.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. Edited by Gabriele vom Bruck and Barbara Bodenhorn, 178199. In ancient history, Lysander was the name of an esteemed Spartan naval commander and his literary cred comes from one of the two star-struck young men in Shakespeare's. Through DNA matches, I believe I have recently found a brother of my mothers great grandfather. Who called you by that name and where was it done? You are the continuation of each of these people.". . 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. When Wessyngtons owner George A. Washington married Margaret Lewis in 1849 her father gave the couple twenty-nine slaves. They called me OCK. 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. This lively Old Testament nature name (belonging to one of the three beautiful daughters of Job) may be missing from the current US Top 1000 list, but it ranks highly here on Nameberry making it one to watch! Numerous historical sources confirm that enslaved people had surnames that they used among themselves and in many cases were known by their slaveholder. Feel free to contact me directly if you have more questions or need some assistance. Place names that were disproportionately popular among Black Americans in history include Boston, Jamaica, York, and Africa. Join my mailing list below to learn about upcoming webinars. You can read about this in the following two posts on my blog. The most common origin for surnames is that enslaved people initially used the surname of either their mother or their father, if they knew what those names were. 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. . 6. I belonged to him until emancipation. 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. The brothers were sold when they were very young and remained with their last owners nearly thirty years. Runaway ads illustrate how many slaveholders knew the surnames of their slaves. I also meant to email you and tell you how I enjoyed your article in the last NGSQ. Accueil > > Avr > 18 > Uncategorized > common last names for slaves in the 1800s. 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. Enslaved people remained legally nameless from the time of their capture until their purchase by American enslavers. Free black slave holders could be found at one time or . Best of luck to you, Louis (M) (English origin) means "famous warrior". Thank you for commenting, and continued luck to you in your research. Thank you. 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. Unique Surnames to Grenada. 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. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? 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. Bernard Meaning: brave warrior Origin: French 4. See flier for more details. When retained, a given name was generally changed to its full form: Thomas, not Tom; Elizabeth, not Bet. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollos romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one", "Friends are God's apologies for relations. It means 'raven'. Geographic names were common, as were the names of ships or distant ports for enslaved peopleborn in places such as Wilmington or New Bern. 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. And now that it's been chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, it could take off as their first son's nameKingstonhas. Bailey, Word Stories Surrounding African American Slavery. 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. Davis: This name is a patronymic of David. I also see that in 1900 she is listed as widow with 1 child living, so you may have luck trying to find out who her child was. 20 August 2022, 1-3:30 pm [PAST EVENT], Eastern Standard Time: Join me for a two-hour lecture and workshop on Using Deed Records. The existence of those surnames in the area would help to verify, but also, you are fortunate to have the important oral history of that name change in the first place, since so many of us dont. Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. Even many given names of ancestors eventually became a surname, such as Todd or William. [15] Alice Clifton (c. 1772-unknown), as an enslaved teenager, she was a defendant in an infanticide trial in 1787. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Finding Aids for the National Archives at Atlanta, National Archives Catalog (National Archives Identifier 2767350). 1. Many Welsh surnames follow this pattern, with Jones (from 'John's son) being the most common. Bradley was the last man owned em. 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. I am a farmer. 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. Hello 2023 The Voice of the Black Community in California. Smithsonian Institution. 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. In small communities when slaves were sold, they were often bought by someone in the area. Spencer is a name that has everything: it's both distinguished sounding and accessible, dignified but Spencer Tracy-like friendly. 5. Another slave named Bill who attended the sheep became Bill Shepherd. Through a video-based activity, students explore how Radical Reconstruction changed the nature of voting rights and democracy in the South. 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. Another common practice was to select a surname that fit the personality of an individual, such as Hardy or Rambler. All children of a female slave were automatically slaves, considered as belonging to the owner of the mother. This reading contains quoted text not authored by Facing History & Ourselves. Augustin Meaning: a descendant of Augustine Origin: English 2. They are recorded with the Ashby surname on subsequent documents. Slavery existed in the United States from its founding in 1776 and became the main . Now, that parent's surname could very well be the surname of the most recent slaveholder or an earlier slaveholder. In French-speaking Louisiana, Slave names reflected the dominant language and thus were generally different from those in the English colonies. The most common of 603 names of female Slaves were Bet, Mary, Jane, Hanna, Betty, Sarah, Phillis, Nan, Peg, and Sary. Now, that parents surname could very well be the surname of the most recent slaveholder or an earlier slaveholder. A. Slaveholders often renamed newly acquired slaves; but self-naming by slaves, which also occurred, is likely to be underreported in the records, which were mainly created by and for slaveholders. Prior to the emancipation of the American slaves in 1863, those African-Americans held in bondage had usually just one or two given names. They called me OCK. 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. Alfred Francis Russell (1817-1884), 10th President of Liberia. 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. Daniel Odgen, Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts In The Greek and Roman Worlds, p. 119, Laurence Vidal, Los Amantes de Granada, Ed. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. Thomas Black Cobbs was owned by a small slave owner Catherine Black. But, my mtdna also said I share ancestry with the Kru people of Liberia and the Mende from Sierra Leonne! Wonderful to have first hand account that help shine light on the attitudes of our ancestors. Chery Meaning: derived from the Latin Cariacus, which means "land belonging to Cariu"; darling Origin: French 5. Surnames. Hi Donna, See footnotes for source information. Just from the detail in your first comment, I knew there was a good chance you were already familiar with those authors. Evie (F) (English origin) means "life" or "lively". Gerald, however, is a Germanic name meaning ruler) 2. The three databases below provide details of 36,000 trans-Atlantic slave voyages, 10,000 intra-American ventures, names and personal information. It is not uncommon to see an African American family listed with one surname in 1870 and another in 1880. 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. In 1911, Barnett and Fry's widow, Mollie, both applied for pensions from the government. Renate, 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. Dick Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War. 782 Lists of Slave owners with names of slaves Tamme, 766 Tom, 766 West, 766 Will, 766 Barker, Nathaniel Harry, 591, 700, 746, 767 Barkley, Barbary Grace, 651 However, many African Americans faced a problem when they applied for their pensions. . I would also recommend Elizabeth Shown Mills various case studies on enslaved people in Louisiana, which you can find at her website at https://www.historicpathways.com/articles.html. Perhaps Wash Ellis registered under the name of one of his parents. Former slaves also interchanged surnames on census records. The name James has been a popular Victorian male names in the 1800s. Robyn. Sabe, Anque, Bumbo, Jobah, Quamana, Taynay, and Yearie) used in the Slave quarters. Former slaves often used surnames names of historical figures such as Washington, Jefferson or Jackson. This is common. Genealogy becomes so much more than just names and dates, it really feels like a true passion indeed. 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. It is these single names that have been most often studied. John C. Inscoe, "Carolina Slave Names: An Index to Acculturation," Journal of Southern History 59 (November 1983). This was done more because it was the logical thing to do and the easiest way to be identified than it was through affection for the master. 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. 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. Best of luck to you in your research, Plus, Jonah comes with a ready-made nursery-decorating motif. When they were sold away they remembered their loved ones and they created extended kinship networks. Remember me. Perhaps this caused some Slaves to ask: Am I my new name or am I still my old name? David Nicolle, Graham Turner: Poitiers AD 732: Charles Martel Turns the Islamic Tide. However, research byLisa D. Cook and colleagueshas revealed evidence of racialized names from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. 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 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. . My maternal grandmother was an Auber. Tell me the name you were called before you met Phillip Fry? I am the identical person who was named called and known as Dick Lewis Smith before the Civil War and during the Civil War and until I returned home after my military service . Allard. Manifests - Alphabetical by Slave Names Return to Slave Manifests main page Click on each Slave name to view information on that voyage. 26 September 2021 [PAST EVENT]: Acclaimed genealogist Melvin Collier and I will be presenting an all-new 2-hour lecture titled More Than Just Names: Incorporating Social and Community History Into Your Research from 1:00-3:30 EST (please note it is Eastern Standard Time). 13 March 2022, 1-2:30pm [PAST EVENT], Eastern Standard Time: Cant find some of your ancestors in the census? Slavery's reach is still with us, and part of the gift of doing African-American genealogy, "The past is not dead. Melvin, I was only three years old when she died. 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. James: (M) (Latin origin) means "heel" or "supplanter". ", "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city;)", "Where does the family start? Isaac evolved from the name Yitzchaq, derived from the Hebrew word, Lysander is a distinctive Greek name that could be thought of as a more creative cousin of Alexander. The names that were brought together to form "Geffery" were "Gaufrid" (territory-peace), "Godafrid" (god-peace), and "Galfridus" (song-peace). Kaplan, Justin, and Anne Bernays. 2019 (cited under the Anglophone Caribbean) includes a good general introduction to slave naming. The different spellings are due to the non-consistent spelling rules in Norway in the 1700s and 1800s. Fortunately, the French and Latin were excellent record keepers and the Catholics were obsessed with knowing the kinship of everyone. Five of the slaves were sold to the Washingtons and brought to Wessyngton. 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. 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 . One frequently occurring name is Rolle. Samuel had only two slaves: the man that could be Wilson and a 42-year-old woman. Surely the hundreds of black Culbert people living today cannot all be connected to those three cases. Most did not want to use their former owners surname, even through about 20% did use the slave owners name. Eliza Moore (1843 - January 21, 1948) Source = Pinimg. 3. 7. George Duncan Ludlow (1734-1808), colonial lawyer. 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. Toussaint Louverture (1743-1803), a former slave, he enslaved a dozen people himself before becoming a general and a leader of the Haitian Revolution. Search 31 million family names. This blog is where I share family history methods, resources, tips and advice, with an emphasis on slave research, slavery and its aftermath. For personal use and not for further distribution. Each is present in your body. African Americans were known by these surnames in the slave community and often recorded by slave owners on plantation documents. Rodriguez (Rodriguez is Spanish for the son of Rodrigo. I did a post sometime ago about Slavery Studies, where I named some of the top books on the subject. This article is from the Encyclopedia of North Carolina edited by William S. Powell. Thank you for posing your question. -George Burns, "Where does the family start? If searching for a slave owner with the same surname of your ancestor fails, check marriage records for the slave owners. 1. This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. In my research so far, I have found very little evidence of white Culbert slaveholders only three cases so far. . . The given name Athena was derived from the city name Athens, which is of uncertain origins. In the 1930s, ex-slave Martin Jackson explained why he chose his last name after Emancipation: The master's name was usually adopted by a slave after he was set free. Used by permission of the publisher. Brief, but stimulating and thoughtful for students coming new to the subject. The surname Williams occurs roughly 550 times per 100,000 people in the U.S. You can find explanations for each of the table columns below, or use the following links to view more last names for different ancestries. Students examine the factors that led many northerners to turn against federal policies passed during the Reconstruction era that protected freedpeople. Dear Robyn, I focused on surnames but many of these books also discuss first names. A favorite of British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose has an air of blooming well-being and upper-class erudition. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. Frederick Douglass (1818-1895), born into slavery in Maryland and escaped to the Northeast in 1838, where he became an internationally renowned abolitionist writer, speaker, and diplomat. Eugene D. Genovese, Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made (1974). Mary Deborah Petite, "1836 Facts about the Alamo and the Texas War for Independence". Theres always more to learn! -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." In instances where slaves were sold from their families and they did not retain their previous owners surnames, they named their children for parents, sisters and brothers to keep a connection with their families. Instead a wide variety of surnames came about that would be the family name for future generations. Because I like to let formerly enslaved people speak for themselves, here are several examples of freedmen and women discussing their surnames. After emancipation, he moved back with his mother, brothers and sisters and used the Cobbs surname. Robyn. On all subsequent census records, he is listed as John Lewis. An 's' at the end of a personal name also meant 'son of', for example Richards, Stevens, Williams and so on. . Index to "Descriptive Recruitment Lists of Volunteers for the United States Colored Troops for the State of Missouri, 1863-1865" (NARA Microfilm Publication M1894 - 6 rolls) For more information about the records covered in this index, please contact the History and Genealogy Department. But once freed most immediately chose surnames, with or without keeping their accustomed name. 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. Robyn. -Elbert Hubbard, "Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts." All of them are alive in this moment. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the. Students learn about President Andrew Johnson and the Congressional Republican's conflicting visions of how to rebuild the nation after the Civil War. I was born in Montgomery County, Ala. the child of Phillis Houston, slave of Sol Smith. An enslaved child sold away from their parents at a young age to the Deep South would probably have a different sense of naming than enslaved children who were able to grow up in the presence of their parents and extended family. Q. . Enslaved people suffered constant sale, where children were frequently torn away from parents at young ages and spouses were often separated. 18. Index by slave owner's name | Surname unknown or illegible. Ref. Start your year off with tips and strategies that can help you in the new year & beyond. Even worse, during this period, many African Americanssome using surnames for the very first timechanged their surnames once or even several times. After the war ended and slavery was abolished, they exercised their freedom by changing their names. Some of the most common or popular last names in the 1800s included Robinson, Clark, and Smith. They cut it off from OCTAVIA. Claudia Bautista,Santa Monica, Calif. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. 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). The population was more than 16 million and the industrial revolution was under way, which debunks any perception of a broadly colonial society. Recently, I was looking for more information on Wesley Thompson, who was born about 1835 and who was living in Morgan County, Alabama with his wife, Nellie, and five children in 1880. They are part of Records of the U.S. Customs Service . Thomas: Thomas is a common surname of biblical origin meaning twin. Robyn. Some of them developed a long-term relationship with one of the female slaves. 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. 41. 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 fact, the previous enslaver widow sold most of the slaves. Anouilh. Dick Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 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. Chapter 4 gives a brief and introductory outline of naming in the United States during slavery and its consequences in African American culture.

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