Pienaar is a well-known Afrikaans surname, derived from the French Pinard. It was brought to South Africa in 1688 by Huguenot settlers traveling with the Dutch East India Company. The extended progenitors of the Pienaar clan are Jacques Pinard, a carpenter from Eure-et-Loir, and Esther Foucher (born Suèvres, Orléanais). After Esther's death Pinard later remarried Marthe le Fèbre, a native of Paarl. An extensive genealogy of the Pienaar family in South Africa was compiled by ZJ (Sakkie) Pienaar, and privately published as "Die Pienaars in Suid-Afrika." An updated version of the Pienaar genealogy is now compiled by prof H Christo Viljoen, whose mother was née Pienaar, with the view of eventually having it published by the Huguenot Society of South Africa.
Some of the descendants of the Pienaar progenitors include:
Antoinette Pienaar, South African actress and writerBen Pienaar, British rugby playerDan Pienaar, South African career soldierDaniel-Ben Pienaar, South African classical pianistFrancois Pienaar, South African rugby playerGerhardus Pienaar, South African javelin throwerJacobus Johannes (Jack) Pienaar, parliamentarian, Administrator of TransvaalJohn Pienaar, British journalistJonathan Pienaar, South African actorLouis Pienaar, South African diplomatMichael Pienaar, Namibian football playerPierre Pienaar, Namibian record producerPierre de Villiers Pienaar, South African academicPeet Pienaar, South African performance artistRoy Pienaar, South African cricketerRuan Pienaar, South African rugby playerSteven Pienaar, South African football playerUys de Villiers Pienaar, Park-head of the Kruger National Park, Chief Director of National Parks