You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. Over time, East Tennessee, hilly and dominated by small farms, retained the fewest number of slaves. There was often a fluidity to the surnames that enslaved people had. He was a slave owner and, in 1800 as Chief Justice of New Brunswick, he supported slavery in defiance of British practice at the time. Claudia Bautista,Santa Monica, Calif. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. Well, Ive gone off on a tangent again;) But thank you again for writing and thank you for the cemetery work (especially trying to include African-Americans you are doing that will be of benefit to others. 3. Famous name bearers: many King Louis of France, Sandra Bullock's son and actor Louis Partridge. A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. But I tell you, trying to document that all those names refer to the same person is hard, hard work! I was called mostly Lewis Smith till after the war, although I was named Dick Lewis Smith After the War, I was wearing the name Lewis Smith, but I found the negroes were taking the names of their fathers, like the white folks. In many cases this is ignored and children use their fathers name! . Seating is limited. ", "Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts. A great and timely article. The idea was for the children to enter the inhumane system of slavery protected by a sense of Selfhood and history. The new surnames, usually not taken from a former slave owner, included: Williams, Jones, Johnson, Smith, Jackson, Thomas, Brown, Walker, Davis, Green, Robinson, Scott, Harris, Turner, and Anderson. I was only three years old when she died. Archambeau. Lastly,emancipation itself often provoked many to choose new surnames, one of the few actual freedoms freedmen had. . Are you thinking this woman Eliza Ellis was married to Wash Ellis? Of course my mother wasnt a Bradley fore she married. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. In 1911, Barnett and Frys widow, Mollie, both applied for pensions from the government. 6. The top 5 most common Hispanic last names from the 1920s are: 1. And my goodness, how kind of you to suggest a TED talk, maybe one of these days;) Genealogys pull is what initially pulled me into studying slavery, and also introduced me to the new understanding that historians are uncovering. You can read the introductory maps for a high-level guided explanation, view the timeline and chronology of . common last names for slaves in the 1800s. Mining the Census: Are You Finding Every Clue? I belonged to him until emancipation. Baptiste Meaning: derived from the name Bautista; the Spanish form of Baptist Origin: Spanish 3. My full name is Dick Lewis Barnett. .When I got home after the war, I was wearing the name of Lewis Smith, but I found that the negroes after freedom, were taking the names of their father like the white folks. Most Popular African Last Names Or Surnames. Prior to the emancipation of the American slaves in 1863, those African-Americans held in bondage had usually just one or two given names. Dick Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War. No superior alternative has yet been found." Search 31 million family names. Thanks for all you to do keeps us all so enlightened! Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. "Albumen print of enslaved women and their children near Alexandria, Virginia." Last updated: November 1, 2003 "Dwelling No." I truly believe they used surnames of each of their former owners for some of their childrens middle names. I was bornthe child of Phillis Houston, slave of Sol Smith. My father once told me his grandfather ran away from the Carrington place and changed his name to Williams. See flier for details; cost of this event is $25. . 782 Lists of Slave owners with names of slaves Tamme, 766 Tom, 766 West, 766 Will, 766 Barker, Nathaniel Harry, 591, 700, 746, 767 Barkley, Barbary Grace, 651 There are so many examples of every kind of scenario, and I think it just speaks to the variety of experiences our ancestors had. Others who wanted no connection to their former owners used surnames like Freeman or Freedman. Most common last names names: 1-1000 | 1001-2000 | 2001-3000 | 3001-4000 | 4001-5000 It gives the age and sex of the slave and the number of slaves of each age and sex. Cora: We first fell in love with this short baby girl's name from Downton Abbey, but Cora was already popular in the 1800s, meaning 'maiden' or 'good'. Louis (M) (English origin) means "famous warrior". Melvin, Through Reclaiming Kin, I share tips on genealogy skillbuilding for all genealogists, and on researching slavery and the enslaved. His slaveholder was named David Humphries. Bailey, Word Stories Surrounding African American Slavery. 5. So just a few things to be aware of when researching any African-American ancestors. In ancient history, Lysander was the name of an esteemed Spartan naval commander and his literary cred comes from one of the two star-struck young men in Shakespeare's. Distinctively Black names were thought to have risen from the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, which promoted the use of names with connections to Africa. The origins of this last name date back to the pre-medieval period. Societies. See footnotes for source information. This is due in part to officials imposing surnames on them based on their last owners. Robyn. In Greek mythology, Athena is the name of the daughter of Zeus who was the goddess of wisdom, warfare, handicrafts, mathematics, and courage, among others. The majority of these slaves used the surname Lewis instead of Washington. All of them are alive in this moment. Here are an even dozen, pretty much forgotten slanglike words or sayings from the 19th century, rediscovered while delving in the archives and with added guidance from James Maitman's 1891 . See more details in the flier here and they are available for purchase for $10 . The Genealogy Source Table Collection includes 10 blank, editable source tables for death certificates, city directories, obituaries and funeral programs. Copeland This last name comes from Old Norse origin. Remember me. I just cannot imagine (thankfully) the idea of my name being changed with every new owner, with not having any idea of what my parents surnames were, of having a white father but not being able to have a father/child relationship with himand all the other myriad of circumstances that enslaved people faced. Tags: African American Names, African American Surnames, African Names, Black Surnames, Last Slave Owner, Plantation Owners, plantation slavery, Slave Family, Slave Naming Patterns, slave trade. I found in the Civil War registry, an enslaved man who enrolled in the infantry under the name of Wash Ellis. Surely the hundreds of black Culbert people living today cannot all be connected to those three cases. 6. I worked for him as nurse for his children, and my full and correct name was OCTAVIA, but the family could not catch on to that long name and called me LOTTIE for short. There has been disagreement about whether it was slaveholders or the enslaved who gave the recorded names. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Some of the most common or popular last names in the 1800s included Robinson, Clark, and Smith. Introduction. In French-speaking Louisiana, Slave names reflected the dominant language and thus were generally different from those in the English colonies. BRATHWAITE - This name was derived from a geographic location in the north of England. This potential brother had been sold to a local and remained there in SC. Forenames. Drawing on extensive archival records, this digital memorial allows analysis of the ships, traders, and captives in the Atlantic slave trade. Currently, the most popular Black last name in America is Williams, with a total count of 774,920 people who have the surname. My fathers name was Gilbert Jackson, and after I was set free I took the name of my father, and have been known by the name Smith Jackson. Robyn N. Smith, [insert post title], Reclaiming Kin (https://reclaimingkin.com: accessed [insert date you read the post]), [insert the date the post was written]. This was done more because it was the logical thing to do and the easiest way to be identified than it was through affection for the master. Gerald, however, is a Germanic name meaning ruler) 2. Slaves were generally listed with just one name and thus with little to none of the genealogical information recorded for free whites. CLICK HERE TO SAVE YOUR SEAT! Hello I worked for him as nurse for his children, and my full and correct name was OCTAVIA, but the family could not "catch on" to that long name and called me "LOTTIE" for short. Others were more promiscuous. African Americans tended to use surnames associated with their own families instead of the last slave owner. Both are excellent researchers and historians. Slavery in America was the legal institution of enslaving human beings, mainly Africans and African Americans. LOTTIE had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just continued that same name. Phone: 314-994-3300, Hours & Locations Comments/Suggestions314-994-3300, Copyright 2023. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Also, the government seemed to be in a almighty hurry to have us get names. Runaway ads illustrate how many slaveholders knew the surnames of their slaves. The surname issue really presents huge challenges for those of us doign this research, but you soulnd as though you are making headway. Delva They identified 21 distinctly Black male names, among them biblical classics such as Abraham and Moses, and word names including Freeman and Prince. Cheryll Cody, "'There Was No Absalom on the Ball Plantation': Slave-Naming Practices in the South Carolina Low Country, 1720-1865," American Historical Review 92 (June 1987). LOTTIE had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just continued that same name. Enslaved people often transferred such names to later generations in modified form or relied on African naming traditions, such as "day names" or names reflecting the order of birth among siblings. They are held at The National Archives (Kew, England). Most did not want to use their former owners surname, even through about 20% did use the slave owners name. Emphasizes the giving and repeated use of names as a performative act of domination. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. Of the 972 names of male Slaves recorded between 1619 and 1799 the leading ones were Jack, Tom, Harry, Sam, Will, Caesar, Dick, John, Robin, Frank, Charles, Joe and Prince. Q. 17. It means 'clerk' or 'secretary'. While Smith remains the most common U.S. surname, for the first time, two Hispanic namesGarcia and Rodriguezmade the top 10. For personal use and not for further distribution. By the late 19th century, England was home to about 300 surnames with traceable genealogy. Analyzing Creole names, especially those of African origin, demands a combination of historical and linguistic expertise that has not yet been systematically applied to slave names. The highest percentage of African names was found among male slaves in the eighteenth century, when . Another interesting fact is that Creole surname use also evolved over time and varied from record to record with the same person. It is certainly possible that Wilsons siblings could have been sold away or owned by others. These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. Clark is a common surname of Anglo-Scottish origin. . I am sure your father would also be very proud of your interest in family history. This is common. Place names that were disproportionately popular among Black Americans in history include Boston, Jamaica, York, and Africa. I belonged to him until emancipation. One ancestor was known as Baber Masse, Elizabeth SENET and Elisabeth Leveille in different documents. Jonah, the name of the Old Testament prophet who was swallowed by the whale, only to emerge unharmed three days later, is increasingly appreciated by parents looking for a biblical name less common than Jacob or Joshua, yet not too obscure. This event is $20. Bradley was the last man owned em. They called me OCK. Perhaps this caused some Slaves to ask: Am I my new name or am I still my old name? At her death when Thomas was ten, he was sold to Solomon Cobbs who lived nearby. Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press. Spencer is a name that has everything: it's both distinguished sounding and accessible, dignified but Spencer Tracy-like friendly. I took the name of Jackson for the reason that I preferred to go by my fathers name, rather than the name of my last owner.. Lori Wilson Picks Up Baton to Remove Slavery Language From Californias Constitution, New Assembly Bill Would Ban Use of Police Canines for Arrests, Crowd Control, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. . They cut it off from OCTAVIA. This blog is where I share family history methods, resources, tips and advice, with an emphasis on slave research, slavery and its aftermath. Throughout the colonial period, as many as one-fifth of the enslaved people in North Carolina retained African names; Quash, Cuffee, Mingo, Sambo, Mustapha, and Sukey were among the most common recorded. The campaign in Britain to abolish slavery began in the 1760s, supported by both black and white abolitionists. Robinson: A patronymic of the name Robin. All children of a female slave were automatically slaves, considered as belonging to the owner of the mother. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Finding Aids for the National Archives at Atlanta, National Archives Catalog (National Archives Identifier 2767350). Another common practice was to select a surname that fit the personality of an individual, such as Hardy or Rambler. If the slaveholder or another free white man was their father, many Creoles did use either is first or last name as a surname. Here, our list of notable early African American names. Places; Login. Harriet Tubman and some of the slaves she helped free. In doing slave research in Barbados, I have found one group of enslaved Chase ancestors who were manumitted (freed) and given the last name of the former slave owner. The name of the tragic mythological Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but was condemned never to be believed, Cassandra has been used for striking characters in movies and soap operas. After emancipation, he moved back with his mother, brothers and sisters and used the Cobbs surname. Best of luck to you in your research, We had to register as someone, so we could be citizens. Robyn. This had a profound impact on the Selfhood of each of the enslaveddisrupting ones presumed Mission in life, as indicated by ones name; shattering the sharing of personal and historical experiences, attitudes, and spirits towards life; and putting in disarray the philosophy of life framework and common sense values by which all Africans lived. Thats high on my to do list. Caps statement implies that choosing his own surname was a part of exercising his newfound freedom. Chery Meaning: derived from the Latin Cariacus, which means "land belonging to Cariu"; darling Origin: French 5. Elaine Fantham, Helene Peet Foley, Natalie Boymel Kampen, Sarah B. Pomeroy, H. A. Shapiro. Rounding out the Top 40, here are the next 30 most common names among African-Americans and Caribbean people: Taylor (Jayceon Terrel Taylor "The Game") Wilson (Charlie Wilson) Moore (Shemar Moore) White (Barry White) Lewis (Carl Lewis) Walker (Jimmie J. J. Walker) Green (Al Green) Thompson (Kenan Thompson) Washington (Denzel Washington) If we consider the diverse circumstances that the tragedy of slavery created, we can understand the reasons why. This happened mostly on large plantations where several individuals had the same first names and a surname was used to distinguish them from one another. Wonderful to have first hand account that help shine light on the attitudes of our ancestors. Benson 2006 is one of the few general discussions of slave names. Gradually, to show contempt for Slaves, the captors used Buck and Wench for naming the genders till they became trade terms, like Filly and Shoat.Contempt for the male was removing his honorific attachment to fatherhood and manhood by being addressed as Boy. Once the vigorous years of his prime were passed, he was allowed to assume the title of Uncle. Females were called Gal, girl, or the name of some animal. The names that were brought together to form "Geffery" were "Gaufrid" (territory-peace), "Godafrid" (god-peace), and "Galfridus" (song-peace).

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