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). You can find many more examples of the above in my post, The Mind of the Slaveowner. Slaves are identified by given name under their masters. Bradley was the last man owned em. Archambeau. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Finding Aids for the National Archives at Atlanta, National Archives Catalog (National Archives Identifier 2767350). Therefore, a few of the most common first names of the time such as Mary (rank 815) and Sarah (1010) will appear in the list and surnames which correspond to personal names (e.g. LOTTIE had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just continued that same name. 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. Louis (M) (English origin) means "famous warrior". 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. Another slave named Bill who attended the sheep became Bill Shepherd. They were all sold to different owners: Connell, Rose, Johnson, and Hughes respectively. Robyn. Were there any famous slaves? See flier here. In fact, it's not even past. I dont know what became of his parents. My maiden surname is Williams. Q. 7. Students consider what it means to be free by learning about the choices and aspirations of freedpeople immediately after Emancipation. Almost every major tome on slavery discusses slave naming practices in some form or fashion. Eugene D. Genovese, Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made (1974). 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. Chery Meaning: derived from the Latin Cariacus, which means "land belonging to Cariu"; darling Origin: French 5. It prohibited. Top 100 Southern Surnames or Last Names With Meanings - FirstCry Parenting So I asked my mother and she told me my father John Barnett, a white man, and I took up the name of Barnett . 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. Others who wanted no connection to their former owners used surnames like Freeman or Freedman. Thanks for this very thoughtful article. 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. Who called you by that name and where was it done? Unfortunately, I am not knowledgeable enough about African and Caribbean research in the areas you name. 1. 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. 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. Evidence indicates that many enslaved parents named their children after the first generation or so of family members brought to America. It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl. ", "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance! Danish West Indies, Denmark, Records of Enslaved People, 1672-1917 Here, our list of notable early African American names. Students learn about the period of violence in the South from 1873-1876 and examine its role in influencing elections and ending Republican control of Southern state governments. You already know the rich historical terrain of FPOC in Louisiana, what terrific grounds for family research. Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on 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". Through a video-based activity, students examine Americas struggle for a stronger democracy during Reconstruction and today. They are recorded with the Ashby surname on subsequent documents. 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. I hope this post also helps us to think about how the surnames former slaves had were connected to their experiences in slavery. Eliza Moore (1843 - January 21, 1948) Source = Pinimg. They ran away, fought back, feigned illness, destroyed tools, and clung to their families. Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. Osprey Publishing 2008. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all. And please do share posts that interest you. Index to "Descriptive Recruitment Lists of Volunteers for the United States Colored Troops for the State of Missouri, 1863-1865" (NARA Microfilm Publication M1894 - 6 rolls) For more information about the records covered in this index, please contact the History and Genealogy Department. I focused on surnames but many of these books also discuss first names. Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? After the war ended and slavery was abolished, they exercised their freedom by changing their names. Nonetheless, this is a situation where two brothers selected different surnames. Many of the former slaves and some free people of color took the first name of their father, mother and sometimes former slaveowner as their last. Search 31 million family names. College, Advanced AA Gen Class, September 2011, AAHGS Annual Genealogy Conference, November 2008, Howard Comm. I was only three years old when she died. The three databases below provide details of 36,000 trans-Atlantic slave voyages, 10,000 intra-American ventures, names and personal information. Famous name bearers: many King Louis of France, Sandra Bullock's son and actor Louis Partridge. Index by slave owner's name | Surname unknown or illegible. I did a post sometime ago about Slavery Studies, where I named some of the top books on the subject. Manifests - Alphabetical by Slave Names Return to Slave Manifests main page Click on each Slave name to view information on that voyage. Thank you. This event is $12. Slave surnames | Vita Brevis 1. Also included here are common names among slaves, many of which were classical and had ties to the Bible or mythology, such as Keziah and Venus. . Thomas Black Cobbs was owned by a small slave owner Catherine Black. There are so many examples of every kind of scenario, and I think it just speaks to the variety of experiences our ancestors had. 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. This unique-sounding French last name means 'bold' or 'daring'. Im very familiar with the work of Gwendolyn Hall and Elizabeth Shown Mills. Mary Deborah Petite, "1836 Facts about the Alamo and the Texas War for Independence". Some last names recognize certain histories or describe important events or narratives that mean a lot to the family. Names. All of them are alive in this moment. Genealogy becomes so much more than just names and dates, it really feels like a true passion indeed. After emancipation, he became William Smith. 5. Please share, in the comments below, examplesyou have come across of the surnames of enslaved people, especially if it was different from their last slaveholder. A Wessyngton slave named Bill who was the plantations blacksmith was known as Billy the Smith during slavery. 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. St. Louis County Library. 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. . My great grandfather Wilson Percival was born in South Carolina and I believe he took his surname from last slave owners family. Several names have been added under the letter representing the person's last name. 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. In freedom, Jean-Louis was known as Louis SEM or Louis FUSELIER until finally using SAM. is for you. Spanish areas had male Slave names as Francisco, Pedro, and Antonio; and for females: Maria, Isabella, and Juana. Q. For personal use and not for further distribution. Thanks for adding your very experienced voice to the conversation. FamilySearch Centers. 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. Slave rebellions | History, Examples, & Facts | Britannica Surnames (not always those of former owners) would then be adopted as family names by former slaves and their descendants. Index by slave owner's name | Surname unknown or illegible These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. LOTTIE had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just continued that same name. The difficulties include using records that provide no surnames, the constant sale and breakup of families, and the lack of identification of fathers. He was sold to my master William Orr and he always went by the name Edward Orr after that.. 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. Another myth is once African Americans were sold they never saw their families again. Black Last Names: 80 Popular & Common African American, African Surely the hundreds of black Culbert people living today cannot all be connected to those three cases. Rodriguez (Rodriguez is Spanish for the son of Rodrigo. I belonged to him until emancipation. 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. 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]. 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. Evie (F) (English origin) means "life" or "lively". A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. The most common origin for surnames is that enslaved people initially used the surname of either their mother or their father, if they knew what those names were. It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl. Another interesting fact is that Creole surname use also evolved over time and varied from record to record with the same person. . When I was born my mother was known as Phillis Smith and I took the name of Smith too. ", "If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all the generations of your ancestors. On all subsequent census records, he is listed as John Lewis. It is not uncommon to see an African American family listed with one surname in 1870 and another in 1880. 7 Famous Slave Revolts - HISTORY Love you, "Slave revolts in Puerto Rico: conspiracies and uprisings, 17951873"; by: Guillermo A. Baralt; Markus Wiener Publishers; harvnb error: no target: CITEREFAssociation_of_Muslim_Social_ScientistsInternational_Institute_of_Islamic_Thought2008 (, sfnm error: no target: CITEREFSmith2001 (, sfnm error: no target: CITEREFWhite2016 (, sfn error: no target: CITEREFBrands2012 (, sfnm error: no target: CITEREFMcFeely1981 (, Last edited on 22 February 2023, at 03:19, sued her master for her freedom on that ground, United States Court of Appeals for the DC Circuit, Diego Pacheco Tllez-Girn Gmez de Sandoval, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, South Carolina's 5th congressional district, List of the last surviving American slaves, Timeline of abolition of slavery and serfdom, Supplementary Convention on the Abolition of Slavery, National Museum of African American History and Culture, "What is the divine purpose for sending prophets? 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) Join my mailing list below to receive my posts and get a free PDF with some of my favorite tips! Thank you so much for your kind words. By the late 19th century, England was home to about 300 surnames with traceable genealogy. 100 Most Common US Surnames Origins and Meanings - ThoughtCo He took his last enslaver surname. 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. 687+ African-American Last Names [All Categories] - Tag Vault Testimony of Dick Lewis Barnett, May 17, 1911: I am 65 years of age; my post office address is Okmulgee Okla. See more details in the flier here and they are available for purchase for $10 . Many took the surname of famous or celebrated people; such as 'Lincoln', 'Grant', and 'Washington' was very popular. Thats a goal that I am working towards. Fernsby, (Old English Origin) Derived from the old English words meaning "fern farmstead". Prior to the emancipation of the American slaves in 1863, those African-Americans held in bondage had usually just one or two given names. Enslaved peoplethemselves sometimes chose names denoting weather conditions at the time of their child's birth or some distinctive feature of his or her appearance. 1800s-1850s: Expansion of slavery in the U.S. - NBC News Introduction. Thank you for your kind comment and I am glad my post helped some with the complicated reasons behind the surnames enslaved people had. The Voice of the Black Community in California, Last Updated on October 14, 2010 by Paulette Brown-Hinds. This is true in some cases but not all. She was a Murphy.. They are part of Records of the U.S. Customs Service . 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. Maria Aparecida Schumaher, Erico teixeira Vital Brazil. Emphasizes the giving and repeated use of names as a performative act of domination. Table 7. 42. Thank you for commenting, and continued luck to you in your research. Through DNA matches, I believe I have recently found a brother of my mothers great grandfather. Kindest regards, The most common of 603 names of female Slaves were Bet, Mary, Jane, Hanna, Betty, Sarah, Phillis, Nan, Peg, and Sary. Smith.). For example, I know of one Louisiana family whose surname of Poulard evolved from a ancestor of the Poular nation(aka Fulani). 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 . 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. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. common last names for slaves in the 1800s. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. The most common of 603 names of female Slaves were Bet, Mary, Jane, Hanna, Betty, Sarah, Phillis, Nan, Peg, and Sary. [15] Alice Clifton (c. 1772-unknown), as an enslaved teenager, she was a defendant in an infanticide trial in 1787. I love how you have documented the history of your own surname. Popular last names in the 1800's? - Answers I am searching for information about a woman named Eliza Ellis, from Versailles KY or that area. But I tell you, trying to document that all those names refer to the same person is hard, hard work! Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names we think is due for a comebackalongside cousins Cora and Dora. Have you visited the Whitney Plantation yet? Names from the Bible were another common practice, for given and surnames. But, my mtdna also said I share ancestry with the Kru people of Liberia and the Mende from Sierra Leonne! 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. Cook Cook has an Old English origin, and it means 'one who cooks' or 'one who sold cooked meat'. Marking an 'X': Exploring the History of Grenada's Surnames Leo (M) (Russian origin) means "lion". Free black slave holders could be found at one time or . 2. So just a few things to be aware of when researching any African-American ancestors. Jamaica Slavery FamilySearch We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits.

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