Molteno (surname)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Molteno is a surname of Italian origin derived from the town of Molteno near Lecco.[1] Rare in Italy itself, it is occasionally found in the Italian diaspora. Due to an early presence in Africa and generations of intermarriage, it has also become a South African surname, and it is especially common among Xhosa-speaking people.[citation needed]
Notable people with the surname include:
- Donald Barkly Molteno (1908–1972), also known as Dilizintaba, Barrister and anti-apartheid leader
- Edward Molteno (1877–1950), Cape exporter
- Elizabeth Maria Molteno (1852–1927), early suffragette and civil rights activist
- Harry Molteno (1880–1969), Cape exporter
- James Tennant Molteno (1865–1936), the first Speaker of the South African Parliament
- John Charles Molteno (1814–1886), The first Prime Minister of the Cape Colony
- John Charles Molteno, Jr. (1860–1924), Cape exporter and parliamentarian
- Marion Molteno (born 1944), South African novelist
- Mbombini Molteno Sihele, Xhosa councillor, warrior and national poet of the Thembu people
- Percy Molteno (1861–1937), Scottish-South African shipping magnate and Liberal member of parliament
- Vincent Barkly Molteno (1872–1952), Admiral of the Royal Navy in World War I
