Facing History & Ourselves, "Changing Names," last updated May 12, 2020. I have done quite a bit of genealogy for my own family, and it was difficult enough, but what you are doing, is incredible work. 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. 140+ Victorian Baby Names | Names from the 1800s | Peanut My father would be 105 if he were alive. by John C. Inscoe, 2006; Revised May 2022 by NC Government & Heritage Library. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. They established and held on to their own cultural traditions in the small spaces that slavery afforded them. 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. Edited by Gabriele vom Bruck and Barbara Bodenhorn, 178-199. I belonged to him until emancipation. Another slave named Bill who attended the sheep became Bill Shepherd. . 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. Robyn. 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 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. 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. "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? Rank. He stated that he had always been known by his fathers surname Scott, even before he was freed. It is these single names that have been most often studied. Search 30 million given names. 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. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. The most common of 603 names of female Slaves were Bet, Mary, Jane, Hanna, Betty, Sarah, Phillis, Nan, Peg, and Sary. What were common names for slaves in the 1800s? - Kyoto2.org 40. Kaplan, Justin, and Anne Bernays. Caps statement implies that choosing his own surname was a part of exercising his newfound freedom. It prohibited. My Louisiana Creole ancestors who were free persons of color and former slaves practiced a unique naming tradition I think comes from Latin cultures. . 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. Seating is limited. Names and Naming, African Africans arriving in the American colonies and later the United States continued to give their children African names well into the nineteenth century. This unique-sounding French last name means 'bold' or 'daring'. The origins of this last name date back to the pre-medieval period. Slave Names of the 1800's by Emils M - Prezi -Unknown, "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance!" 687+ African-American Last Names [All Categories] - Tag Vault Most did not want to use their former owners surname, even through about 20% did use the slave owners name. Derived from the word anull that is the Catalan language dominantly used in southern France, Anouilh means 'slow worm'. For example, I know of one Louisiana family whose surname of Poulard evolved from a ancestor of the Poular nation(aka Fulani). Examples include: Francois, Jean, Pierre, and Leon for men; and Manon, Delphine, Marie Louise, Celeste, and Eugenie for women. Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. And even though slave marriages were not legal, many enslaved people followed the practice of the wife taking her husbands surname: My mother was named Mary Bradley and my father was named Hilliard Bradley. Unfortunately, I am not knowledgeable enough about African and Caribbean research in the areas you name. Mary Deborah Petite, "1836 Facts about the Alamo and the Texas War for Independence". Spanish areas had male Slave names as Francisco, Pedro, and Antonio; and for females: Maria, Isabella, and Juana. Some last names recognize certain histories or describe important events or narratives that mean a lot to the family. Surnames for African-Americans - Former Slaves After the war ended and slavery was abolished, they exercised their freedom by changing their names. I belonged to him until emancipation. Can you steer me in the right direction? Explore the most common surnames in England. College, Advanced AA Gen. Class, September 2009, Alice, Robyn and Lajoye, CM AAHGS, September 2017, Robyn and Andrea, NGS Conference, May 2014. A. So I asked my mother and she told me my father John Barnett, a white man, and I took up the name of Barnett . Abebe: The genesis of this Ethiopian name is Amharic, and it means 'flower' or 'blossom'. Manifests - Alphabetical by Slave Names Return to Slave Manifests main page Click on each Slave name to view information on that voyage. Once the slaves were freed they found they did need another name besides a given name. I am not able to find any slaveholders in the Versailes area by the name of Ellis. Ones occupation also set the naming method, such as Sheperd, Cooper, or Smith. Instead a wide variety of surnames came about that would be the family name for future generations. 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. Robyn. One thing I envy about the Catholic church is the baptisms available for even the enslaved people there. Lastly,emancipation itself often provoked many to choose new surnames, one of the few actual freedoms freedmen had. It means 'clerk' or 'secretary'. Claudia Bautista,Santa Monica, Calif. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. 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 Theres always more to learn! The first published African-American poet & author Phillis Wheatley was born in West Africa. 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. When Wessyngtons owner George A. Washington married Margaret Lewis in 1849 her father gave the couple twenty-nine slaves. Many Welsh surnames follow this pattern, with Jones (from 'John's son) being the most common. Location the owner of ones ancestor is crucial for an African American genealogist to trace his family before 1870. New surnames were created from a local regions name such as Smithfield the name taken might be Smith or Field. Ive taken back reclaimed some of that lost memory, especially that of my enslaved ancestors. Thanks LaBrenda! 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. In 1836, William Turbeville died leaving an estate with several slaves who were brothers: Turner, Nelson, Simon, Jordan, and Jacob. Turner was deeply religious,. Some of these examples come from the wonderful book, Voices of Emancipation: I served [in the War] as Henry Lock, the Lock being my old Massas name but since the War I have taken name of Rollie., [Edward] was owned by Drury Stovall and went by the name of Edward Stovall. ", "No matter what you've done for yourself or for humanity, if you can't look back on having given love and attention to your own family, what have you really accomplished? Slavery existed in the United States from its founding in 1776 and became the main . 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. How lucky you were to find that Freedmans Bank document! Robinson: A patronymic of the name Robin. Here are some common black last names: Jackson Davis Brown Wilson Harris Lewis Clark Walker Hall Thomas Young Allen King Wright Scott Baker Adams Nelson Carter Mitchell Perez Roberts Turner Phillips Campbell Parker Evans Edwards Green Hall Baker Bell Coleman Crawford James Reyes Most Common Black Last Names Names from the Bible were another common practice, for given and surnames. It comes from the same Greek root as 'ambrosia', the food of the gods, said to confer immortality. 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. A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. "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. 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. A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. He took his last enslaver surname. Hello Here, our list of notable early African American names. Chery Meaning: derived from the Latin Cariacus, which means "land belonging to Cariu"; darling Origin: French 5. The name.Auber.is also.in.Haiti and.is of.French orign. I love to hear from my readers. I also have a Slavery and Freedom Collection available for $20. 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. Love you, Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. American slave owners or slaveholders were owners of slaves in the United States which typically worked either as agriculture laborers or house servants. Last updated: November 1, 2003 "Dwelling No." 44. Slave Ship Manifests filed at New Orleans, 1807-1860 | National Archives A valuable and incisive discussion, both theoretically and historically informed, of slave naming in two African societies, the Caribbean, and the American South. Through Reclaiming Kin, I share tips on genealogy skillbuilding for all genealogists, and on researching slavery and the enslaved. . 2023 The Voice of the Black Community in California. The second hour is hands-on, and I want you to bring the deeds you've found along with your questions. The, 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. 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 have gotten so many requests over the years from those who couldn't make the live webinars so I hope you enjoy this new feature. Data from the 2010 Census tells a different story. 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. Born in Union County, South Carolina, he was sold to his last enslaver in 1858 and then brought to Mississippi. 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. But the Slaves generally had two namesthe one given by the slave owner (e.g. that lists the slaves along with their surnames. After emancipation, they all used the Terry surname because their families had been with the white Terry family for generations. 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. It is certainly possible that Wilsons siblings could have been sold away or owned by others. Genealogy becomes so much more than just names and dates, it really feels like a true passion indeed. Most Common Black Last Names in the United States - Name Census Letter to James Edward Calhoun, August 27, 1831. 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. According to the latest search data available, Italian last names and their meanings are searched for nearly, 40,500 times per month. 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. Like most of the architecture and towns in Italy, they can also tell a story. Eugene D. Genovese, Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made (1974). This potential brother had been sold to a local and remained there in SC. Q. 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. . 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. common last names for slaves in the 1800s. 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. Marking an 'X': Exploring the History of Grenada's Surnames Of course my mother wasnt a Bradley fore she married. In another case Sukey Ann and he 4 children were manumitted by their Ashby owner with only their first names. By country & year of birth. He was sold to my master William Orr and he always went by the name Edward Orr after that.. Names from the Bible were another common practice, for given and surnames. Jamaica Slavery FamilySearch 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. If a surname was needed, the slave owners family name might be used. . Abel, et al. Even worse, during this period, many African Americanssome using surnames for the very first timechanged their surnames once or even several times. 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.
common last names for slaves in the 1800s