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

• All pages with titles containing Molteno
• Molteni (surname)
• Molteno (disambiguation)

Surname list

This page lists people with the surname Molteno.
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