Venter or Venters is an Afrikaans (and rarely, Jewish) surname, and may refer to:
Venter
AJ Venter (b. 1973), South African rugby union footballer
Al J Venter (b. 1938), author
André Venter (b. 1970), South African rugby union footballer
Ben Venter (b. 1987), South African rugby union footballer
Bill Venter (b. 1934), South African businessman
Brendan Venter (b. 1969), South African rugby union footballer
Christoffel Venter (1892–1977), South African military commander
Craig Venter (b. 1946), American biologist and businessman
Danny Venter (b. 1987), South African association football player
F.A. Venter (1916–1997), Afrikaans writer
Floris Venter (1886–unknown), South African cyclist
Francois Venter (b. 1991), South African rugby union footballer
Hanco Venter (b. 1993), South African rugby union footballer
Henco Venter (b. 1992), South African rugby union footballer
Jacobus Johannes Venter (1814–1889), South African Boer political figure
Jan Venter (b. 1988), South African swimmer
Kyle Venter (b. 1991), American soccer player
Mariella Venter (b. 2000), South African swimmer
Orla Venter (b. 1976), Namibian long jumper
Rina Venter (b. 1938), South African Minister of Heath from 1989 to 1994
Ruan Venter (b. 1992), South African rugby union footballer
Shaun Venter (b. 1987), South African rugby union footballer
Walter Venter (b. 1984), South African rugby union footballer
Venters
Alex Venters (1913–1959), Scottish footballer
Jock Venters (1910–1978), Scottish footballer
Jonny Venters (b. 1985), American baseball player
Places
Venter, the Hungarian name for Vintere village, Holod Commune, Bihor County, Romania Venter, Virginia, United States Ventersdorp, North West Province, South Africa
Origin
The commonly accepted origin of the surname finds its roots in the Netherlands, however due to poor record-keeping there are doubts whether or not this is true. During the Church Reformation, the persecuted were known to board ships bound for far-off lands (South Africa being one with its recent establishment as a trading post for the Dutch East India Company (VOC) and their representative Jan van Riebeeck in 1652. During these escapes names were often changed, thus muddying the water.
One disputing theory is that Venter does not derive from the Dutch "Van Deventer" , but rather from the French "Fender" as Huguenots sought refuge in the new settlement in the mid- to late 17th century.
There are still many missing links in the genealogy of the Venter family.
See also
Abdomen – the term venter may refer to the ventral side of an animal or plant organ