Anyone who belongs by descent (sons and daughters, any surname) or by bond (married or joined to a van der Walt), with no generation limit. Everyone who belongs is welcome, and it is free to claim.
Confirmed van der Walts already on the tree vouch a newcomer in. Nobody verifies themselves. A keeper for each branch checks every placement.
Yes. Joining, placement on the tree and matching are all free. Your exact place is checked by a person, so it can take a little while, but you belong from the day you join. Living members' places stay masked until they claim them; deceased members are always shown as part of the public record.
It is generated from C.M. van der Walt's register, carrying thousands of confirmed ancestors branch by branch back to 1727.
There is one registered shield, a Frisian half-eagle and a gold fleur-de-lis, registered with the South African Bureau of Heraldry on 28 April 1978. It replaced an earlier design shown in 1975 to belong to an unrelated Frisian family. Read the full story.
A numbered enamel pin of the registered arms. The first run, the Founding Edition, is 50 pins, each numbered on the back. Membership itself is not capped, and your member number is simply your place in the order of arrival. The pin has its own number, separate from your member number. See the pin.
Stuck, or something looks wrong? Write to us. A keeper reads every note and answers by email, usually within a few days. You do not need to be signed in.