Save Type Surname (from location) Usage Dutch, South African Pronounced Pron. /van.ə.ˈmɛr.və/(South African) [key·simplify] Other Forms Formsvan de Merwe Meaning & History Means "from the Merwe", Merwe being an older form of Merwede, the name of a river in the Netherlands. It derives from meri "lake, sea" and widu "wood". The name went to South Africa with the Dutch settlers in 1652.
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