA NINGIZIMU AFRIKA
7. Tsonga
8. Tswana
9. Venda
AFRIKA-DZONGA AFORIKA-BORWA AFURIKA TSHIPEMBE
10. Xhosa
MZANTSI AFRIKA
11. Zulu
NINGIZIMU AFRIKA
Last updated: 2016
For name usage in English, see the entry under UNITED KINGDOM.
1
2
http://www.ifla.org/publications/statement-of-international-cataloguing-principles
http://www.ifla.org/node/4953
NAME ELEMENTS
Elements normally forming part of a name
Element
Type
Examples
1. Forename
simple
Dlozi Philemon
Es’kia
Paul
Prince
Sarah Khithikane
Zodwa Sanie
2. Forename
African names often have
relevance to, or are based
on prevailing circumstances
within the family, the
community or the country
when the child is born
Beauty Moenyane
Doctor Mbukeni
Happy Prince
Precious
Rejoice Dorothy Thokozile
3. Surname
simple
Abrahams
Mphahlele
Nzima
Plaatje
Smit
De Beer
Le Roux
Van der Merwe
Gey van Pittius
Gordon-Williams
Janse(n) van Rensburg
Janse(n) van Vuuren
Leroux-Van der Boon
Naudé-Moseley
Ndlovu-Gatsheni
St. John-Reid
Strauss, Willem de Wet (i.e.
W. de Wet Strauss)
Van Wyk Louw (i.e., N.P.
van Wyk Louw)
Van Zyl Slabbert (i.e. F.
van Zyl Slabbert)
with prefix
compound consisting of two
or more surnames or words
not themselves surnames,
sometimes linked by a
preposition or a hyphen
apparent compound caused
by the use of a surname as a
forename
Additional elements to names
Element
Use
Examples
Seldom
Africa.
used
in
South
ORDER OF ELEMENTS IN CATALOGUE HEADINGS
General rule
Type of name
1. Simple surname
Entry element
surname
2. Surname with prefix
prefix
3. Compound name
first part of surname
Examples
ABRAHAMS, Nazeeha
GRAAFF, de Villiers
GUMEDE, Happy Prince
LOUW, N.P. van Wyk
MALEFO, B. M. (Beauty
Moenyane)
MASHELE, Prince
MPHAHLELE, Es’kia
NTSHANGASE,
Doctor
Mbukeni
NZIMA, Sarah Khithikane
PLAATJE,
Sol.
T.
(Solomon Tshekiso)
RADEBE, Dlozi Philemon
SITHOLE, Rejoice Dorothy
Thokozile
SLABBERT, Frederik van
Zyl
SMIT, Paul
VILAKAZI, Zodwa Sanie
ZIKHALI, Precious
DE BEER, J.J.
LE ROUX, Herman
VAN DER MERWE, Paul
GEY VAN PITTIUS, E.
GORDON-WILLIAMS,
John
LEROUX-VAN
DER
BOON, Marzanne
NAUDé-MOSELEY, Brent
NDLOVU-GATSHENI,
Sabelo J.
ST. JOHN-REID, Tasha
Exceptions:
Type of name
Entry element
Examples
1.
Compound surname second part of surname; VAN RENSBURG, M. C.
beginning with Janse(n)
Janse(n) is always given in
Jansen
full
after
initials
or VAN RENSBURG, N. J. J.
forenames
(Nicolaas Jacobus Janse)
VAN VUUREN, H. Janse
VAN VUUREN, Sanet
Janse
National cataloguing code
The Anglo-American cataloguing rules. Second Edition, 2002 Revision: 2005
Update is used in South Africa.
Transliteration schemes used
None
Authorities responsible for issuing library rules about names
National Library of South Africa
National authority file of names
South African National Bibliography Authorities (SANB Authorities)1
Sources and recommended references
Dictionary of South African biography. Cape Town : Tafelberg, 1968-1987.
Vol. 1 Publisher Nasionale Boekhandel, 1968.
Vol. 2 Publisher Tafelberg for Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC),
1972. ISBN 0-624-00369-8
Vol. 3 Publisher Tafelberg for HSRC, 1977. ISBN 0-624-00849-5
Vol. 4 Publisher Butterworths for HSRC, 1981. ISBN 0-409-09183-9
Vol. 5 Publisher HSRC, 1987. ISBN 0-7969-0420-0
e-SAGI : electronic SA Genealogical Index. [s.l.] : Genealogical Society of South
Africa,
c2009.
Viewed
27
November
2009,
http://www.gensa.info.www19.jnb2.host-h.net/en/node/291.
Joyce, P. A concise dictionary of South African biography. Cape Town :
Francolin, 1999. ISBN 1-868590-37-2
Pama, С. British families in South Africa. Cape Town : Human & Rousseau,
1992. ISBN 0-7981-2957-3
Pama, С. Die groot Afrikaanse familienaamboek. Kaapstad : Human & Rousseau,
1983. ISBN 0-7981-1561-0
Sonderling, E. J. New dictionary of South African biography. Vol. 2. Pretoria :
Vista University, 1999. ISBN 1-8682-8133-7
South African national bibliography. Pretoria : State Library [later National
Library of South Africa], 1959-2000. ISSN 0036-0864
South African national bibliography (Online). Pretoria : National Library of South
Africa, 2000-. 2
Suid-Afrikaanse geslagregisters = South African genealogies. Pretoria : Raad vir
Geesteswetenskaplike Navorsing, 1986-2008. Print and electronic.
Vol. 1 (A-C, 1986). ISBN 0-7969-0370-0
Vol. 2 (D-G, 1989). ISBN 0-7969-0752-0
Vol. 3 (H-I, 1992). ISBN 0-7969-1425-7
Vol. 4 (J-K, 1992). ISBN 0-7969-1491-5
Vol. 5 (L-M, 1999). ISBN 0-7972-0732-5
Vol. 6 (N, 2001). ISBN 0-7972-0870-4
Vol. 7 (O-Ph, 2002). ISBN 0-7972-0892-5
Vol. 8 (Pi-Q, 2002). ISBN 0-7972-0949-2
Vol. 9 (Ra-Ron, 2003). ISBN 0-7972-0961-1
Vol. 10 (Roo-Schn, 2004). ISBN0-7972-0962-X
Vol. 11 (Scho-Sny, 2004). ISBN 0-7972-1031-8
Vol. 12 (So-Sz, 2005). ISBN 0-7972-1032-6
Vol. 13 (T-U, 2006). ISBN 0-7972-1086-5
Vol. 14 (Va-Vir, 2006). ISBN 0-7972-1086-8
Vol. 15 (Vis-Wat, 2007). ISBN 0-7972-1175-6
Vol. 16 (Wa-Wy, 2008). ISBN 978-0-7972-1176-6
Vol. 17 (X-Z, 2008). ISBN 978-0-7972-1216-9
Verwey, E. J. New dictionary of South African biography. Vol. 1. Pretoria :
HSRC Publishers, 1995. ISBN 0-7969-1648-9
Vilakazi, S. V. Naming of children among the Ndebele: pre- and post-1994.
[s.l. : s.n.], 2002.
Authority for information provided
Bibliographic Standards in South Africa (BibSA), National Library of South
Africa (Pretoria Campus), in collaboration with University of South Africa
Library.
===
Checked and approved by: Santie Engelbrecht, National Library of South Africa; and Dr.
Hester Marais, University of South Africa Library, 2016.
______
1
Non-formal name
2
As found on WorldCat