Feel free to contact me directly if you have more questions or need some assistance. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. I hope this post also helps us to think about how the surnames former slaves had were connected to their experiences in slavery. They were all sold to different owners: Connell, Rose, Johnson, and Hughes respectively. The brothers were sold when they were very young and remained with their last owners nearly thirty years. Through DNA matches, I believe I have recently found a brother of my mothers great grandfather. He stated that he had always been known by his fathers surname Scott, even before he was freed. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollos romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. We had to register as someone, so we could be citizens. There are so many examples of every kind of scenario, and I think it just speaks to the variety of experiences our ancestors had. Many of these were names of heroesbut not Lincoln. The following is a list of historical people who were enslaved at some point during their lives, in alphabetical order by first name. I was only three years old when she died. When they were sold away they remembered their loved ones and they created extended kinship networks. 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. Please subscribe or login. Dick Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War. . All rights reserved. Best of luck to you in your research, In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries African-American slaves retained Africanisms in their naming practices. 13 March 2022, 1-2:30pm [PAST EVENT], Eastern Standard Time: Cant find some of your ancestors in the census? The second hour is hands-on, and I want you to bring the deeds you've found along with your questions. Thanks for commenting and continued luck in your research, 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. 3. Thanks for this very thoughtful article. I love that your example shows two brothers, who came to different conclusions about their surnames. 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. An 's' at the end of a personal name also meant 'son of', for example Richards, Stevens, Williams and so on. 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. I would still recommend all of these books, except the first one listed for obvious reasons. You already know the rich historical terrain of FPOC in Louisiana, what terrific grounds for family research. Ethereal and delicate, Cassandra was in the Top 70 throughout the 1990s but is now descending in popularity. My father once told me his grandfather ran away from the Carrington place and changed his name to Williams. Wood were recorded as slave. They are part of Records of the U.S. Customs Service . They cut it off from OCTAVIA. 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). After emancipation, he became William Smith. At your request I have finally made available for viewing past popular webinars! My great grandfather Wilson Percival was born in South Carolina and I believe he took his surname from last slave owners family. Many took the surname of famous or celebrated people; such as 'Lincoln', 'Grant', and 'Washington' was very popular. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all. . 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. Wesley is one of a group of W-starting surname names reminiscent of the Old West that are making a comeback -- though it's not as well used as it was in the 1970s, when he ranked as high as Number 66. There has been disagreement about whether it was slaveholders or the enslaved who gave the recorded names. Who called you by that name and where was it done? A Wessyngton slave named Bill who was the plantations blacksmith was known as Billy the Smith during slavery. Another interesting fact is that Creole surname use also evolved over time and varied from record to record with the same person. The names that were brought together to form "Geffery" were "Gaufrid" (territory-peace), "Godafrid" (god-peace), and "Galfridus" (song-peace). Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. 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) 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 You can also look up Charleston Manifests by Slave Owner These records are also available through the National Archives Catalog (National Archives Identifier 2767350). The Genealogy Source Table Collection includes 10 blank, editable source tables for death certificates, city directories, obituaries and funeral programs. Injurious Names: Naming, Disavowal, and Recuperation in Contexts of Slavery and Emancipation. In The Anthropology of Names and Naming. For more information about the records covered in this index,please contact the History and Genealogy Department. Students learn about President Andrew Johnson and the Congressional Republican's conflicting visions of how to rebuild the nation after the Civil War. St. Louis County Library. Here, our list of notable early African American names. 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. New surnames were created from a local regions name such as Smithfield the name taken might be Smith or Field. . 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 . Benson 2006 is one of the few general discussions of slave names. Edited by Gabriele vom Bruck and Barbara Bodenhorn, 178199. Or, the Slaves were given numbers or classical Greek names. They identified 21 distinctly Black male names, among them biblical classics such as Abraham and Moses, and word names including Freeman and Prince. Political Participation in the Nineteenth Century Atlantic Portugal and Brazile in the Age of Revolutions, Poverty in the Early Modern English Atlantic, Reconstruction, Democracy, and United States Imperialism, Settlement and Region in British America, 1607-1763, Slavery in British and American Literature, Slavery in Dutch America and the West Indies, Slavery in North America, The Growth and Decline of. Robyn. 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. The Voice of the Black Community in California, Last Updated on October 14, 2010 by Paulette Brown-Hinds. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. 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 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. Sabe, Anque, Bumbo, Jobah, Quamana, Taynay, and Yearie) used in the Slave quarters. Mining the Census: Are You Finding Every Clue? A krio from.Freetown Sierra Leone. Nat Turner's Rebellion One of the most famous slave revolts in American history came in 1831 when Nat Turner led a bloody uprising in Southampton County, Virginia. ", "Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts. . Private names used in the quarters included Abah, Bilah, Comba, Dibb, Juba, Kauchee, Mima, and Sena. Edited by Gabriele vom Bruck and Barbara Bodenhorn, 178-199. Hi Donna, This mini-lesson helps students define the term, learn what forms reparations can take, and consider what reparations should be offered for slavery and other racist policies. Another common practice was to select a surname that fit the personality of an individual, such as Hardy or Rambler. Danish West Indies, Denmark, Records of Enslaved People, 1672-1917 Anouilh. In my own family history, on my Yarborough side, I believe I have uncovered a pattern that my formerly-enslaved great-grandparents, Calvin and Precilla YARBOROUGH may have used in naming their children. Derived from the word anull that is the Catalan language dominantly used in southern France, Anouilh means 'slow worm'. He identified father, mother and siblings in a Freedmans bank deposit in 1873, when he was already in New York City. Wheatley was traded into slavery at the age of 7 or 8 and imported to North America. Karen Halttunen, Murder Most Foul, p. 175. 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. 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. This is common. It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl. Herbert G. Gutman, The Black Family in Slavery and Freedom, 1750-1925 (1976). Some of these individuals probably lived through the Civil War to become named citizens in Ashley County, Arkansas and may have taken the last name of Hollaway/Holaway or Terry/Tery. 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. Table 7. However, a small change to searching on C?lbert, which accounts for the variations in spelling expands that initial list to 877 enslaved people owned by people with those names. Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. She was the great patroness-goddess of the city of Athens. 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. that lists the slaves along with their surnames. For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here. Over time, East Tennessee, hilly and dominated by small farms, retained the fewest number of slaves. 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. Hi Jann, . Aruba Congo Bob D'Sean Latoya Dilsy Lopez Lunah African Emmaline Ebo Mema Milla Kyser Ibo Medwin Oilsay Cupad Viney Centere Minta Zoruba Tyzer Nefar Phiba LaVaughn Congo Bob Ladia Ikbo Abah Medger Bossy Shand Cufee Uri Zulu jenee Sorce Tomm Dedib Slave Names Of The 1800's Cena Billah Quarker Lamoney Minba Geto Tonesia Zulu Jana Brutis Both comments and pings are currently closed. One of the largest sources are the Civil War pension records of the almost 200,000 black men who served in the US Army and Navy. On all subsequent census records, he is listed as John Lewis. Instead a wide variety of surnames came about that would be the family name for future generations. For example, I know of one Louisiana family whose surname of Poulard evolved from a ancestor of the Poular nation(aka Fulani). 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 examine the factors that led many northerners to turn against federal policies passed during the Reconstruction era that protected freedpeople. And this example from another pension file shows how even the given name of this enslaved woman was held under little regard: Testimony of Mollie Russell (widow of Phillip Fry), September 19, 1911: Q. Beginning in the early nineteenth century, more biblical names were given to enslavedchildren, a reflection of the widespread attempts to Christianize enslaved communities. 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. The highest percentage of African names was found among male slaves in the eighteenth century, when . All children of a female slave were automatically slaves, considered as belonging to the owner of the mother. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher. Thanks for adding your very experienced voice to the conversation. Alfred Francis Russell (1817-1884), 10th President of Liberia. Hello The name.Auber.is also.in.Haiti and.is of.French orign. When retained, a given name was generally changed to its full form: Thomas, not Tom; Elizabeth, not Bet. 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. Through Reclaiming Kin, I share tips on genealogy skillbuilding for all genealogists, and on researching slavery and the enslaved. 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. In small communities when slaves were sold, they were often bought by someone in the area. Fernsby, (Old English Origin) Derived from the old English words meaning "fern farmstead". Special slave censuses were kept in the early 1800s. I am the identical person who served in the said companies under the name of Lewis Smith. The given name Athena was derived from the city name Athens, which is of uncertain origins. This entry was posted on Friday, August 28th, 2009 at 11:46 am and is filed under Civil War, Genealogy & DNA, Interviews. The slave schedules of 1860 Arkansas do not give the names of the slaves. 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. There are issues, too, about how to interpret the recorded names, which have been classified in different ways depending on researchers interests. This event is $25. Since those are the countries from which many of America's original settlers came, it's hardly surprising. Explore the most common surnames in England. 2023 Nameberry.com.Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. Search 30 million given names. State of residence is Missouri unless otherwise noted. 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. I focused on surnames but many of these books also discuss first names. - Jane Howard, "Friends are God's apologies for relations." Here, three different former slaves discuss their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation. Another myth is once African Americans were sold they never saw their families again. Abel, the name of Adam and Eve's unfortunate younger son, compensates with positive connotations: capable, competent, ready and willing. Corbin Corbin has an Old English origin. The majority of these slaves used the surname Lewis instead of Washington. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. CLARKE - The name comes from 'clerk, a clergyman, a scholar, one who can read and write' and is most prevalent in England, where some 89,337 people are recorded with this surname. However the frequent rebellions by . 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. The last U.S.census slave schedules were enumerated by County in 1860 and included 393,975 named persons holding 3,950,546 unnamed slaves, or an average of about ten slaves per holder. Copyright 2023 Facing History & Ourselves. 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. This causes many researchers to wrongly conclude that enslaved people did not have surnames until after emancipation, which was not the case. 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. Col. Joshua John Ward of Georgetown, South Carolina: 1,130 Known as "King of the Rice Planters," Ward had 1,130 enslaved Blacks on the Brookgreen plantation in South Carolina. All of them are alive in this moment. Examples include: Francois, Jean, Pierre, and Leon for men; and Manon, Delphine, Marie Louise, Celeste, and Eugenie for women. 1. In 1870, he is listed as John Washington. These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. "Albumen print of enslaved women and their children near Alexandria, Virginia." 44. John C. Inscoe, "Carolina Slave Names: An Index to Acculturation," Journal of Southern History 59 (November 1983). His slaveholder was named David Humphries. Thats high on my to do list. 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. Each name was a clue to her origins. 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. George Duncan Ludlow (1734-1808), colonial lawyer. 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. Newly emancipated slaves also frequently chose new first names, discarding those associated with slavery. USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration My maternal grandmother was an Auber. 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. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? Enslaved people suffered constant sale, where children were frequently torn away from parents at young ages and spouses were often separated. I belonged to him until emancipation. Slavery existed in the United States from its founding in 1776 and became the main . The 2000 U.S. Census counted 163,036 people with the surname Washington. It means 'raven'. Cook Cook has an Old English origin, and it means 'one who cooks' or 'one who sold cooked meat'. I presume no death certificate for her survives? Garcia is the Spanish variation of the word Gerald that means a pointed weapon, like a spear. On the 30 rolls of NARA Microfilm Publication M1895, Slave Manifests of Coastwise Vessels Filed at New Orleans, Louisiana, 1807-1860 (30 rolls), are reproduced manifests filed with the collector of customs at New Orleans, Louisiana, of slaves transported in coastwise trade to or from New Orleans during the period 1807-1860. That alone can make if difficult to research an African- American family during those years. My mothers name was Octavia Smith and it was from her that I got it but where the name came from to her I never knew. I hope youll sign up to receive my postsif you do, youll get a free PDF with some of my favorite tips! If a surname was needed, the slave owners family name might be used. Burton, Richard D.E. Names and Naming in Afro-Caribbean Culture. New West Indian Guide/Nieuwe West-Indische Gids 73 (1999): 3558. He decided that he didnt want to be known as Cap Sherrod and that he would vote and marry under his choice of names. Letter to James Edward Calhoun, August 27, 1831. But the Slaves generally had two namesthe one given by the slave owner (e.g. Louisiana, U.S., Slave Manumission Records, 1719-1820. Numerous historical sources confirm that enslaved people had surnames that they used among themselves and in many cases were known by their slaveholder. 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. My Vimeo ON Demand video page lists six videos you can choose from to watch for 3 months ($15 each): -Finding the Last Slaveowner: Guidance and Case Studies, -Cluster Research: Using Groups of People to Find Your People, -Using Deed Records to Uncover Your Family, -Putting it All Together: Making Sense of All the Research You've Done and, -More Than Just a Name: Incorporating Social and Community History Into Your Research. FamilySearch Centers. The top 5 most common Hispanic last names from the 1920s are: 1. The name James has been a popular Victorian male names in the 1800s. Ref. Thomas Black Cobbs was owned by a small slave owner Catherine Black. I also see that in 1900 she is listed as widow with 1 child living, so you may have luck trying to find out who her child was. Enslaved people resisted in ways large and small. See flier for more details. I have been a researcher, writer, lecturer and teacher for over twenty years. You can use the links below to view more common surnames. If the slaveholder or another free white man was their father, many Creoles did use either is first or last name as a surname. Fortunately, the French and Latin were excellent record keepers and the Catholics were obsessed with knowing the kinship of everyone. Robyn. But opting out of some of these cookies may affect your browsing experience. This article is from the Encyclopedia of North Carolina edited by William S. Powell. One frequently occurring name is Rolle. 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. John Lewis was born in 1831; in 1844 he and several family members were given to George A. Washington of Wessyngton. ", "Case Overview: Ann Williams, Ann Maria Williams, Tobias Williams, & John Williams v. George Miller & George Miller Jr", "Augustine Tolton: From slavery to being the first black priest", "Cornish (and Other) Personal Names from the 10th Century Bodmin Manumissions", "Gospel-book with added Cornish records of manumissions ('The Bodmin Gospels' or 'St Petroc Gospels')", "Following Brigid's Way The Irish Catholic", Charity Folks, Lost Royalty, and the Bishop Family of Maryland and New York, "The Untold Story of How an Escaped Slave Helped Sir Francis Drake Circumnavigate the Globe", "Slave's 400-year-old grave in Dutch Jewish cemetery now a Black pilgrimage site" by Cnaan Lipshiz, Times of Israel, 6 February 2021, Roman Theater and Society: E. Togo Salmon Papers I, "Professor Says He Has Solved a Mystery Over a Slave's Novel", "Day of history to unfold in Muthill museum", "Cornelius Tacitus, The History, Book I, chapter 13", "An Old Actor's Memories; What Mt.