Toussaint Louverture (1743-1803), a former slave, he enslaved a dozen people himself before becoming a general and a leader of the Haitian Revolution. A 2nd great grandmother for example was baptised Sarah Charlotte Chase; her mother is recorded as being Ann Lewis Chase. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. 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. Q. There are many factors to consider in determining what surnames African Americans used. See flier for more details. After the war ended and slavery was abolished, they exercised their freedom by changing their names. He took his last enslaver surname. ", "If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all the generations of your ancestors. 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. And you get to tell the story of Jean-Louiss life in slavery and also in freedom. 40. Students consider what it means to be free by learning about the choices and aspirations of freedpeople immediately after Emancipation. Thank you. In 1870, he is listed as John Washington. In 1870, all of them were listed with the surnames of their last owner; however, each one of them named their sons for one of their brothers. Best of luck to you in your research, 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. These people are referred to as slaves, or as enslaved people. 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". 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Finding Aids for the National Archives at Atlanta, National Archives Catalog (National Archives Identifier 2767350). Most common last names names: 1-1000 | 1001-2000 | 2001-3000 | 3001-4000 | 4001-5000 Even many given names of ancestors eventually became a surname, such as Todd or William. Elaine Fantham, Helene Peet Foley, Natalie Boymel Kampen, Sarah B. Pomeroy, H. A. Shapiro. Were there any famous slaves? 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. I presume no death certificate for her survives? Famous name bearers: many King Louis of France, Sandra Bullock's son and actor Louis Partridge. 18. I belonged to him until emancipation. You could not be signed in, please check and try again. Former slaves also interchanged surnames on census records. My maiden surname is Williams. Phone: 314-994-3300, Hours & Locations Comments/Suggestions314-994-3300, Copyright 2023. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. I am awar eof the different naming traditions practiced in that area and I thank you for sharing them here for my readers. In another case Sukey Ann and he 4 children were manumitted by their Ashby owner with only their first names. 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. You can read about this in the following two posts on my blog. By country & year of birth. 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 My father would be 105 if he were alive. . A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. According to the latest search data available, Italian last names and their meanings are searched for nearly, 40,500 times per month. Through DNA matches, I believe I have recently found a brother of my mothers great grandfather. On another branch, members of the Griffin family from around Campbell County VA all stuck together and are believed to have kept family bonds & name of their father after Emancipation. For example, I know of one Louisiana family whose surname of Poulard evolved from a ancestor of the Poular nation(aka Fulani). 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 was only three years old when she died. The private name served as a form of Selfhood Armor (you cant take all of me, White man!); gave them a sense of power over their captors; and provided their children with a sense of heritage and pride. Mining the Census: Are You Finding Every Clue? Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press. 1. It is from this myth that the plant genus, Phoebe is the Latin variation of the Greek name Phoibe, which derived from. Letter to Armistead Burt of September 1, 1831, sfn error: no target: CITEREFCalhoun1837 (. What are the most popular last names in the UK? 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. Along with Abraham and Prince, other early African American names currently in the US Top 1000 include Alonzo, Athena, Daphne, Elijah, Isaiah, Israel, King, Phoebe, and Titus. James: (M) (Latin origin) means "heel" or "supplanter". Phillis Wheatley (May 8, 1753 - December 5, 1784) Source = Wikimedia. Enslaved people resisted in ways large and small. But once freed most immediately chose surnames, with or without keeping their accustomed name. My great great grandfather in Mississippi took the surname of the previous SC enslaver, whose widow sold him away. Robyn. Is this the same woman Eliza I see living with Thomas Crenshaw in 1880 and 1900? Copeland This last name comes from Old Norse origin. 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. Robyn. I belonged to him until emancipation. The names that were brought together to form "Geffery" were "Gaufrid" (territory-peace), "Godafrid" (god-peace), and "Galfridus" (song-peace). 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. ", "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance! No superior alternative has yet been found. Emphasizes the giving and repeated use of names as a performative act of domination. She was a Murphy.. There has been disagreement about whether it was slaveholders or the enslaved who gave the recorded names. However, the enslaved occasionally had surnames, which became normal leading up to and after emancipation as a mark of assimilation into free society. Robyn. ", "Call it a clan, call it a network, all it a tribe, call it a family. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? Five of the slaves were sold to the Washingtons and brought to Wessyngton. 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. The name.Auber.is also.in.Haiti and.is of.French orign. 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.. Theres always more to learn! 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. "While African-American genealogical research in many ways is like all genealogical research, the era of slavery makes the task especially challenging. 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. 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. The top 5 most common Hispanic last names from the 1920s are: 1. Currently, the most popular Black last name in America is Williams, with a total count of 774,920 people who have the surname. Rank. For personal use and not for further distribution. "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. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Hi Donna, Well, I got to thinking about all us slaves that was going to take the name Fitzpatrick. Claudia Bautista,Santa Monica, Calif. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. 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 . Best of luck to you, Some last names recognize certain histories or describe important events or narratives that mean a lot to the family. I would still recommend all of these books, except the first one listed for obvious reasons. Q. If the name is spelled Rodrigues, the name is Portuguese but has the same meaning) 3. Testimony of Mollie Russell (widow of Phillip Fry), September 19, 1911: Q. ", "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city;)", "Where does the family start? 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. . Names of prominent slaveholderse.g. Many took the surname of famous or celebrated people; such as 'Lincoln', 'Grant', and 'Washington' was very popular. Another slave named Bill who attended the sheep became Bill Shepherd. The Language of Names. It was after emancipation on that I went back to work for Col. Morrow and where I got the name Lottie, as already explained. If you can identify your ancestor's master, this source will prove of tremendous value to your research. You can also look up Charleston Manifests by Slave Owner These records are also available through the National Archives Catalog (National Archives Identifier 2767350). 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. 5. How did you ever come by the name of "Mollie"? On all subsequent census records, he is listed as John Lewis. . Q. I love that your example shows two brothers, who came to different conclusions about their surnames. My Louisiana Creole ancestors who were free persons of color and former slaves practiced a unique naming tradition I think comes from Latin cultures. . But the meanings of names certainly evolved over time, and some have argued that the principles according to which an individual name was given (e.g., after a relative or ancestor) are at least as important as its apparent meaning and type. 6. African Americans were known by these surnames in the slave community and often recorded by slave owners on plantation documents. My hat goes off to you and your passionate efforts. 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 C. Inscoe, "Carolina Slave Names: An Index to Acculturation," Journal of Southern History 59 (November 1983). Just makes me sad for the human spirit that anyone, let alone hundreds of thousands of people could participate in it. It can be a difficult path, but just might be reachable. I was called mostly Lewis Smith till after the war, although I was named Dick Lewis Smith After the War, I was wearing the name Lewis Smith, but I found the negroes were taking the names of their fathers, like the white folks. In the. A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. Q. Almost every major tome on slavery discusses slave naming practices in some form or fashion. You can read the introductory maps for a high-level guided explanation, view the timeline and chronology of . BRATHWAITE - This name was derived from a geographic location in the north of England. Slavery existed in the United States from its founding in 1776 and became the main . I dont know what became of his parents. My maternal grandmother was an Auber. Major types on which most would agree are European place and literary names, European personal names in hypocoristic (pet or diminutive) form, biblical and classical names, and names of African origin. Surnames. They cut it off from OCTAVIA. This is common. He decided that he didnt want to be known as Cap Sherrod and that he would vote and marry under his choice of names. A. They called me OCK. I make extensive use of tables for organization, analysis and citation in my research, and they have proven very popular with genealogists. 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. 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. Elijah is derived from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, composed of the elements. Thanks for all you to do keeps us all so enlightened! No, I dont know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. One name you find frequently used was Freeman or Freedmen to declare their new freedom. 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. 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. 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. I first wrote about this in this 2009 post: http://justthinking130.blogspot.com/2009/09/calvin-r-yarborough-where-it-all-began.html, And,then, more recently in 2013, here: http://justthinking130.blogspot.com/2013/11/many-rivers-to-cross-my-priscilla.html. In 1801, the British government took the first census for Great Britain and Ireland. Melvin, 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. Are you thinking this woman Eliza Ellis was married to Wash Ellis? Private names used in the quarters included Abah, Bilah, Comba, Dibb, Juba, Kauchee, Mima, and Sena. I did a post sometime ago about Slavery Studies, where I named some of the top books on the subject. Another slave named Bill who attended the sheep became Bill Shepherd. i did a simple search of the 1860 slave schedule using the name Culbert and came up with slaveholders in MS,VA,NC,AL,GA and SC holding 17 enslaved people. Hi Jim, His slaveholder was named David Humphries. Other common surnames included Jones, Matthews, Sinclair, and Bennett, Price, and Gray.. Start your year off with tips and strategies that can help you in the new year & beyond. Dick Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War. Q. Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? Jonah, the name of the Old Testament prophet who was swallowed by the whale, only to emerge unharmed three days later, is increasingly appreciated by parents looking for a biblical name less common than Jacob or Joshua, yet not too obscure. Just from the detail in your first comment, I knew there was a good chance you were already familiar with those authors. Since those are the countries from which many of America's original settlers came, it's hardly surprising. 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. Hello Robyn. Q. 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. This is true in some cases but not all. If we consider the diverse circumstances that the tragedy of slavery created, we can understand the reasons why. Im jealous;) The common names there (Marie, Louise, etc) would test anyones genealogical skills, so I take my hat off to you. Place names that were disproportionately popular among Black Americans in history include Boston, Jamaica, York, and Africa. Most Popular African Last Names Or Surnames. The same family may appear with different surnames in the 1870 and 1880 federal census records, and may appear in other records with either, both, or a third surname altogether. This is due in part to officials imposing surnames on them based on their last owners. Several of the other slaves were sold to various slave owners. Enslaved women were raped, creating children with white fathers who in most cases did not claim them and even sold them away. Email:genealogy@slcl.org . Bernacki: Teatr; Mamontowicz-ojek: Szkoa Tyzenhauza s. 53, 54, 70, 86-89, 92; Wierzbicka: Sze studiw; Muzyka 1969 nr 2 (J. Prosnak). The brothers were sold when they were very young and remained with their last owners nearly thirty years. Thank you for your comment, Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on 1. Picked by several celebrities (a couple of times even for a girl), adding up to an enthusiastically recommended choice. 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. The campaign in Britain to abolish slavery began in the 1760s, supported by both black and white abolitionists. Hi Rodney, 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. No, I dont know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. Have you visited the Whitney Plantation yet? I found in the Civil War registry, an enslaved man who enrolled in the infantry under the name of Wash Ellis. 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? . Ho Joanne, They were Nelson Nunn and George Nunn and they may have changed their names to Crosby too because they were my fathers children.. Eliza Moore (1843 - January 21, 1948) Source = Pinimg. In many cases this is ignored and children use their fathers name! .When I got home after the war, I was wearing the name of Lewis Smith, but I found that the negroes after freedom, were taking the names of their father like the white folks. 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.
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