Q. Runaway ads illustrate how many slaveholders knew the surnames of their slaves. common last names for slaves in the 1800s And now that it's been chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, it could take off as their first son's nameKingstonhas. To date there are no book-length studies covering the naming of slaves across the Anglophone Atlantic, but Burton 1999 and Kaplan and Bernays 1997 provide useful entry-level discussions for the Caribbean and mainland United States, respectively. 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. My father once told me his grandfather ran away from the Carrington place and changed his name to Williams. Eugene D. Genovese, Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made (1974). 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. Ive taken back reclaimed some of that lost memory, especially that of my enslaved ancestors. Abebe: The genesis of this Ethiopian name is Amharic, and it means 'flower' or 'blossom'. 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 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. 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. Ethereal and delicate, Cassandra was in the Top 70 throughout the 1990s but is now descending in popularity. On all subsequent census records, he is listed as John Lewis. If we consider the diverse circumstances that the tragedy of slavery created, we can understand the reasons why. Garcia (The Spanish form of Gerald, Garcia would be the son of Gerald. 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 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. If the name is spelled Rodrigues, the name is Portuguese but has the same meaning) 3. Slave Names and Naming in the Anglophone Atlantic common last names for slaves in the 1800s. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollos romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. 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. Until recently, scholarly consensus was that early African American names did not differ significantly from those of white Americans. Slave Ship Manifests filed at New Orleans, 1807-1860 | National Archives 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). Both are excellent researchers and historians. Accueil > > Avr > 18 > Uncategorized > common last names for slaves in the 1800s. Smith.). Copyright 2023 Facing History & Ourselves. American Slave Owners - geni family tree Louis (M) (English origin) means "famous warrior". In doing slave research in Barbados, I have found one group of enslaved Chase ancestors who were manumitted (freed) and given the last name of the former slave owner. . Kaplan, Justin, and Anne Bernays. Louisiana, U.S., Records of Enslaved People, 1719-1820 - Ancestry.com Use the form below to get in touch with me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. Jamaican Surnames - Jamaican Family Search Students learn about the violent responses to the transformation of US democracy that occurred as a result of Radical Reconstruction. . Corbin Corbin has an Old English origin. Many took the surname of famous or celebrated people; such as 'Lincoln', 'Grant', and 'Washington' was very popular. . Distinctively Black names were thought to have risen from the Civil Rights and Black Power Movements, which promoted the use of names with connections to Africa. They cut it off from OCTAVIA. It had always been passed down in the family that Thomas has been owned by the Blacks. You are the continuation of each of these people." 3. 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. 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. 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. 1412 S. Spoede Rd., St. Louis, MO 63131-2557. please contact the History and Genealogy Department. I love that your example shows two brothers, who came to different conclusions about their surnames. I found in the Civil War registry, an enslaved man who enrolled in the infantry under the name of Wash Ellis. One of my grandfathers in Africa was called Jeaceo, and so I decided to be Jackson. In 1850, Ward. George Duncan Ludlow (1734-1808), colonial lawyer. Explore the most common surnames in England. Bradley was the last man owned em. LOTTIE had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just continued that same name. Baptiste Meaning: derived from the name Bautista; the Spanish form of Baptist Origin: Spanish 3. They were Nelson Nunn and George Nunn and they may have changed their names to Crosby too because they were my fathers children.. 100 Victorian Last Names With Meanings And History | Kidadl The difficulties include using records that provide no surnames, the constant sale and breakup of families, and the lack of identification of fathers. Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno might inspire some parents. 19. Hello You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. The link was not copied. I think mostly about family separationas a mother now myself, the very idea that my dear child could be sold to who knows where, never to be seen again..just reduces me to tears anytime. ", "Call it a clan, call it a network, all it a tribe, call it a family. 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 1836, William Turbeville died leaving an estate with several slaves who were brothers: Turner, Nelson, Simon, Jordan, and Jacob. Surnames. College, Advanced AA Gen Class, September 2011, AAHGS Annual Genealogy Conference, November 2008, Howard Comm. Harris: A patronymic meaning son of Harry. Rank. The origins of this last name date back to the pre-medieval period. This suggests most of those African-Americans probably did come about that name from prior slaveholders (since we know they likely werent from Scotland;):) I think you just have to include all the variations of Culbert to see how that could be the case. "The past is not dead. I was only three years old when she died. 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. Surnames Used by African American Slaves - Wessyngton But, my mtdna also said I share ancestry with the Kru people of Liberia and the Mende from Sierra Leonne! i have no way to confirm this. When Wessyngtons owner George A. Washington married Margaret Lewis in 1849 her father gave the couple twenty-nine slaves. Slave surnames | Vita Brevis . Former slaves often made up surnames based on their occupations. So far Ive found no one who can give me any information about how these people assumed the Culbert surname. 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 . Tracing Your Roots: Were Slaves' Surnames Like Brands? Who called you by that name and where was it done? slave rebellions, in the history of the Americas, periodic acts of violent resistance by Black slaves during nearly three centuries of chattel slavery. I have been a researcher, writer, and lecturer for over twenty-five years. The brothers were sold when they were very young and remained with their last owners nearly thirty years. 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. 1760-1810 Persons declared to be "white by law" or "free" (part 1), (part 2) at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library. The box for father states unknown in law. Her marriage record states her name is Sarah Charlotte Gale, her father being John Sinclair Gale! This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. 2023 Nameberry.com.Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. The first published African-American poet & author Phillis Wheatley was born in West Africa. Private names used in the quarters included Abah, Bilah, Comba, Dibb, Juba, Kauchee, Mima, and Sena. Thomas mother, younger brothers and sisters remained with the Black family. It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl. Chery Meaning: derived from the Latin Cariacus, which means "land belonging to Cariu"; darling Origin: French 5. 100 Most Common US Surnames Origins and Meanings - ThoughtCo A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. 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. But if Romeo and Venus are now deemed baby-appropriate, why not Apollo? 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". Slavery | Tennessee Encyclopedia Best of luck to you in your research, The naming of slaves has not been treated in dedicated monographs, but it often figures in general accounts of plantation culture and the practices of enslavement. Thanks for your comment, Post Author: Post published: 18 avril 2022; Post Category: . Almost every major tome on slavery discusses slave naming practices in some form or fashion. I am awar eof the different naming traditions practiced in that area and I thank you for sharing them here for my readers. Thanks for writing this post! 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. Please subscribe or login. A favorite of British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose has an air of blooming well-being and upper-class erudition. Thanks for this very thoughtful article. Ho Joanne, In many cases this is ignored and children use their fathers name! 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. common last names in the 1800s - stmatthewsbc.org ", "Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts. Lists Of Most Common Bajan (Barbados) Last Names - Blogger In my research so far, I have found very little evidence of white Culbert slaveholders only three cases so far. Q. A great and timely article. The table below shows the most common last names with statistics on the heritage and ancestry of those with the surname. Rather than being derived from the supernatural world, European given names were a mere handle or tag. Lori Wilson Picks Up Baton to Remove Slavery Language From Californias Constitution, New Assembly Bill Would Ban Use of Police Canines for Arrests, Crowd Control, Proudly powered by Newspack by Automattic. This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. by John C. Inscoe, 2006; Revised May 2022 by NC Government & Heritage Library. Surnames - Historic UK These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 77th U.S. Col Inf and Co. D. U.S. Col H Art under the name Lewis Smith which was the name I wore before the days of slavery were over. Newly emancipated slaves also frequently chose new first names, discarding those associated with slavery. I belonged to him until emancipation. Hi Jim, 3. Wheatley was traded into slavery at the age of 7 or 8 and imported to North America. 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. A Wessyngton slave named Bill who was the plantation's blacksmith was known as Billy the Smith during slavery. Here, three different former slaves discuss their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation. Even many given names of ancestors eventually became a surname, such as Todd or William. The practice was common until its abolition in 1865 with the end of the Civil War and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.. For the time being, we are using this as the Slavery Plantation umbrella or portal. In 1911, Barnett and Frys widow, Mollie, both applied for pensions from the government. Farley, (English Origin) Victorian-era last names meaning "fern woodland". Search 31 million family names. 7 Famous Slave Revolts - HISTORY I presume no death certificate for her survives? 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. Another common practice was to select a surname that fit the personality of an individual, such as Hardy or Rambler. 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. Born in Union County, South Carolina, he was sold to his last enslaver in 1858 and then brought to Mississippi. Ninety percent of them were African-American, a far higher black percentage than for any other common name. 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. 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. The slave schedules of 1860 Arkansas do not give the names of the slaves. Middle Tennessee, where tobacco, cattle, and grain became the favored crops, held the . Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. Gerald, however, is a Germanic name meaning ruler) 2. In 2001, I began a process of transcribing names of some of the largest slaveholders and matching the surnames with numbers of African Americans on the 1870 . Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. 42. -Kendall Hailey, "If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all the generations of your ancestors. Copeland This last name comes from Old Norse origin. Trinidad and Tobago. 12 Lost American Slangisms From The 1800s : NPR History Dept. : NPR Once the slaves were freed they found they did need another name besides a given name. Q. See flier for more details. This phenomena makes research very complicated when you dont know the mothers surname. . One name you find frequently used was Freeman or Freedmen to declare their new freedom. Practices undoubtedly varied, and different archival sources may yield different conclusions. . The Voice of the Black Community in California, Last Updated on October 14, 2010 by Paulette Brown-Hinds. 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. | Name Census 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.. Join me as I present this NEW webinar that covers why we miss our ancestors in these records and presents numerous strategies to assist in finding every clue in census records. Also largely unrecorded are the alternative names the enslaved used among themselves, sometimes called country names or basket names; they may also, according to African practice, have had multiple names over a lifetime. Part of what drives me in this research, I think, is the feeling that I am reclaiming their stories, their names, and their very being, even if what I uncover is just a tiny bit. After the war ended and slavery was abolished, they exercised their freedom by changing their names. Many of these were names of heroesbut not Lincoln. The 2000 U.S. Census counted 163,036 people with the surname Washington. Copyright 2006 by the University of North Carolina Press. Lastly,emancipation itself often provoked many to choose new surnames, one of the few actual freedoms freedmen had. And you get to tell the story of Jean-Louiss life in slavery and also in freedom. In the late 1830s, Nathaniel Terry of Todd County, Kentucky died leaving a plantation of fifty slaves. Slavery in the 1800s - The history of slavery