common last names for slaves in the 1800s

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! 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. 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. In French-speaking Louisiana, Slave names reflected the dominant language and thus were generally different from those in the English colonies. 1850 US Census Name Frequencies - buckbd.com I make extensive use of tables for organization, analysis and citation in my research, and they have proven very popular with genealogists. So just a few things to be aware of when researching any African-American ancestors. Cook Cook has an Old English origin, and it means 'one who cooks' or 'one who sold cooked meat'. Search 31 million family names. 400 Catchy Slave Names That You Will Like - Worth Start Hi Jann, You are the continuation of each of these people." In his pension file, my great great grandmother his widow expressed that he chose his former enslaver surname because his father had been enslaved by them, too. Just from the detail in your first comment, I knew there was a good chance you were already familiar with those authors. BRATHWAITE - This name was derived from a geographic location in the north of England. 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. See more details in the flier here and they are available for purchase for $10 . Thus, the patronymic surname can be effectively regarded as "keeper of the peace." This phenomenon is not unheard of with African American surnames. They cut it off from OCTAVIA. Prior to the emancipation of the American slaves in 1863, those African-Americans held in bondage had usually just one or two given names. Names of prominent slaveholderse.g. Whereas names withAfrican, classical, or other unique origins were popular during enslavement, --- often continuingfrom one generation to the next and creating a distinctive nomenclature unlike that of southern whites -- free black peopleoften used more traditionally Anglicized versions of their first names. On the U.S. Federal census that year, Wesley's birthplace was recorded as Alabama, the same as his father, and his mother's birthplace was South Carolina . 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). 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. Popular English baby names by decade - 1840s - 1990s 1840s 5 Robert - 53 Margaret - 47 The 1860s first saw the Rimmers' use of 1870s Boys Girls Total registered births - 1,944 1 John - 160 Mary - 151 The 1870s first saw the Rimmers' use of What was the first girl's name in the 1900s? -Hugh Kingsmill, "No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished?" Thats a goal that I am working towards. Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? 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. See flier for more details. A. Dick Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War. It gives the age and sex of the slave and the number of slaves of each age and sex. You could not be signed in, please check and try again. Common African American Last Names | GenealogyBank He identified father, mother and siblings in a Freedmans bank deposit in 1873, when he was already in New York City. 18. Post Author: Post published: 18 avril 2022; Post Category: . Three formerly enslaved people discuss their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation. If searching for a slave owner with the same surname of your ancestor fails, check marriage records for the slave owners. . Here, three different former slaves discuss their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation. With your explanations in mind, I will go back over a couple of family groups and re-assess the surname ambiguousness I have in my notes. 1. Slavery | Tennessee Encyclopedia Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. Geographic names were common, as were the names of ships or distant ports for enslaved peopleborn in places such as Wilmington or New Bern. 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. They are recorded with the Ashby surname on subsequent documents. . Recently, I was looking for more information on Wesley Thompson, who was born about 1835 and who was living in Morgan County, Alabama with his wife, Nellie, and five children in 1880. Surname origins reveal a complex history of slavery in The Bahamas 100 Victorian Last Names With Meanings And History | Kidadl The box for father states unknown in law. Her marriage record states her name is Sarah Charlotte Gale, her father being John Sinclair Gale! Evidence indicates that many enslaved parents named their children after the first generation or so of family members brought to America. She served that family for a long time, perhaps more clues to her past lie in his family roots. Herbert G. Gutman, The Black Family in Slavery and Freedom, 1750-1925 (1976). It was after emancipation on that I went back to work for Col. Morrow and where I got the name "Lottie," as already explained. Several names have been added under the letter representing the person's last name. Q. You are the continuation of each of these people.". They did so either to take on a surname for the first time, or to replace a name or surname given to them by a former master. Some scholars of slavery have come to view the names and naming of enslaved people as agauge of many aspects oflife and culture during enslavement and of howcustoms changed over time. Gerald, however, is a Germanic name meaning ruler) 2. 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 . 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. My full name is Dick Lewis Barnett. This is true in some cases but not all. I truly believe they used surnames of each of their former owners for some of their childrens middle names. Renate, One former slave Bill Scott from Wessyngton reported in his pension application for military service that when he enlisted in the Union Army officials put down his surname as Washington. A Wessyngton slave named Bill who was the plantation's blacksmith was known as Billy the Smith during slavery. 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.. I have gotten so many requests over the years from those who couldn't make the live webinars so I hope you enjoy this new feature. Copyright 2023 Facing History & Ourselves. Robyn, youve done it again! 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. Others who wanted no connection to their former owners used surnames like Freeman or Freedman. Many took the surname of famous or celebrated people; such as Lincoln, Grant, and Washington was very popular. Another myth is once African Americans were sold they never saw their families again. I am not able to find any slaveholders in the Versailes area by the name of Ellis. They established and held on to their own cultural traditions in the small spaces that slavery afforded them. What are the most popular last names in the UK? -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." 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. For example, I know of one Louisiana family whose surname of Poulard evolved from a ancestor of the Poular nation(aka Fulani). 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. 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 . Enslaved women were raped, creating children with white fathers who in most cases did not claim them and even sold them away. Q. 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. The resources Im getting from my colleagues through Facing History have been just invaluable. . 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. Louis (M) (English origin) means "famous warrior". These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. Table 7. 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.. Wheatley was traded into slavery at the age of 7 or 8 and imported to North America. . Most Popular African Last Names Or Surnames. Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? 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. Here are some common black last names: Jackson Davis Brown Wilson Harris Lewis Clark Walker Hall Thomas Young Allen King Wright Scott Baker Adams Nelson Carter Mitchell Perez Roberts Turner Phillips Campbell Parker Evans Edwards Green Hall Baker Bell Coleman Crawford James Reyes Most Common Black Last Names Students examine the factors that led many northerners to turn against federal policies passed during the Reconstruction era that protected freedpeople. 3. Is this the same woman Eliza I see living with Thomas Crenshaw in 1880 and 1900? In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries African-American slaves retained Africanisms in their naming practices. Students consider how US history books, films, and other works of popular culture have misrepresented the history of the Reconstruction era. I communicate with them on Facebook. 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. If the former slave had been befriended or assisted in getting established after the Civil War, they might have taken that person's name. Former slaves also interchanged surnames on census records. Accueil > > Avr > 18 > Uncategorized > common last names for slaves in the 1800s. Slaveholders and African Americans 1860-1870 - RootsWeb All children of a female slave were automatically slaves, considered as belonging to the owner of the mother. "Albumen print of enslaved women and their children near Alexandria, Virginia." Runaway ads illustrate how many slaveholders knew the surnames of their slaves. common last names for slaves in the 1800s. Are you thinking this woman Eliza Ellis was married to Wash Ellis? Hi Susan, Well, I got to thinking about all us slaves that was going to take the name Fitzpatrick. I belonged to him until emancipation. I was bornthe child of Phillis Houston, slave of Sol Smith. . Jamaican Surnames - Jamaican Family Search In the early years, especially between the 1860 and 1880s, families even changed a surname several times until they settled on a certain one. 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. Popular Last Names in the 1920s Gatsby Flapper Girl I also meant to email you and tell you how I enjoyed your article in the last NGSQ. I would also recommend Elizabeth Shown Mills various case studies on enslaved people in Louisiana, which you can find at her website at https://www.historicpathways.com/articles.html. Through a video-based activity, students explore how Radical Reconstruction changed the nature of voting rights and democracy in the South. 120 Most Popular African Last Names Or Surnames - MomJunction After I had returned to Louisville from Danville, My sister, Lizzie White, got to calling me Mollie, and it was with her that the name started. There has been much debate among scholars, historians and genealogists whether enslaved African Americans used the surnames of their last owners, previous owners, or a surname that had no connection to slavery. No, I don't know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. 6. But, my mtdna also said I share ancestry with the Kru people of Liberia and the Mende from Sierra Leonne! 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. Karen Halttunen, Murder Most Foul, p. 175. If we consider the diverse circumstances that the tragedy of slavery created, we can understand the reasons why. My maiden surname is Williams. Fernsby, (Old English Origin) Derived from the old English words meaning "fern farmstead". Garcia is the Spanish variation of the word Gerald that means a pointed weapon, like a spear. 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. I love that your example shows two brothers, who came to different conclusions about their surnames. A great and timely article. This article is from the Encyclopedia of North Carolina edited by William S. Powell. I liked the name better than Octavia, and so I took it with me to Danville, and was never called anything else there than that name. In fact, the previous enslaver widow sold most of the slaves. Others were more promiscuous. Claudia Bautista,Santa Monica, Calif. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. They are held at The National Archives (Kew, England). Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno might inspire some parents. You can also look up Charleston Manifests by Slave Owner These records are also available through the National Archives Catalog (National Archives Identifier 2767350). I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. He was sold to my master William Orr and he always went by the name Edward Orr after that.. 687+ African-American Last Names [All Categories] - Tag Vault I have been a researcher, writer, and lecturer for over twenty-five years. Now, that parent's surname could very well be the surname of the most recent slaveholder or an earlier slaveholder. Finding State Laws About Slaves and Free Blacks, More Suggestions for White Slaveholder Descendants, http://justthinking130.blogspot.com/2009/09/calvin-r-yarborough-where-it-all-began.html, http://justthinking130.blogspot.com/2013/11/many-rivers-to-cross-my-priscilla.html, https://www.historicpathways.com/articles.html, http://whitneyplantation.com/the-louisiana-slave-database.html. 2019 (cited under the Anglophone Caribbean) includes a good general introduction to slave naming. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Former slaves often made up surnames based on their occupations. After Emancipation, many former slaves adopted new names and surnames. I was born in Montgomery County, Ala. the child of Phillis Houston, slave of Sol Smith. 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. This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. 1760-1810 Persons declared to be "white by law" or "free" (part 1), (part 2) at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library. 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 And now that it's been chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, it could take off as their first son's nameKingstonhas. Archambeau. 7 Famous Slave Revolts - HISTORY See flier here. 3. It means 'clerk' or 'secretary'. My father once told me his grandfather ran away from the Carrington place and changed his name to Williams. ", "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance! Slave Names and Naming in the Anglophone Atlantic The result was the birth of mulatto, quadroon, or mustee (mestee) children. . Jamaica Slavery FamilySearch Got.the name.Auber.. Hi Roxana, You can read about this in the following two posts on my blog. My mother then told me my fathers name was John Barnett, a white man, and I took up the name Barnett., My mothers name was Jane and she was called Jane Nunn because she belonged to the Nunns. It is certainly possible that Wilsons siblings could have been sold away or owned by others. Hi Donna, My great great grandfather in Mississippi took the surname of the previous SC enslaver, whose widow sold him away. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. The 2000 U.S. Census counted 163,036 people with the surname Washington. 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. Osprey Publishing 2008. In freedom, Jean-Louis was known as Louis SEM or Louis FUSELIER until finally using SAM. Corbin Corbin has an Old English origin. Thanks for all you to do keeps us all so enlightened! 12 Lost American Slangisms From The 1800s : NPR History Dept. : NPR The most common of 603 names of female Slaves were Bet, Mary, Jane, Hanna, Betty, Sarah, Phillis, Nan, Peg, and Sary. LOTTIE had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just continued that same name. 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. Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. While Smith remains the most common U.S. surname, for the first time, two Hispanic namesGarcia and Rodriguezmade the top 10. 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. Percy is an adorable old name that is finally shedding its pampered Little Lord Fauntleroy image in this new era of boys with soft yet traditionally, Titus, once seen as a slightly forbidding Roman, New Testament, and Shakespearean name, was brought back to contemporary life in the USA by the TV series, French surname from place name Perci-en-Auge, Latin, meaning unknown, possibly "title of honour". Use the form below to get in touch with me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. At her death when Thomas was ten, he was sold to Solomon Cobbs who lived nearby. 5. Email:genealogy@slcl.org The Complexity of Slave Surnames > Reclaiming Kin

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common last names for slaves in the 1800s

common last names for slaves in the 1800s