common last names for slaves in the 1800s

No superior alternative has yet been found." Former slaves often used surnames names of historical figures such as Washington, Jefferson or Jackson. It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl. 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.". 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. A. Even many given names of ancestors eventually became a surname, such as Todd or William. Phillis Wheatley (May 8, 1753 - December 5, 1784) Source = Wikimedia. Wheatley was traded into slavery at the age of 7 or 8 and imported to North America. I love how you have documented the history of your own surname. Clark is a common surname of Anglo-Scottish origin. Slavery existed in the United States from its founding in 1776 and became the main . Your current browser may not support copying via this button. Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. (Media Note: If you quote a post, please credit me by name, Robyn N. If the name is spelled Rodrigues, the name is Portuguese but has the same meaning) 3. 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. Thanks for commenting and continued luck in your research, 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 Here, our list of notable early African American names. The population was more than 16 million and the industrial revolution was under way, which debunks any perception of a broadly colonial society. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. Alfred "Teen" Blackburn (1842-1951), one of the last living survivors of slavery in the United States who had a clear recollection of it. The box for father states unknown in law. Her marriage record states her name is Sarah Charlotte Gale, her father being John Sinclair Gale! Robyn. Many Welsh surnames follow this pattern, with Jones (from 'John's son) being the most common. They are recorded with the Ashby surname on subsequent documents. 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. 17. Cora: We first fell in love with this short baby girl's name from Downton Abbey, but Cora was already popular in the 1800s, meaning 'maiden' or 'good'. See flier for more details. The given name Athena was derived from the city name Athens, which is of uncertain origins. I am sure your father would also be very proud of your interest in family history. The Genealogy Source Table Collection includes 10 blank, editable source tables for death certificates, city directories, obituaries and funeral programs. I have been a researcher, writer, and lecturer for over twenty-five years. Expand or collapse the "in this article" section, Slave Names and Naming in the Anglophone Atlantic, Slave Names on Emancipation and after Slavery, Expand or collapse the "related articles" section, Expand or collapse the "forthcoming articles" section, African Retailers and Small Artisans in the Atlantic World, Alexander von Humboldt and Transatlantic Studies, Atlantic New Orleans: 18th and 19th Centuries, Black Atlantic in the Age of Revolutions, The, Chinese Indentured Servitude in the Atlantic World, Cities and Urbanization in Portuguese America, Colonial Governance in the Atlantic World, Comparative Indigenous History of the Americas, Criminal Transportation in the Atlantic World, Domestic Production and Consumption in the Atlantic World, Economy and Consumption in the Atlantic World. After emancipation, he became William Smith. 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. ", "If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all the generations of your ancestors. Maria Aparecida Schumaher, Erico teixeira Vital Brazil. Anouilh. An accessible introduction to the field. They were Nelson Nunn and George Nunn and they may have changed their names to Crosby too because they were my fathers children.. 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. Search 30 million given names. Since those are the countries from which many of America's original settlers came, it's hardly surprising. But, my mtdna also said I share ancestry with the Kru people of Liberia and the Mende from Sierra Leonne! Even tiny steps are huge in someones life. Can you steer me in the right direction? Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the. Both comments and pings are currently closed. Former slaves also interchanged surnames on census records. A Wessyngton slave named Bill who was the plantation's blacksmith was known as Billy the Smith during slavery. Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts South Atlantic Creole Archipelagos They cut it off from OCTAVIA. The majority of these slaves used the surname Lewis instead of Washington. Questions about slave naming intersect with some of the major debates in slavery studies (especially regarding Creolization and the formation of Atlantic Creoles) and can illuminate issues about the ethnicity of African slaves, the personhood and agency of those enslaved, the nature of kinship structures among the enslaved, and the survival of African cultural practices in the diaspora. 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. 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 . 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. I also meant to email you and tell you how I enjoyed your article in the last NGSQ. Along with records from churches,manumission societies, enslavers, and estate settlements, these documents provide a vast pool of data from which to trace patterns and trends from the colonial period through emancipation. My maternal grandmother was an Auber. 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. 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. Baby Name Generator. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. Middle Tennessee, where tobacco, cattle, and grain became the favored crops, held the . Ones occupation also set the naming method, such as Sheperd, Cooper, or Smith. You can read the introductory maps for a high-level guided explanation, view the timeline and chronology of . African Americans were known by these surnames in the slave community and often recorded by slave owners on plantation documents. In small communities when slaves were sold, they were often bought by someone in the area. You can use the links below to view more common surnames. Wide-ranging survey of naming practices in the (mainly Anglophone) Atlantic world both during and after slavery. 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. If the former slave had been befriended or assisted in getting established after the Civil War, they might have taken that person's name. I was born in Montgomery County, Ala. the child of Phillis Houston, slave of Sol Smith. Another slave named Bill who attended the sheep became Bill Shepherd. Robyn, youve done it again! This was the case with several others from Wessyngton. 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. These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. He identified father, mother and siblings in a Freedmans bank deposit in 1873, when he was already in New York City. ", "Call it a clan, call it a network, all it a tribe, call it a family. Elijah is derived from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, composed of the elements. They called me "OCK". Miracle, (Old English and Latin Origin) Derived from the first name Mauritius meaning "dark". 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. This event is $12. 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. Other common surnames included Jones, Matthews, Sinclair, and Bennett, Price, and Gray.. Are you thinking this woman Eliza Ellis was married to Wash Ellis? A Wessyngton slave named Bill who was the plantations blacksmith was known as Billy the Smith during slavery. It means 'clerk' or 'secretary'. ", "Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts. Many of the graves are unmarked or the markers have been damaged, but many descendents still live around here, so we hope to identify as many of the possible graves as we can. I did not even check the 1850 slave schedule. See flier for details; cost of this event is $25. In more than thirty years of researching my ancestors and hundreds of others enslaved on one of Americas largest plantations, slaves owned by mid-sized planters and small farmers, reviewing thousands of documents I have come across various situations that might give others clues on what to look for. 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. Or, the Slaves were given numbers or classical Greek names. CLICK HERE TO SAVE YOUR SEAT! That is why you will find a lot of families in Louisiana with surnames like Baptiste, Narcisse, Jean-Louis, Nanette-Louise, Rene, Jacques etc Ive come across very few former slaves and fpoc using the surnames of their former owner. The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Familys Journey to Freedom is proudly powered by WordPress Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS). common last names for slaves in the 1800s. Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. 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". For him, this meant claiming his new identity as a freedman and a citizen. There are so many examples of every kind of scenario, and I think it just speaks to the variety of experiences our ancestors had. 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. You should give a TED talk! Last updated: November 1, 2003 "Dwelling No." He stated that he had always been known by his fathers surname Scott, even before he was freed. In 1801, the British government took the first census for Great Britain and Ireland. There was often a fluidity to the surnames that enslaved people had. Your insight is always welcome and I am glad you shared these posts for other readers to see. Q. Surnames like Chantimel have disappeared, while names like Horsford and Ackie, coming from Antigua (where they are common), or Quarless, Dowden, Chandler, and Dottin from Barbados, have enriched Grenada's family history and cultural identity. But once freed most immediately chose surnames, with or without keeping their accustomed name. Louisiana, U.S., Slave Manumission Records, 1719-1820. I am the applicant for pension on account of having served in Co. B. 42. Start your year off with tips and strategies that can help you in the new year & beyond. The name.Auber.is also.in.Haiti and.is of.French orign. How lucky you were to find that Freedmans Bank document! I belonged to him until emancipation. 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. 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. My maiden surname is Williams. 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. Anthropologist Meyer Fortes's observation that the naming practices of any society "epitomize personal experiences, historical happenings, attitudes to life, and cultural ideas and values" holds particularly true for African American enslaved people. Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? Like most of the architecture and towns in Italy, they can also tell a story. Just from the detail in your first comment, I knew there was a good chance you were already familiar with those authors. It is from this myth that the plant genus, Phoebe is the Latin variation of the Greek name Phoibe, which derived from. Spencer is a name that has everything: it's both distinguished sounding and accessible, dignified but Spencer Tracy-like friendly. There are also a few problems with the original dataset in name transcription such that a small number of first names were transposed with last names. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. Brown: A common last name derived from an ancestor's complexion or the color of their hair. My father once told me his grandfather ran away from the Carrington place and changed his name to Williams. . I was only three years old when she died. Choose the best name for your child. Both are excellent researchers and historians. . This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. Q. One ancestor was known as Baber Masse, Elizabeth SENET and Elisabeth Leveille in different documents. When Wessyngtons owner George A. Washington married Margaret Lewis in 1849 her father gave the couple twenty-nine slaves. On all subsequent census records, he is listed as John Lewis. 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]. Q. There are many factors to consider in determining what surnames African Americans used. Q. For example, Roll, Jordan,Roll has an entire chapter called The Naming of Cats, discussing slave names and The Slave Community has a very good chapter called The Slave Family. Two other books I like are Been In The Storm So Long by Leon Litwick (pgs 247-248)and Joining PLaces: Slave Neighborhoods in the Old South by Anthony Kaye. While Smith remains the most common U.S. surname, for the first time, two Hispanic namesGarcia and Rodriguezmade the top 10. The link was not copied. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. It is these single names that have been most often studied. . Another common way of distinguishing people would be 'son of', for example Johnson (son of John), Richardson, Wilson, Harrison etc. Almost every major tome on slavery discusses slave naming practices in some form or fashion. They were all sold to different owners: Connell, Rose, Johnson, and Hughes respectively. 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. This potential brother had been sold to a local and remained there in SC. Special slave censuses were kept in the early 1800s. They cut it off from OCTAVIA. John Lewis was born in 1831; in 1844 he and several family members were given to George A. Washington of Wessyngton. 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. "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. Robyn. 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. Evidence indicates that many enslaved parents named their children after the first generation or so of family members brought to America. 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. Born in Union County, South Carolina, he was sold to his last enslaver in 1858 and then brought to Mississippi.

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