The origins of the Venter surname are believed to be limited to just a few (possibly very few) geographic areas. One major cluster of Venter surnames is located within the triangle approximated by the cities of Kaiserslautern, Trier and Mainz, in southwestern Germany. Another major cluster is in South Africa. Are these two clusters related or do they represent two, or more, completely unrelated Venter lines? Obviously, the Venter surname did not originate in South Africa. It is believed to have come from the Netherlands by way of Germany. Did the German cluster of Venters originate in the Netherlands as well? Could the name have been shortened from van Deventer? These are just some of the questions to which we hope to determine the answers. You may also visit our independant web site at: www.venter.org/soke1/dna/dna_project.htm