common last names for slaves in the 1800s

Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. . Some last names recognize certain histories or describe important events or narratives that mean a lot to the family. Or, the Slaves were given numbers or classical Greek names. You could not be signed in, please check and try again. My maternal grandmother was an Auber. 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. 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. . College, Advanced AA Gen Class, September 2011, AAHGS Annual Genealogy Conference, November 2008, Howard Comm. Its knowledge that I think most Americans (not even just white Americans) dont have and it is endlessly fascinating and sobering both at the same time. Political Participation in the Nineteenth Century Atlantic Portugal and Brazile in the Age of Revolutions, Poverty in the Early Modern English Atlantic, Reconstruction, Democracy, and United States Imperialism, Settlement and Region in British America, 1607-1763, Slavery in British and American Literature, Slavery in Dutch America and the West Indies, Slavery in North America, The Growth and Decline of. She served that family for a long time, perhaps more clues to her past lie in his family roots. EDHASA, 2006, 359 pages, (. . Drawing on extensive archival records, this digital memorial allows analysis of the ships, traders, and captives in the Atlantic slave trade. Instead a wide variety of surnames came about that would be the family name for future generations. Wheatley was traded into slavery at the age of 7 or 8 and imported to North America. For personal use and not for further distribution. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollos romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. 5. You can read about this in the following two posts on my blog. -Unknown, "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance!" Hi Pat, Ive taken back reclaimed some of that lost memory, especially that of my enslaved ancestors. 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. Throughout the colonial period, as many as one-fifth of the enslaved people in North Carolina retained African names; Quash, Cuffee, Mingo, Sambo, Mustapha, and Sukey were among the most common recorded. 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 . Surnames. 7 Famous Slave Revolts - HISTORY If searching for a slave owner with the same surname of your ancestor fails, check marriage records for the slave owners. Im jealous;) The common names there (Marie, Louise, etc) would test anyones genealogical skills, so I take my hat off to you. This meant that army records documented their service with their old names instead of their new ones. -Kendall Hailey, "If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all the generations of your ancestors. ", "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. Copyright 2006 by the University of North Carolina Press. I dont know what became of his parents. 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 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. But once freed most immediately chose surnames, with or without keeping their accustomed name. 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. African Americans in the U.S. Federal Census, 1870-1890 (National 42. I have been a researcher, writer, and lecturer for over twenty-five years. I was called mostly Lewis Smith till after the war, although I was named Dick Lewis SmithDick was the brother of John Barnett whom I learned was my father . 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. A favorite of British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose has an air of blooming well-being and upper-class erudition. Farley, (English Origin) Victorian-era last names meaning "fern woodland". 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. Hi Donna, In fact, it's not even past." common last names in the 1800s Patronymic surnames such as Jansen/Janssen, Hansen, and Petersen are the most common names in the far north (Lower Saxony and Schleswig-Holstein). Maria Aparecida Schumaher, Erico teixeira Vital Brazil. 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S. | Name Census Robyn. 1. Here, our list of notable early African American names. Forenames. 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. 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. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries African-American slaves retained Africanisms in their naming practices. 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. The fifty most common Victorian surnames in England and Wales for 1853 are listed in alphabetical order below. 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. Although enslavers often assigned names to newly acquired enslaved peoplethat were whimsical, satirical, or condescending in intent, the frequent appearance of classical names-Venus, Cato, Hercules, Bacchus, Pompey-reflect enslavers' own educations and libraries. Just makes me sad for the human spirit that anyone, let alone hundreds of thousands of people could participate in it. 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. When I was born my mother was known as Phillis Smith and I took the name of Smith too. 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 Missouri Compromisealso referred to as the Compromise of 1820was an agreement between the pro- and anti-slavery factions regulating slavery in the western territories. On the U.S. Federal census that year, Wesley's birthplace was recorded as Alabama, the same as his father, and his mother's birthplace was South Carolina . Common African American Last Names | GenealogyBank 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. 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. Copeland This last name comes from Old Norse origin. Q. What were common last names in the 1800s? - TeachersCollegesj 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. Others were more promiscuous. Is this the same woman Eliza I see living with Thomas Crenshaw in 1880 and 1900? -Hugh Kingsmill, "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?" 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. The names they gave their children provide a valuable, if limited, index of that process over time. . Another slave named Bill who attended the sheep became Bill Shepherd. 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. When slave owners married, they often received slaves as wedding gifts and inheritances from their wifes family. One name you find frequently used was Freeman or Freedmen to declare their new freedom. This lifelong quest has helped me to better know my familys past. Gerald, however, is a Germanic name meaning ruler) 2. Florence, Fiorella, Fleur, and Flower are translations, but we like Flora best of all. Robyn. Most Popular African Last Names Or Surnames. Newly emancipated slaves also frequently chose new first names, discarding those associated with slavery. In French-speaking Louisiana, Slave names reflected the dominant language and thus were generally different from those in the English colonies. Women tended to have two names, and slaves often just had one. . This was the case with several others from Wessyngton. At her death when Thomas was ten, he was sold to Solomon Cobbs who lived nearby. Benson 2006 is one of the few general discussions of slave names. The Genealogy Source Table Collection includes 10 blank, editable source tables for death certificates, city directories, obituaries and funeral programs. 3. Slave Names In The Americas - Black Voice News Over time, East Tennessee, hilly and dominated by small farms, retained the fewest number of slaves. Search 30 million given names. ", "Case Overview: Ann Williams, Ann Maria Williams, Tobias Williams, & John Williams v. George Miller & George Miller Jr", "Augustine Tolton: From slavery to being the first black priest", "Cornish (and Other) Personal Names from the 10th Century Bodmin Manumissions", "Gospel-book with added Cornish records of manumissions ('The Bodmin Gospels' or 'St Petroc Gospels')", "Following Brigid's Way The Irish Catholic", Charity Folks, Lost Royalty, and the Bishop Family of Maryland and New York, "The Untold Story of How an Escaped Slave Helped Sir Francis Drake Circumnavigate the Globe", "Slave's 400-year-old grave in Dutch Jewish cemetery now a Black pilgrimage site" by Cnaan Lipshiz, Times of Israel, 6 February 2021, Roman Theater and Society: E. Togo Salmon Papers I, "Professor Says He Has Solved a Mystery Over a Slave's Novel", "Day of history to unfold in Muthill museum", "Cornelius Tacitus, The History, Book I, chapter 13", "An Old Actor's Memories; What Mt. Daniel Odgen, Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts In The Greek and Roman Worlds, p. 119, Laurence Vidal, Los Amantes de Granada, Ed. Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on Proving their identity as former soldiers often revealed some of the most detailed explanations for former slaves choice of surnames. All children of a female slave were automatically slaves, considered as belonging to the owner of the mother. I hope you dont mind my sharing those posts. CAs Push to Restore Voting Rights to System-Impacted Individuals Still in Custody, Eli Lilly to Cap Out-of-Pocket Insulin Costs, Asm. -Winston Churchill, "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." List of slaves - Wikipedia Start your year off with tips and strategies that can help you in the new year & beyond. Tell me the name you were called before you met Phillip Fry? I was born in Montgomery County, Ala. the child of Phillis Houston, slave of Sol Smith. After Emancipation, many former slaves adopted new names and surnames. Just go to my Vimeo page and make your selection. It is certainly possible that Wilsons siblings could have been sold away or owned by others. Q. Cook Cook has an Old English origin, and it means 'one who cooks' or 'one who sold cooked meat'. 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. 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. This event is $12. 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 This phenomena makes research very complicated when you dont know the mothers surname. A valuable and incisive discussion, both theoretically and historically informed, of slave naming in two African societies, the Caribbean, and the American South. My maiden surname is Williams. Please subscribe or login. 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. 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. James) will have . However, research byLisa D. Cook and colleagueshas revealed evidence of racialized names from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Rank. Of course my mother wasnt a Bradley fore she married. 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. For more details, see the flier here, and you can purchase them here. 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. You already know the rich historical terrain of FPOC in Louisiana, what terrific grounds for family research. I focused on surnames but many of these books also discuss first names. Slave Names of the 1800's by Emils M - Prezi Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 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. 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. The slave schedules of 1860 Arkansas do not give the names of the slaves. Youll often see the word degraded used in the academic references; these were all attempts at degradation. I have found only one very rare example of a slaveholders inventory, that lists the slaves along with their surnames. This is due in part to officials imposing surnames on them based on their last owners. Thanks LaBrenda! 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. . But the Slaves generally had two namesthe one given by the slave owner (e.g. Several names have been added under the letter representing the person's last name. I would still recommend all of these books, except the first one listed for obvious reasons. Last updated: November 1, 2003 "Dwelling No." Kindest regards, 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. Victorian Surnames in England and Wales - Geri Walton The difficulties include using records that provide no surnames, the constant sale and breakup of families, and the lack of identification of fathers. No, I dont know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. I am awar eof the different naming traditions practiced in that area and I thank you for sharing them here for my readers. 6. Slave surnames | Vita Brevis I belonged to him until emancipation. Another interesting fact is that Creole surname use also evolved over time and varied from record to record with the same person. Q. It was after emancipation on that I went back to work for Col. Morrow and where I got the name Lottie, as already explained. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Alfred Francis Russell (1817-1884), 10th President of Liberia. Samuel had only two slaves: the man that could be Wilson and a 42-year-old woman. Extensive records of slaveholding over several generations exist for a number of North Carolina plantations, most notably the Skinner and Hayes plantations in Chowan County; Pettigrew plantations in Tyrrell, Washington, and Wake Counties; Bennehan-Cameron plantation in Orange County; Hargrove plantation in Granville County; Arrington plantations in Nash and Edgecombe Counties; Avery plantation in Burke County; and Lenoir plantation in Caldwell County.

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