common last names for slaves in the 1800s

Ho Joanne, The, For descendants, I would add the substantial emotional impact of seeing an ancestor's name attached to a dollar value, or being valued in a list with silverware and cattle. 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. You are the continuation of each of these people.". . Dick Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War. Rather than being derived from the supernatural world, European given names were a mere handle or tag. 6. Robyn, youve done it again! His slaveholder was named David Humphries. In 1870, all of them were listed with the surnames of their last owner; however, each one of them named their sons for one of their brothers. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. 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. Abara: Originating from the Igbo group of West Africa, Abara means 'spirit'. Letter to Armistead Burt of September 1, 1831, sfn error: no target: CITEREFCalhoun1837 (. i have no way to confirm this. My fathers name was John Crosby and he lived in the town of Geneva, Alabama, I had two brothers and one sister. While Smith remains the most common U.S. surname, for the first time, two Hispanic namesGarcia and Rodriguezmade the top 10. Some of the most common or popular last names in the 1800s included Robinson, Clark, and Smith. -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. 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 I am researching the surname Culbert worldwide, and the data can be found at: culbert.one-name.net There are a growing number of African Americans with this surname, which I believe originates in Scotland. After the war ended and slavery was abolished, they exercised their freedom by changing their names. The first published African-American poet & author Phillis Wheatley was born in West Africa. This causes many researchers to wrongly conclude that enslaved people did not have surnames until after emancipation, which was not the case. This is common. -Kendall Hailey, "If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all the generations of your ancestors. . Explore the most common surnames in England. Another slave named Bill who attended the sheep became Bill Shepherd. Here, our list of notable early African American names. This entry was posted on Friday, August 28th, 2009 at 11:46 am and is filed under Civil War, Genealogy & DNA, Interviews. This is true in some cases but not all. A. Harris: A patronymic meaning son of Harry. I find it interesting that they often used the strange phrase he calls himself in the ads, as if having a given name and a surname was silly: Ran away from the subscriber on the 25th of October, a well set dark mulattoe man named Jem, but calls himself James Ferguson.. 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 Many took the surname of famous or celebrated people; such as 'Lincoln', 'Grant', and 'Washington' was very popular. Just makes me sad for the human spirit that anyone, let alone hundreds of thousands of people could participate in it. The most common of 603 names of female Slaves were Bet, Mary, Jane, Hanna, Betty, Sarah, Phillis, Nan, Peg, and Sary. 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) Entre la construccin de la memoria y la ficcin histrica", "From Africa to India: Music of the Sidis and the Indian Ocean Diaspora (review)", "Mark and Phillis Executions, Burned at the Stake and Gibbeted in Puritan Massachusetts", "Letter from Paul Revere to Jeremy Belknap, circa 1798", "Re: Nancy Titsworth-1800-Livin - Genealogy.com", Association of Muslim Social Scientists & International Institute of Islamic Thought 2008, "Creolizing Natural Liberty: Transnational Obligation in the Thought of Ottobah Cugoano", "Madison and the White House, Through the Memoir of a Slave", "Black Slaves, Indian Masters: Slavery, Emancipation, and Citizenship in the Native American South, by Barbara Krauthamer (2013) Not Even Past", "Timeline of Missouri's African American History", "So Tom e Prncipe recorda o Rei Amador", "Black Christian Republicans: Delegates to the 1847 Liberian Constitutional Convention", "A Slave's Service in the Confederate Army", "Slavery and French Cuisine in Jefferson's Working White House", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_slaves&oldid=1140857860, This page was last edited on 22 February 2023, at 03:19. 2023 Nameberry.com.Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. Now, that parent's surname could very well be the surname of the most recent slaveholder or an earlier slaveholder. Thank you for your comment, . Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? On all subsequent census records, he is listed as John Lewis. A Wessyngton slave named Bill who was the plantation's blacksmith was known as Billy the Smith during slavery. The idea was for the children to enter the inhumane system of slavery protected by a sense of Selfhood and history. The names that were brought together to form "Geffery" were "Gaufrid" (territory-peace), "Godafrid" (god-peace), and "Galfridus" (song-peace). Rodriguez (Rodriguez is Spanish for the son of Rodrigo. Women tended to have two names, and slaves often just had one. I dont know what became of his parents. Archambeau. 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.. Some of the most common or popular last names in the 1800s included Robinson, Clark, and Smith. 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. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one", "Friends are God's apologies for relations. This old French surname has Germanic origin, and means 'noble'. Examples include: Francois, Jean, Pierre, and Leon for men; and Manon, Delphine, Marie Louise, Celeste, and Eugenie for women. Many names, whether African derived or English, refer to birth circumstances, including both the ubiquitous day-names, which derive from the West African Akan-Twi language group, and others such as birth order and time of birth (e.g., day of the week, month, or season). Evie (F) (English origin) means "life" or "lively". Anouilh. No, I dont know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. 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. Collection of the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture. A small number of creoles in Louisiana also acquired surnames derived from ethnic identities in Senegal. They cut it off from OCTAVIA. . Search 30 million given names. 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. Dick Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War. Another myth is once African Americans were sold they never saw their families again. 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. 5. There are certainly methods you can used to try to verify some of the storyyou can look for Carrington and Williams slaveholders in the area in which your ancestor lived in the 1870 census. On Anglican (Church of England) baptisms records the child legally and officially is documented with the surname of the mother if she and the father were not married. He was a planter with 20,000 acres of land in East Florida and was at the forefront of slavery in The . . See more details in the flier here and they are available for purchase for $10 . And please do share posts that interest you. Some last names recognize certain histories or describe important events or narratives that mean a lot to the family. Both comments and pings are currently closed. One thing for sure, historians are always expanding our knowledge on this topic.BTW, I am a big fan of your website and your work in the field! Born in Union County, South Carolina, he was sold to his last enslaver in 1858 and then brought to Mississippi. Eugene D. Genovese, Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made (1974). In Greek mythology, Daphne was the nymph daughter of Peneus, a river god. 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. In the late 1830s, Nathaniel Terry of Todd County, Kentucky died leaving a plantation of fifty slaves. Love you, Feel free to contact me directly if you have more questions or need some assistance. Label vector designed by Ibrandify - Freepik.com, https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2014.174.8?destination=/explore/collection/search%3Fedan_q%3Denslaved%26edan_fq%255B0%255D%3Dobject_type%253A%2522Photographs%2522. 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. One name you find frequently used was Freeman or Freedmen to declare their new freedom. Students learn about President Andrew Johnson and the Congressional Republican's conflicting visions of how to rebuild the nation after the Civil War. common last names for slaves in the 1800s. 1. For more details, see the flier here, and you can purchase them here. Herbert G. Gutman, The Black Family in Slavery and Freedom, 1750-1925 (1976). Special slave censuses were kept in the early 1800s. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all. Smith.). In French-speaking Louisiana, Slave names reflected the dominant language and thus were generally different from those in the English colonies. Clark is a common surname of Anglo-Scottish origin. However, research byLisa D. Cook and colleagueshas revealed evidence of racialized names from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Is this the work of the evil spirits or from my bad karma? Is this my fate!To worsen matters, a given new European label applied only to one aspect of the nature (whereas his/her original name referred to a total identity) of the enslaved and this was an effective way to try to fragment a victims mindset. Most did not want to use their former owners surname, even through about 20% did use the slave owners name. This page is currently showing names ranked from 1 to 1000. What are the most popular last names in the UK? Former slaves often made up surnames based on their occupations. "More than half of the surnames are derived from the Christian or fore-name of the father," [1] and based on a total of 3,253,800 people, nearly 18 in every 100 persons was known by one of these fifty surnames. 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". Testimony of Dick Lewis Barnett, May 17, 1911: I am 65 years of age; my post office address is Okmulgee Okla. Such resistance signified continual deep-rooted discontent with the condition of bondage and, in some places, such as the United States, resulted in ever-more-stringent mechanisms for social control and repression in slaveholding areas. Thomas: Thomas is a common surname of biblical origin meaning twin. He took his last enslaver surname. In fact, it's not even past. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW! I was bornthe child of Phillis Houston, slave of Sol Smith. The battle was long and hard-fought, with pro-slavery campaigners arguing that the slave trade was important for the British economy and claiming that enslaved Africans were happy and well-treated. Lastly,emancipation itself often provoked many to choose new surnames, one of the few actual freedoms freedmen had. In 1836, William Turbeville died leaving an estate with several slaves who were brothers: Turner, Nelson, Simon, Jordan, and Jacob. . These cookies do not store any personal information. St. Louis County Library. Robyn. I have been a researcher, writer, and lecturer for over twenty-five years. 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. 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. Slavery's reach is still with us, and part of the gift of doing African-American genealogy is recovering the stories of those caught in its grasp who could not in their own time leave their own witness.". Thanks LaBrenda! 1. Thank you for commenting, and continued luck to you in your research. Rank. Eliza Moore (1843 - January 21, 1948) Source = Pinimg. You can read the introductory maps for a high-level guided explanation, view the timeline and chronology of . "The past is not dead. Thanks for your comment, Wood were recorded as slave. The 2000 U.S. Census counted 163,036 people with the surname Washington. 3. 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]. In instances where slaves were sold from their families and they did not retain their previous owners surnames, they named their children for parents, sisters and brothers to keep a connection with their families. Thomas mother, younger brothers and sisters remained with the Black family. I am searching for information about a woman named Eliza Ellis, from Versailles KY or that area. And now that it's been chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, it could take off as their first son's nameKingstonhas. After emancipation, they all used the Terry surname because their families had been with the white Terry family for generations. Interestingly, the five most common American surnames as of 2010 haven't changed that much over time and are Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, and Jones. Tell me the name you were called before you met Phillip Fry? Louisiana, U.S., Slave Manumission Records, 1719-1820. And again, as a white Southerner whose ancesters were NOT slaveowners, your blog is helping me to understand the real and horrible legacy of the peculiar institution. Choose the best name for your child. I found in the Civil War registry, an enslaved man who enrolled in the infantry under the name of Wash Ellis. -Winston Churchill, "The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never ever introduce yourself to had life not done it for you." 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 Hi Rodney, It is from this myth that the plant genus, Phoebe is the Latin variation of the Greek name Phoibe, which derived from. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? Robyn. 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. College Advanced AA Gen. Class, November 2012, Robyn, Aaron, Karen, Katherine and Michael, October 2014, African-American Family History Conference, February 2015, African-American Genealogy Group Conference, October 2016, Central Maryland AAHGS, with Alice Harris, September 2015, Howard Comm. Ethereal and delicate, Cassandra was in the Top 70 throughout the 1990s but is now descending in popularity. Geographic names were common, as were the names of ships or distant ports for enslaved peopleborn in places such as Wilmington or New Bern. Sabe, Anque, Bumbo, Jobah, Quamana, Taynay, and Yearie) used in the Slave quarters. Daniel Odgen, Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts In The Greek and Roman Worlds, p. 119, Laurence Vidal, Los Amantes de Granada, Ed. Its knowledge that I think most Americans (not even just white Americans) dont have and it is endlessly fascinating and sobering both at the same time. Garcia (The Spanish form of Gerald, Garcia would be the son of Gerald. Thomas Black Cobbs was owned by a small slave owner Catherine Black. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? that lists the slaves along with their surnames. No superior alternative has yet been found. 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. . The Genealogy Source Table Collection includes 10 blank, editable source tables for death certificates, city directories, obituaries and funeral programs. Major types on which most would agree are European place and literary names, European personal names in hypocoristic (pet or diminutive) form, biblical and classical names, and names of African origin. Phillis Wheatley (May 8, 1753 - December 5, 1784) Source = Wikimedia. 42. Benson 2006 is one of the few general discussions of slave names. 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. Former slaves also interchanged surnames on census records. Another common practice was to select a surname that fit the personality of an individual, such as Hardy or Rambler. Slaves were generally listed with just one name and thus with little to none of the genealogical information recorded for free whites. My mother's name was Octavia Smith and it was from her that I got it but where the name came from to her I never knew. It was after emancipation on that I went back to work for Col. Morrow and where I got the name "Lottie," as already explained. I communicate with them on Facebook. See flier for more details. common last names for slaves in the 1800s. Best of luck to you, I was called by that name all the time I was with the Morrows. These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. 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). Each name was a clue to her origins. Cook Cook has an Old English origin, and it means 'one who cooks' or 'one who sold cooked meat'. In addition to time and place, a likely variable is whether the birth rate, in a severely overworked and maltreated population, was sufficient to ensure a relatively stable population over several generations, or whether the high mortality associated with slavery led to declining numbers and hence to the frequent acquisition of new slaves. The box for father states unknown in law. Her marriage record states her name is Sarah Charlotte Gale, her father being John Sinclair Gale! The link was not copied. Famous name bearers: many King Louis of France, Sandra Bullock's son and actor Louis Partridge. Just from the detail in your first comment, I knew there was a good chance you were already familiar with those authors. A. "While African-American genealogical research in many ways is like all genealogical research, the era of slavery makes the task especially challenging. I also have a Slavery and Freedom Collection available for $20. Of course my mother wasnt a Bradley fore she married. This event is $12. . In small communities where census takers and county officials knew African Americans personally and their previous owners, they often recorded the former slaves with the surnames of their last owners. In fact, the previous enslaver widow sold most of the slaves. Genealogy becomes so much more than just names and dates, it really feels like a true passion indeed. It is not uncommon to see an African American family listed with one surname in 1870 and another in 1880. With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, if high-pressure, option. Place names that were disproportionately popular among Black Americans in history include Boston, Jamaica, York, and Africa. If the slaveholder or another free white man was their father, many Creoles did use either is first or last name as a surname. Once the slaves were freed they found they did need another name besides a given name. Ebba: One of the more unique girl names from the 1800s. And you get to tell the story of Jean-Louiss life in slavery and also in freedom. Use the form below to get in touch with me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Corbin Corbin has an Old English origin. 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. Q. 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. Thank you for your kind comment and I am glad my post helped some with the complicated reasons behind the surnames enslaved people had. 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. This is another instance of oral history being a key component in tracing African American ancestry. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. Also, the government seemed to be in a almighty hurry to have us get names. ", "If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all the generations of your ancestors. ", "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance! Q. The name.Auber.is also.in.Haiti and.is of.French orign. common last names in the 1800s Patronymic surnames such as Jansen/Janssen, Hansen, and Petersen are the most common names in the far north (Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein). 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. An enslaved child sold away from their parents at a young age to the Deep South would probably have a different sense of naming than enslaved children who were able to grow up in the presence of their parents and extended family. Like most of the architecture and towns in Italy, they can also tell a story.

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