common last names for slaves in the 1800s

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. One of my grandfathers in Africa was called Jeaceo, and so I decided to be Jackson. Students examine how freed people in the United States sought to define freedom after Emancipation. The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Familys Journey to Freedom is proudly powered by WordPress Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS). I'll illustrate transcribing deeds, show you how to find your county deed records on FamilySearch, and you will receive my PDF Beginner's Guide to Using Deed Records, a $12 value! Here, our list of notable early African American names. Phillis Wheatley (May 8, 1753 - December 5, 1784) Source = Wikimedia. This reading contains quoted text not authored by Facing History & Ourselves. You could not be signed in, please check and try again. Beginning in the early nineteenth century, more biblical names were given to enslavedchildren, a reflection of the widespread attempts to Christianize enslaved communities. They ran away, fought back, feigned illness, destroyed tools, and clung to their families. Isaiah derives from the Hebrew Yeshayahu, containing the elements. But if Romeo and Venus are now deemed baby-appropriate, why not Apollo? A. In Greek mythology, Athena is the name of the daughter of Zeus who was the goddess of wisdom, warfare, handicrafts, mathematics, and courage, among others. "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? 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. Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? 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. how the surnames former slaves had were connected to their experiences in slavery. Students consider how US history books, films, and other works of popular culture have misrepresented the history of the Reconstruction era. 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. Robyn. This topic interests me greatly and Id like to do more research. 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. See flier for details; cost of this event is $25. My fathers name was Gilbert Jackson, and after I was set free I took the name of my father, and have been known by the name Smith Jackson. The names that were brought together to form "Geffery" were "Gaufrid" (territory-peace), "Godafrid" (god-peace), and "Galfridus" (song-peace). Robyn. [15] Alice Clifton (c. 1772-unknown), as an enslaved teenager, she was a defendant in an infanticide trial in 1787. 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. 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. Like most of the architecture and towns in Italy, they can also tell a story. The 2000 U.S. Census counted 163,036 people with the surname Washington. James: (M) (Latin origin) means "heel" or "supplanter". Thank you. Now, that parents surname could very well be the surname of the most recent slaveholder or an earlier slaveholder. Even that feels like something. Names from the Bible were another common practice, for given and surnames. 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. 40. Spanish areas had male Slave names as Francisco, Pedro, and Antonio; and for females: Maria, Isabella, and Juana. Middle Tennessee, where tobacco, cattle, and grain became the favored crops, held the . No, I dont know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. If the name is spelled Rodrigues, the name is Portuguese but has the same meaning) 3. The different spellings are due to the non-consistent spelling rules in Norway in the 1700s and 1800s. Baptiste Meaning: derived from the name Bautista; the Spanish form of Baptist Origin: Spanish 3. Thanks LaBrenda! I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. . 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. The table below shows the most common last names with statistics on the heritage and ancestry of those with the surname. Data from the 2010 Census tells a different story. This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. Tell me the name you were called before you met Phillip Fry? One of the largest sources are the Civil War pension records of the almost 200,000 black men who served in the US Army and Navy. 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". One of the less well known aspects of the history of slavery is how many and how often non-whites owned and traded slaves in early America. Several names have been added under the letter representing the person's last name. 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. The Voice of the Black Community in California, Last Updated on October 14, 2010 by Paulette Brown-Hinds. Miracle, (Old English and Latin Origin) Derived from the first name Mauritius meaning "dark". 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. They were all sold to different owners: Connell, Rose, Johnson, and Hughes respectively. . But the Slaves generally had two namesthe one given by the slave owner (e.g. I also have a Slavery and Freedom Collection available for $20. 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. 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. This is such a well-written and informative post one that I know will open many eyes to the complexity of slave surnames, as well as many other aspects of the lives of the enslaved. Evie (F) (English origin) means "life" or "lively". -Elbert Hubbard, "Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts." My father once told me his grandfather ran away from the Carrington place and changed his name to Williams. 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. And you get to tell the story of Jean-Louiss life in slavery and also in freedom. Drawing on extensive archival records, this digital memorial allows analysis of the ships, traders, and captives in the Atlantic slave trade. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one", "Friends are God's apologies for relations. 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. Thanks for all you to do keeps us all so enlightened! 1760-1810 Persons declared to be "white by law" or "free" (part 1), (part 2) at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library. 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. The top 5 most common Hispanic last names from the 1920s are: 1. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Finding Aids for the National Archives at Atlanta, National Archives Catalog (National Archives Identifier 2767350). Manifests - Alphabetical by Slave Names Return to Slave Manifests main page Click on each Slave name to view information on that voyage. The first published African-American poet & author Phillis Wheatley was born in West Africa. It can be a difficult path, but just might be reachable. Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. 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.". At her death when Thomas was ten, he was sold to Solomon Cobbs who lived nearby. Is this the work of the evil spirits or from my bad karma? Is this my fate!To worsen matters, a given new European label applied only to one aspect of the nature (whereas his/her original name referred to a total identity) of the enslaved and this was an effective way to try to fragment a victims mindset. He was sold to my master William Orr and he always went by the name Edward Orr after that.. John Lewis was born in 1831; in 1844 he and several family members were given to George A. Washington of Wessyngton. Spencer is a name that has everything: it's both distinguished sounding and accessible, dignified but Spencer Tracy-like friendly. For more information about the records covered in this index,please contact the History and Genealogy Department. In freedom, Jean-Louis was known as Louis SEM or Louis FUSELIER until finally using SAM. Just makes me sad for the human spirit that anyone, let alone hundreds of thousands of people could participate in it. 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. I found in the Civil War registry, an enslaved man who enrolled in the infantry under the name of Wash Ellis. 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. is for you. It had always been passed down in the family that Thomas has been owned by the Blacks. 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. Q. For him, this meant claiming his new identity as a freedman and a citizen. Feel free to contact me directly if you have more questions or need some assistance. Harriet Tubman and some of the slaves she helped free. One former slave Bill Scott from Wessyngton reported in his pension application for military service that when he enlisted in the Union Army officials put down his surname as Washington. Allard. Five of the slaves were sold to the Washingtons and brought to Wessyngton. 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. The link was not copied. 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]. European, Javanese and African and Indentured Servitude in First Contact and Early Colonization of Brazil, France and its Empire in the Indian Ocean, France and the British Isles from 1640 to 1789, George Montagu Dunk, Second Earl of Halifax, Green Atlantic: the Irish in the Atlantic World, Histories and Historiographies of the Atlantic World, Impact of the French Revolution on the Caribbean, The, Indentured Servitude in the Atlantic World, Indian, Internal Slave Migrations in the Americas, Interracial Marriage in the Atlantic World, Liverpool in The Atlantic World 1500-1833, Maritime Atlantic in the Age of Revolutions, The, Marriage and Family in the Atlantic World, Material Culture of Slavery in the British Atlantic, Money and Banking in the Atlantic Economy, Napolon Bonaparte and the Atlantic World, Nation and Empire in Northern Atlantic History, Native American Histories in North America, Native Americans and the American Revolution, People of African Descent in Early Modern Europe, Pets and Domesticated Animals in the Atlantic World. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW! Thomas mother, younger brothers and sisters remained with the Black family. Newly emancipated slaves also frequently chose new first names, discarding those associated with slavery. Robyn, Unraveling the origins of FPOC and slaves in Francophone Louisiana takes some thinking outside the fact, meticulous research ,familiarity with the local culture, history and a bit of serendipity on your side. Karen Halttunen, Murder Most Foul, p. 175. In these cases, unless the name change had been passed down in the family by oral history, it would be impossible to trace the family back any further. Osprey Publishing 2008. . Enslaved people remained legally nameless from the time of their capture until their purchase by American enslavers. They called me OCK. In 1836, William Turbeville died leaving an estate with several slaves who were brothers: Turner, Nelson, Simon, Jordan, and Jacob. There are issues, too, about how to interpret the recorded names, which have been classified in different ways depending on researchers interests. I am the identical person who served in the said companies under the name of Lewis Smith. 42. The fifty most common Victorian surnames in England and Wales for 1853 are listed in alphabetical order below. Now, that parent's surname could very well be the surname of the most recent slaveholder or an earlier slaveholder. Each name was a clue to her origins. In another case Sukey Ann and he 4 children were manumitted by their Ashby owner with only their first names. Choose the best name for your child. This was the case with several others from Wessyngton. Most common last names names: 1-1000 | 1001-2000 | 2001-3000 | 3001-4000 | 4001-5000 Many Welsh surnames follow this pattern, with Jones (from 'John's son) being the most common. Robyn. 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. The name of the tragic mythological Trojan princess who was given the gift of prophecy by Apollo, but was condemned never to be believed, Cassandra has been used for striking characters in movies and soap operas. Robyn. As a result, many slaves used the surnames of their owners wifes family. 2. These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. No superior alternative has yet been found." . ", "The great gift of family life is to be intimately acquainted with people you might never ever introduce yourself to had life not done it for you. Names of prominent slaveholderse.g. Aruba Congo Bob D'Sean Latoya Dilsy Lopez Lunah African Emmaline Ebo Mema Milla Kyser Ibo Medwin Oilsay Cupad Viney Centere Minta Zoruba Tyzer Nefar Phiba LaVaughn Congo Bob Ladia Ikbo Abah Medger Bossy Shand Cufee Uri Zulu jenee Sorce Tomm Dedib Slave Names Of The 1800's Cena Billah Quarker Lamoney Minba Geto Tonesia Zulu Jana Brutis In Greek mythology, Daphne was the nymph daughter of Peneus, a river god. 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. If searching for a slave owner with the same surname of your ancestor fails, check marriage records for the slave owners. I presume no death certificate for her survives? Mining the Census: Are You Finding Every Clue? 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". 3. 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. 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. -George Burns, "Where does the family start? A favorite of British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose has an air of blooming well-being and upper-class erudition. Over time, East Tennessee, hilly and dominated by small farms, retained the fewest number of slaves. Kaplan, Justin, and Anne Bernays. I did not even check the 1850 slave schedule. Brutus) and a private name (e.g. Burton, Richard D.E. Names and Naming in Afro-Caribbean Culture. New West Indian Guide/Nieuwe West-Indische Gids 73 (1999): 3558. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. 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. One thing for sure, historians are always expanding our knowledge on this topic.BTW, I am a big fan of your website and your work in the field! In order to receive their pensions decades later, these former soldiers and their family members had to demonstrate to the government that they were who they claimed to be. 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 Although it is not widely known, some African Americans used surnames before they were emancipated. In 1911, Barnett and Frys widow, Mollie, both applied for pensions from the government. Chery Meaning: derived from the Latin Cariacus, which means "land belonging to Cariu"; darling Origin: French 5. -William Faulkner, "Call it a clan, call it a network, all it a tribe, call it a family. The resources Im getting from my colleagues through Facing History have been just invaluable. Surnames. Society for the Propagation of the Gospel in Foreign Parts South Atlantic Creole Archipelagos Thank you as always, your posts are so helpful. . A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. My great great grandfather in Mississippi took the surname of the previous SC enslaver, whose widow sold him away. Eliza Moore (1843 - January 21, 1948) Source = Pinimg. This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. See flier for more details. Dear Robyn, 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. Some of the most common or popular last names in the 1800s included Robinson, Clark, and Smith. Fernsby, (Old English Origin) Derived from the old English words meaning "fern farmstead". Best of luck to you, You can read the introductory maps for a high-level guided explanation, view the timeline and chronology of . Davis: This name is a patronymic of David. In the early years, especially between the 1860 and 1880s, families even changed a surname several times until they settled on a certain one. Edmon S. Conner Recalls About His Career", "Law and the Cultural Production of Race and Racialized Systems of Oppression", "Runaway Slaves and Servants in Colonial Virginia", Slavery in the Courtroom: An Annotated Bibliography of American Cases, "Soldier of Furtune: John Smith before Jamestown", "YSTUMLLYN, JOHN ('Jack Black') (d. 1786), gardener and land steward | Dictionary of Welsh Biography", "Strong, Jonathan (c. 17471773), de facto freed slave", "Juan Francisco Manzano | Slave Narratives | The MoAD Salon | MoAD - Museum of the African Diaspora", "Relatos sobre la India Juliana. You should give a TED talk! Surely the hundreds of black Culbert people living today cannot all be connected to those three cases. Here, our list of notable early African American names. Gerald, however, is a Germanic name meaning ruler) 2. Slavery in America was the legal institution of enslaving human beings, mainly Africans and African Americans. But there was also the detective Nero Wolfe, hero of many mystery stories. Bradley was the last man owned em. Another interesting fact is that Creole surname use also evolved over time and varied from record to record with the same person. Well, Ive gone off on a tangent again;) But thank you again for writing and thank you for the cemetery work (especially trying to include African-Americans you are doing that will be of benefit to others. common last names for slaves in the 1800s. Baby Name Generator. And now that it's been chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, it could take off as their first son's nameKingstonhas. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries African-American slaves retained Africanisms in their naming practices. by John C. Inscoe, 2006; Revised May 2022 by NC Government & Heritage Library. 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. Letter to James Edward Calhoun, August 27, 1831. She served that family for a long time, perhaps more clues to her past lie in his family roots. Robyn. Letter to Armistead Burt of September 1, 1831, sfn error: no target: CITEREFCalhoun1837 (. Perhaps this caused some Slaves to ask: Am I my new name or am I still my old name? Thats high on my to do list. Brief, but stimulating and thoughtful for students coming new to the subject. She was the great patroness-goddess of the city of Athens. 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. See flier here. Ho Joanne, Leo (M) (Russian origin) means "lion". A Wessyngton slave named Bill who was the plantation's blacksmith was known as Billy the Smith during slavery.

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common last names for slaves in the 1800s