There are a wide array of sources that provide us with slave surnames, from the slave narratives and interviews, to freedmans bank cards, runaway ads and Southern Claims Commission records. Louis (M) (English origin) means "famous warrior". James: (M) (Latin origin) means "heel" or "supplanter". This topic interests me greatly and Id like to do more research. But the Slaves generally had two namesthe one given by the slave owner (e.g. by John C. Inscoe, 2006; Revised May 2022 by NC Government & Heritage Library. 1. Slave Names Below are some best cute and catchy slave names: Infirm Mite Lunn Amanda Walter Garner Hannah Delia Bastard Inferior Weevil George O'Hanlon Jordan John Owen Rachel Fetid Spider Betty Nathan York John Wright Wicked Whelp Thornton Dick Field Robert Dick William Hunter William Sam Kiner Augustus Dick a/k/a Richard Ferguson Foul Beast For more details, see the flier here, and you can purchase them here. Just makes me sad for the human spirit that anyone, let alone hundreds of thousands of people could participate in it. Youll often see the word degraded used in the academic references; these were all attempts at degradation. I have found only one very rare example of a slaveholders inventory, that lists the slaves along with their surnames. Garcia is the Spanish variation of the word Gerald that means a pointed weapon, like a spear. In the. Dick Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War. i have no way to confirm this. It had always been passed down in the family that Thomas has been owned by the Blacks. I was called mostly Lewis Smith till after the war, although I was named Dick Lewis SmithDick was the brother of John Barnett whom I learned was my father . In the context of The Bahamas, the surname appears to originate with Denys Rolle, an American Loyalist who re-settled on Exuma, one of the so-called Out Islands of The Bahamas, sometime in the mid-1780s. My surname of SAM originated from Sem or Sam FUSELIER, a free man of color who freed my ancestor,Jean-Louis, out of slavery in 1811. Thanks for adding your very experienced voice to the conversation. If a surname was needed, the slave owners family name might be used. Names from the Bible were another common practice, for given and surnames. Thank you, my dear friend, for adding this about enslaved people owned in the Caribbean is really important, as some of the customs were certainly different. Wide-ranging survey of naming practices in the (mainly Anglophone) Atlantic world both during and after slavery. They are part of Records of the U.S. Customs Service . Like most of the architecture and towns in Italy, they can also tell a story. 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. Ethereal and delicate, Cassandra was in the Top 70 throughout the 1990s but is now descending in popularity. Some of the most common or popular last names in the 1800s included Robinson, Clark, and Smith. They called me OCK. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. 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. In 1836, William Turbeville died leaving an estate with several slaves who were brothers: Turner, Nelson, Simon, Jordan, and Jacob. It gives the age and sex of the slave and the number of slaves of each age and sex. [15] Alice Clifton (c. 1772-unknown), as an enslaved teenager, she was a defendant in an infanticide trial in 1787. 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) Im very familiar with the work of Gwendolyn Hall and Elizabeth Shown Mills. My maiden surname is Williams. A valuable and incisive discussion, both theoretically and historically informed, of slave naming in two African societies, the Caribbean, and the American South. . 3. They cut it off from OCTAVIA. Robyn. Runaway ads illustrate how many slaveholders knew the surnames of their slaves. Names and Naming, African Africans arriving in the American colonies and later the United States continued to give their children African names well into the nineteenth century. I also meant to email you and tell you how I enjoyed your article in the last NGSQ. They established and held on to their own cultural traditions in the small spaces that slavery afforded them. See flier here. This phenomena makes research very complicated when you dont know the mothers surname. . Join my mailing list below to learn about upcoming webinars. Use the form below to get in touch with me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. The given name Athena was derived from the city name Athens, which is of uncertain origins. 26 September 2021 [PAST EVENT]: Acclaimed genealogist Melvin Collier and I will be presenting an all-new 2-hour lecture titled More Than Just Names: Incorporating Social and Community History Into Your Research from 1:00-3:30 EST (please note it is Eastern Standard Time). A. I was first called by that name in the family of Col. Morrow in whose service I was in Louisville, Ky., just after the war. I would appreciate any constructive comments on this question, which can be posted to me via my website address above. As a newspaper that publishes in the spirit of the Black Press, the Black Voice News has given voice to the voiceless and shined a light on systemic inequities and disparities since 1972. One name you find frequently used was Freeman or Freedmen to declare their new freedom. My father would be 105 if he were alive. This is such a well-written and informative post one that I know will open many eyes to the complexity of slave surnames, as well as many other aspects of the lives of the enslaved. However, the common practice by slaveholders was to only use the given names of enslaved people in documents such as estate papers, court and deed records. Many of these were names of heroesbut not Lincoln. Seating is limited. Five of the slaves were sold to the Washingtons and brought to Wessyngton. Slavery is a social-economic system under which people are enslaved: deprived of personal freedom and forced to perform labor or services without compensation. 6. Genealogy becomes so much more than just names and dates, it really feels like a true passion indeed. While enslaved almost all had just one Christian name. Garcia (The Spanish form of Gerald, Garcia would be the son of Gerald. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. If we consider the diverse circumstances that the tragedy of slavery created, we can understand the reasons why. Baptiste Meaning: derived from the name Bautista; the Spanish form of Baptist Origin: Spanish 3. Thank you for your comment, Enslaved people suffered constant sale, where children were frequently torn away from parents at young ages and spouses were often separated. Accueil > > Avr > 18 > Uncategorized > common last names for slaves in the 1800s. An accessible introduction to the field. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. It helps me to understand the complexity of surname variation I have found in researching the ancestral patterns of an African-American cemetery in my local area. Karen Halttunen, Murder Most Foul, p. 175. 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). Thanks for writing this post! Farley, (English Origin) Victorian-era last names meaning "fern woodland". This event is $12. But the bureau also compiled lists of the fastest-growing surnames in the United States and these include Zhang, Li, Ali, Liu, and Khan - a testament to the wonderful diversity of our nation. My great grandfather Wilson Percival was born in South Carolina and I believe he took his surname from last slave owners family. Students examine how freed people in the United States sought to define freedom after Emancipation. You should give a TED talk! In 1800, Frederick Douglass and Harriet Tubman were able to escape their terrible life of enslavement and were able to help other slaves trapped in a world of forced labour and grant them freedom once again due to the Underground Railroads that helped him, his partner Anna Murray Douglas and many other fugitives sneak away from the horrible No superior alternative has yet been found." I made up my mind I'd find me a different one. that lists the slaves along with their surnames. The following documents are excerpts from government records in which Dick Barnett and Mollie (Smith) Russell explain when and why they changed their names. No, I don't know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. I especially recommend Mother, Thy Name is Mystery! "While African-American genealogical research in many ways is like all genealogical research, the era of slavery makes the task especially challenging. The top 5 most common Hispanic last names from the 1920s are: 1. 20 August 2022, 1-3:30 pm [PAST EVENT], Eastern Standard Time: Join me for a two-hour lecture and workshop on Using Deed Records. 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. However, many African Americans faced a problem when they applied for their pensions. This blog is where I share family history methods, resources, tips and advice, with an emphasis on slave research, slavery and its aftermath. Samuel had only two slaves: the man that could be Wilson and a 42-year-old woman. Three formerly enslaved people discuss their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation. The existence of those surnames in the area would help to verify, but also, you are fortunate to have the important oral history of that name change in the first place, since so many of us dont. Prior to the emancipation of the American slaves in 1863, those African-Americans held in bondage had usually just one or two given names. common last names for slaves in the 1800s. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. My fathers name was John Crosby and he lived in the town of Geneva, Alabama, I had two brothers and one sister. Location the owner of ones ancestor is crucial for an African American genealogist to trace his family before 1870. Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. I first wrote about this in this 2009 post: http://justthinking130.blogspot.com/2009/09/calvin-r-yarborough-where-it-all-began.html, And,then, more recently in 2013, here: http://justthinking130.blogspot.com/2013/11/many-rivers-to-cross-my-priscilla.html. Many of the graves are unmarked or the markers have been damaged, but many descendents still live around here, so we hope to identify as many of the possible graves as we can. 2. I am generally called Cap Sherrod but I was married under Cap Ross and have voted under the name Ross, A good many people call me Cap Sherrod because I belonged to Sherrod but I calls myself Cap Ross.. I was only three years old when she died. It was after emancipation on that I went back to work for Col. Morrow and where I got the name Lottie, as already explained. So I asked my mother and she told me my father John Barnett, a white man, and I took up the name of Barnett . EDHASA, 2006, 359 pages, (. Q. The majority of these slaves used the surname Lewis instead of Washington. Data from the 2010 Census tells a different story. It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl. Robinson: A patronymic of the name Robin. 1. Abel, et al. . Unique Surnames to Grenada. Numerous historical sources confirm that enslaved people had surnames that they used among themselves and in many cases were known by their slaveholder. Slavery. 2023 The Voice of the Black Community in California. I want.to.know.where we (who are.descendants.of.freed.people.who.got sent.back.to Sierra Leone.from.maybe Nova Scotia.) Ref. Recognizable patterns of change in names and naming practices are evident from the mid-eighteenth century to the early nineteenth century and on through the 1860s. The Language of Names. Last updated: November 1, 2003 "Dwelling No." I was called by that name all the time I was with the Morrows. Even that feels like something. This article is from the Encyclopedia of North Carolina edited by William S. Powell. Finding the Slave Who Bore Philomene Daurat. There is also another historian, Gwendolyn Midlo Hall who did work on African ethnicities in Louisiana, you can read more of that here if you havent seen that yet: http://whitneyplantation.com/the-louisiana-slave-database.html, Again, I applaud you for doing the research on the history of the areas where your ancestors livedmany researchers dont realize how crucial that understanding is. Melvin, He was sold to my master William Orr and he always went by the name Edward Orr after that.. This old French surname has Germanic origin, and means 'noble'. Drawing on extensive archival records, this digital memorial allows analysis of the ships, traders, and captives in the Atlantic slave trade. So just a few things to be aware of when researching any African-American ancestors. . Anthropologist Meyer Fortes's observation that the naming practices of any society "epitomize personal experiences, historical happenings, attitudes to life, and cultural ideas and values" holds particularly true for African American enslaved people. -Thich Nhat Hanh, evolve theme by Theme4PressPowered by WordPress, Maryland Genealogical Society Holiday Luncheon, December 2017-2, Washington FHC Annual Conference, May 2011, Baltimore Family History Conference, October 2017-2, International Black Genealogy Summit, September 2016-2, Carroll County Genealogical Society Dinner, June 2018, Baltimore Family History Conference, October 2017, Reginald Lewis Museum, September 2011-2.jpg, Maryland State Archives Family History Festival, October 2014-2, Central Maryland AAHGS Meeting, March 2013, Robyn, Vonda, Andrea and Glenn, NGS Conf., May 2014, Maryland Genealogical Society Holiday Luncheon, December 2017-1, Howard Comm. All of them are alive in this moment. Corbin Corbin has an Old English origin. . St. Louis County Library. They were all sold to different owners: Connell, Rose, Johnson, and Hughes respectively. That is why you will find a lot of families in Louisiana with surnames like Baptiste, Narcisse, Jean-Louis, Nanette-Louise, Rene, Jacques etc Ive come across very few former slaves and fpoc using the surnames of their former owner. I am the identical person who was named called and known as Dick Lewis Smith before the Civil War and during the Civil War and until I returned home after my military service . Davis: This name is a patronymic of David. -George Burns, "Where does the family start? Clark is a common surname of Anglo-Scottish origin. Another slave named Bill who attended the sheep became Bill Shepherd. LOTTIE had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just continued that same name. Others who wanted no connection to their former owners used surnames like Freeman or Freedman. Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. They are held at The National Archives (Kew, England). Slavery's reach is still with us, and part of the gift of doing African-American genealogy, "The past is not dead. For personal use and not for further distribution. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. 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. how the surnames former slaves had were connected to their experiences in slavery. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. As enslavement continued through the 1800s, African American culture included naming practices that were national in scope by the time of emancipation, and intimately related to the slave trade. Harris: A patronymic meaning son of Harry. In fact, the previous enslaver widow sold most of the slaves. Osprey Publishing 2008. When retained, a given name was generally changed to its full form: Thomas, not Tom; Elizabeth, not Bet. You are the continuation of each of these people.". Robyn, youve done it again! If the former slave had been befriended or assisted in getting established after the Civil War, they might have taken that persons name. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. Louisiana, U.S., Slave Manumission Records, 1719-1820. In many cases this is ignored and children use their fathers name! For example, I know of one Louisiana family whose surname of Poulard evolved from a ancestor of the Poular nation(aka Fulani). What remains utterly amazing to me is that in the worst of circumstances, and in spite of every attempt to crush any idea that slaves were anything other than commodities, slaveholders did not succeed. The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Familys Journey to Freedom, A Thank You Letter from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Plantation Records Key Link to African American Past . Students explore the legacies of the Reconstruction era today, reflect on the idea of democracy as a continuous process, and consider how they can best participate in the ongoing work of strengthening our democracy. Tell me the name you were called before you met Phillip Fry? This entry was posted on Friday, August 28th, 2009 at 11:46 am and is filed under Civil War, Genealogy & DNA, Interviews. I mean, really retro. Fernsby, (Old English Origin) Derived from the old English words meaning "fern farmstead". . E. Togo Salmon Conference, E. Togo Salmon Conference 1993 Mcmaster University: Goodyear III, Frank H. "Photography changes the way we record and respond to social issues". This database is a compilation of information on over four thousand slaves from Louisiana who were involved in manumission (the formal emancipation from slavery) between 1719 and 1820. The name.Auber.is also.in.Haiti and.is of.French orign. My great great grandfather in Mississippi took the surname of the previous SC enslaver, whose widow sold him away. Feel free to contact me directly if you have more questions or need some assistance. Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? State of residence is Missouri unless otherwise noted. This may reveal your family used the surname of the slave owners wifes family. Q. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? Thanks for your comment, Anouilh. Thank you so much for your kind words. Register now! I hope this post also helps us to think about how the surnames former slaves had were connected to their experiences in slavery. The result was the birth of mulatto, quadroon, or mustee (mestee) children. Another slave named Bill who attended the sheep became Bill Shepherd. A 2nd great grandmother for example was baptised Sarah Charlotte Chase; her mother is recorded as being Ann Lewis Chase. Who called you by that name and where was it done? One thing we should keep in mind is that the practice of referring to enslaved people by a given name only was a part of the attempt of the system of slavery to dehumanize them..to other them. Both are excellent researchers and historians. And please do share posts that interest you. The surname Williams occurs roughly 550 times per 100,000 people in the U.S. You can find explanations for each of the table columns below, or use the following links to view more last names for different ancestries. Bailey, Word Stories Surrounding African American Slavery. The poster on each page *provides the link to the handout* for that lecture, so be sure to copy it. Special slave censuses were kept in the early 1800s. In the 1930s, ex-slave Martin Jackson explained why he chose his last name after Emancipation: The master's name was usually adopted by a slave after he was set free. He identified father, mother and siblings in a Freedmans bank deposit in 1873, when he was already in New York City. 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. Abara: Originating from the Igbo group of West Africa, Abara means 'spirit'. While Smith remains the most common U.S. surname, for the first time, two Hispanic namesGarcia and Rodriguezmade the top 10. 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. Hi Jann, Almost every major tome on slavery discusses slave naming practices in some form or fashion. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. 43. Slavery existed in the United States from its founding in 1776 and became the main . I truly believe they used surnames of each of their former owners for some of their childrens middle names. The difficulties include using records that provide no surnames, the constant sale and breakup of families, and the lack of identification of fathers. 1754 Excerpts from the Courant for June 22 to 29, 1754 at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library - contain the names of some "runaway slaves" or indentured servants, and information about them. The brothers were sold when they were very young and remained with their last owners nearly thirty years. When slave owners married, they often received slaves as wedding gifts and inheritances from their wifes family. John C. Inscoe, "Carolina Slave Names: An Index to Acculturation," Journal of Southern History 59 (November 1983). Hi Jim, Bernacki: Teatr; Mamontowicz-ojek: Szkoa Tyzenhauza s. 53, 54, 70, 86-89, 92; Wierzbicka: Sze studiw; Muzyka 1969 nr 2 (J. Prosnak). They reflect an acculturation process by which generations of enslaved people, increasingly removed from the direct influence of their first enslaved African ancestors, adopted the conventions of their enslavers, eventually creating a culture and value system all their own. In 1911, Barnett and Fry's widow, Mollie, both applied for pensions from the government. They called me OCK. Practices undoubtedly varied, and different archival sources may yield different conclusions. . This lively Old Testament nature name (belonging to one of the three beautiful daughters of Job) may be missing from the current US Top 1000 list, but it ranks highly here on Nameberry making it one to watch! It is these single names that have been most often studied. African Americans tended to use surnames associated with their own families instead of the last slave owner. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? Slavery was coexistent with the founding in 1670 of the first permanent colony in South Carolina, and early official records occasionally contain the names of slaves.3 An inventory of the estate of Francis Jones in 1693 lists 'a negro man Jack' and 'a negro Woman name Jugg.'4 An inventory of the These cookies do not store any personal information. Alfred Francis Russell (1817-1884), 10th President of Liberia.

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