I love that your example shows two brothers, who came to different conclusions about their surnames. 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 Just go to my Vimeo page and make your selection. 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. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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. I did not even check the 1850 slave schedule. Who called you by that name and where was it done? Thanks for commenting and continued luck in your research, Hello These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Elijah is derived from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, composed of the elements. The table below shows the most common last names with statistics on the heritage and ancestry of those with the surname. 3. Out of these, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Enslaved people suffered constant sale, where children were frequently torn away from parents at young ages and spouses were often separated. The three databases below provide details of 36,000 trans-Atlantic slave voyages, 10,000 intra-American ventures, names and personal information. You can find many more examples of the above in my post, The Mind of the Slaveowner. When slave owners married, they often received slaves as wedding gifts and inheritances from their wifes family. Societies. 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. They ran away, fought back, feigned illness, destroyed tools, and clung to their families. ", "Call it a clan, call it a network, all it a tribe, call it a family. 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. 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 Turner was deeply religious,. This lifelong quest has helped me to better know my familys past. Over time, East Tennessee, hilly and dominated by small farms, retained the fewest number of slaves. Can you steer me in the right direction? Another slave named Bill who attended the sheep became Bill Shepherd. 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. ", "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city;)", "Where does the family start? Private names used in the quarters included Abah, Bilah, Comba, Dibb, Juba, Kauchee, Mima, and Sena. Elaine Fantham, Helene Peet Foley, Natalie Boymel Kampen, Sarah B. Pomeroy, H. A. Shapiro. Claudia Bautista,Santa Monica, Calif. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. And you get to tell the story of Jean-Louiss life in slavery and also in freedom. A. I am generally called Cap Sherrod but I was married under Cap Ross and have voted under the name Ross, A good many people call me Cap Sherrod because I belonged to Sherrod but I calls myself Cap Ross.. I presume no death certificate for her survives? Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? One of my grandfathers in Africa was called Jeaceo, and so I decided to be Jackson. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? I have been unable to trace several of his siblings and now wonder if it might be because others did not take that name. "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? 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. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. CLARKE - The name comes from 'clerk, a clergyman, a scholar, one who can read and write' and is most prevalent in England, where some 89,337 people are recorded with this surname. 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. 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. In fact, the previous enslaver widow sold most of the slaves. Many enslaved people were allowed to keep their original African names or names assigned them elsewhere (as reflected by the frequency of Spanish and Portuguese names among the first generation of enslaved people in the Carolinas.) He stated that he had always been known by his fathers surname Scott, even before he was freed. 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. So I asked my mother and she told me my father John Barnett, a white man, and I took up the name of Barnett . 1. 7. So far Ive found no one who can give me any information about how these people assumed the Culbert surname. If the former slave had been befriended or assisted in getting established after the Civil War, they might have taken that persons name. Q. If searching for a slave owner with the same surname of your ancestor fails, check marriage records for the slave owners. 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. A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. -Unknown, "Happiness is having a large, loving, caring, close-knit family in another city;)" . Oxford Bibliographies Online is available by subscription and perpetual access to institutions. Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? I was born in Montgomery County, Ala. the child of Phillis Houston, slave of Sol Smith. 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. I love to hear from my readers. Ho Joanne, Slavery is a social-economic system under which people are enslaved: deprived of personal freedom and forced to perform labor or services without compensation. Letter to Armistead Burt of September 1, 1831, sfn error: no target: CITEREFCalhoun1837 (. 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 the former slave had been befriended or assisted in getting established after the Civil War, they might have taken that person's name. 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. Both comments and pings are currently closed. Location the owner of ones ancestor is crucial for an African American genealogist to trace his family before 1870. Special slave censuses were kept in the early 1800s. 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). David Nicolle, Graham Turner: Poitiers AD 732: Charles Martel Turns the Islamic Tide. 2. Encyclopedia of North Carolina, University of North Carolina Press. Until recently, scholarly consensus was that early African American names did not differ significantly from those of white Americans. I did a post sometime ago about Slavery Studies, where I named some of the top books on the subject. > | Index main page>| Index by slave owner's name, 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). Thanks for this very thoughtful article. Names. 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. I focused on surnames but many of these books also discuss first names. You should give a TED talk! Toussaint Louverture (1743-1803), a former slave, he enslaved a dozen people himself before becoming a general and a leader of the Haitian Revolution. Former slaves often made up surnames based on their occupations. 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. The new surnames, usually not taken from a former slave owner, included: Williams, Jones, Johnson, Smith, Jackson, Thomas, Brown, Walker, Davis, Green, Robinson, Scott, Harris, Turner, and Anderson. 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. 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. Chery Meaning: derived from the Latin Cariacus, which means "land belonging to Cariu"; darling Origin: French 5. Hi Jann, Some of the most common or popular last names in the 1800s included Robinson, Clark, and Smith. One frequently occurring name is Rolle. Once the slaves were freed they found they did need another name besides a given name. Unique Surnames to Grenada. 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. In 1801, the British government took the first census for Great Britain and Ireland. See flier here. CAs Push to Restore Voting Rights to System-Impacted Individuals Still in Custody, Eli Lilly to Cap Out-of-Pocket Insulin Costs, Asm. Robyn. 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 . At your request I have finally made available for viewing past popular webinars! Eliza Moore (1843 - January 21, 1948) Source = Pinimg. Ive taken back reclaimed some of that lost memory, especially that of my enslaved ancestors. No, I dont know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. . This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. . Surnames (not always those of former owners) would then be adopted as family names by former slaves and their descendants. Maria Aparecida Schumaher, Erico teixeira Vital Brazil. This meant that army records documented their service with their old names instead of their new ones. In 2001, I began a process of transcribing names of some of the largest slaveholders and matching the surnames with numbers of African Americans on the 1870 . Your insight is always welcome and I am glad you shared these posts for other readers to see. Thanks for adding your very experienced voice to the conversation. The Genealogy Source Table Collection includes 10 blank, editable source tables for death certificates, city directories, obituaries and funeral programs. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Finding Aids for the National Archives at Atlanta, National Archives Catalog (National Archives Identifier 2767350). Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on Start your year off with tips and strategies that can help you in the new year & beyond. 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. Practices undoubtedly varied, and different archival sources may yield different conclusions. Although it is not widely known, some African Americans used surnames before they were emancipated. This event is $12. 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. Explore the most common surnames in England. The result was the birth of mulatto, quadroon, or mustee (mestee) children. My father once told me his grandfather ran away from the Carrington place and changed his name to Williams. 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. In the. Mary Deborah Petite, "1836 Facts about the Alamo and the Texas War for Independence". Thanks for writing this post! Slaves are identified by given name under their masters. Through DNA matches, I believe I have recently found a brother of my mothers great grandfather. I am the identical person who served in the said companies under the name of Lewis Smith. A 2nd great grandmother for example was baptised Sarah Charlotte Chase; her mother is recorded as being Ann Lewis Chase. The surname issue really presents huge challenges for those of us doign this research, but you soulnd as though you are making headway. 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. 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. Instead a wide variety of surnames came about that would be the family name for future generations. Most common last names names: 1-1000 | 1001-2000 | 2001-3000 | 3001-4000 | 4001-5000 In fact, it's not even past." Although it is not widely known, some African Americans used surnames before they were emancipated. 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. Or, the Slaves were given numbers or classical Greek names. Former slaves also interchanged surnames on census records. Cheryll Cody, "'There Was No Absalom on the Ball Plantation': Slave-Naming Practices in the South Carolina Low Country, 1720-1865," American Historical Review 92 (June 1987). Wood were recorded as slave. ", "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance! I was only three years old when she died. My Vimeo ON Demand video page lists six videos you can choose from to watch for 3 months ($15 each): -Finding the Last Slaveowner: Guidance and Case Studies, -Cluster Research: Using Groups of People to Find Your People, -Using Deed Records to Uncover Your Family, -Putting it All Together: Making Sense of All the Research You've Done and, -More Than Just a Name: Incorporating Social and Community History Into Your Research. My great grandfather Wilson Percival was born in South Carolina and I believe he took his surname from last slave owners family. Of the 972 names of male Slaves recorded between 1619 and 1799 the leading ones were Jack, Tom, Harry, Sam, Will, Caesar, Dick, John, Robin, Frank, Charles, Joe and Prince. The names that were brought together to form "Geffery" were "Gaufrid" (territory-peace), "Godafrid" (god-peace), and "Galfridus" (song-peace). 2023 The Voice of the Black Community in California. 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. Smith.). Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? Mining the Census: Are You Finding Every Clue? The campaign in Britain to abolish slavery began in the 1760s, supported by both black and white abolitionists. Wonderful to have first hand account that help shine light on the attitudes of our ancestors. Index by slave owner's name | Surname unknown or illegible. Going back a decade to the 1850 Slave Schedule, both William Wood and Samuel O. I was only three years old when she died. Many Welsh surnames follow this pattern, with Jones (from 'John's son) being the most common. 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. Robyn. This phenomena makes research very complicated when you dont know the mothers surname. See more details in the flier here and they are available for purchase for $10 . 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. Slavery. Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. . "The past is not dead. 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. Trinidad and Tobago. . 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. Ref. Hi Donna, Thank you as always, your posts are so helpful. . A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. But once freed most immediately chose surnames, with or without keeping their accustomed name. After Emancipation, many former slaves adopted new names and surnames. And please do share posts that interest you. It means 'raven'. Unfortunately, I am not knowledgeable enough about African and Caribbean research in the areas you name. In the context of The Bahamas, the surname appears to originate with Denys Rolle, an American Loyalist who re-settled on Exuma, one of the so-called Out Islands of The Bahamas, sometime in the mid-1780s. This reading contains quoted text not authored by Facing History & Ourselves. Perhaps this caused some Slaves to ask: Am I my new name or am I still my old name? Others who wanted no connection to their former owners used surnames like Freeman or Freedman. Slaves were generally listed with just one name and thus with little to none of the genealogical information recorded for free whites. Testimony of Dick Lewis Barnett, May 17, 1911: I am 65 years of age; my post office address is Okmulgee Okla. There are so many examples of every kind of scenario, and I think it just speaks to the variety of experiences our ancestors had. is for you. In freedom, Jean-Louis was known as Louis SEM or Louis FUSELIER until finally using SAM. Robyn. It prohibited. 42. Edited by Gabriele vom Bruck and Barbara Bodenhorn, 178-199. Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. Perhaps Wash Ellis registered under the name of one of his parents. Q. I am awar eof the different naming traditions practiced in that area and I thank you for sharing them here for my readers.
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