Q. 2019 (cited under the Anglophone Caribbean) includes a good general introduction to slave naming. 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. I was only three years old when she died. EDHASA, 2006, 359 pages, (. They were Nelson Nunn and George Nunn and they may have changed their names to Crosby too because they were my fathers children.. Kindest regards, -Elbert Hubbard, "Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts." As a newspaper that publishes in the spirit of the Black Press, the Black Voice News has given voice to the voiceless and shined a light on systemic inequities and disparities since 1972. In 1836, William Turbeville died leaving an estate with several slaves who were brothers: Turner, Nelson, Simon, Jordan, and Jacob. Robyn. Thanks for adding your very experienced voice to the conversation. A great and timely article. Users without a subscription are not able to see the full content on Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one", "Friends are God's apologies for relations. 41. 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. Q. 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. Your insight is always welcome and I am glad you shared these posts for other readers to see. Samuel had only two slaves: the man that could be Wilson and a 42-year-old woman. 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. A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. That is why you will find a lot of families in Louisiana with surnames like Baptiste, Narcisse, Jean-Louis, Nanette-Louise, Rene, Jacques etc Ive come across very few former slaves and fpoc using the surnames of their former owner. 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 population was more than 16 million and the industrial revolution was under way, which debunks any perception of a broadly colonial society. Here, three different former slaves discuss their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation. Names. Through Reclaiming Kin, I share tips on genealogy skillbuilding for all genealogists, and on researching slavery and the enslaved. Several names have been added under the letter representing the person's last name. . This topic interests me greatly and Id like to do more research. When I was born my mother was known as Phillis Smith and I took the name of Smith too. As enslavement continued through the 1800s, African American culture included naming practices that were national in scope by the time of emancipation, and intimately related to the slave trade. Minerva is the long-neglected name of the Roman goddess of wisdom and invention, the arts and martial strength, one of the. Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. There are many factors to consider in determining what surnames African Americans used. Data from the 2010 Census tells a different story. The result was the birth of mulatto, quadroon, or mustee (mestee) children. A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. This is true in some cases but not all. 6. LOTTIE had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just continued that same name. Genealogy becomes so much more than just names and dates, it really feels like a true passion indeed. But I tell you, trying to document that all those names refer to the same person is hard, hard work! -Kendall Hailey, "If you look deeply into the palm of your hand, you will see your parents and all the generations of your ancestors. . 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. 42. Thanks LaBrenda! Hi Pat, Turner was deeply religious,. . Plus, Jonah comes with a ready-made nursery-decorating motif. They were all sold to different owners: Connell, Rose, Johnson, and Hughes respectively. An 's' at the end of a personal name also meant 'son of', for example Richards, Stevens, Williams and so on. Email:genealogy@slcl.org Elijah is derived from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, composed of the elements. 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. And this example from another pension file shows how even the given name of this enslaved woman was held under little regard: Testimony of Mollie Russell (widow of Phillip Fry), September 19, 1911: Q. 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. 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. Introduction. The Voice of the Black Community in California, Last Updated on October 14, 2010 by Paulette Brown-Hinds. A. The three databases below provide details of 36,000 trans-Atlantic slave voyages, 10,000 intra-American ventures, names and personal information. . Students learn about the violent responses to the transformation of US democracy that occurred as a result of Radical Reconstruction. Enslaved people suffered constant sale, where children were frequently torn away from parents at young ages and spouses were often separated. I was only three years old when she died. Slaves are identified by given name under their masters. It means 'raven'. I belonged to him until emancipation. "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? I love that your example shows two brothers, who came to different conclusions about their surnames. I found in the Civil War registry, an enslaved man who enrolled in the infantry under the name of Wash Ellis. He decided that he didnt want to be known as Cap Sherrod and that he would vote and marry under his choice of names. There are also a few problems with the original dataset in name transcription such that a small number of first names were transposed with last names. "The past is not dead. 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). At your request I have finally made available for viewing past popular webinars! 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. I liked the name better than Octavia, and so I took it with me to Danville, and was never called anything else there than that name. The Language of Names. 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. A. The brothers were sold when they were very young and remained with their last owners nearly thirty years. My great great grandfather in Mississippi took the surname of the previous SC enslaver, whose widow sold him away. This blog is where I share family history methods, resources, tips and advice, with an emphasis on slave research, slavery and its aftermath. 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. . We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Phone: 314-994-3300, Hours & Locations Comments/Suggestions314-994-3300, Copyright 2023. Search 31 million family names. Isaiah derives from the Hebrew Yeshayahu, containing the elements. Almost every major tome on slavery discusses slave naming practices in some form or fashion. They are held at The National Archives (Kew, England). 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Finding Aids for the National Archives at Atlanta, National Archives Catalog (National Archives Identifier 2767350). ", "Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts. 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. The slave schedules of 1860 Arkansas do not give the names of the slaves. But the bureau also compiled lists of the fastest-growing surnames in the United States and these include Zhang, Li, Ali, Liu, and Khan - a testament to the wonderful diversity of our nation. He was sold to my master William Orr and he always went by the name Edward Orr after that.. The most common of 603 names of female Slaves were Bet, Mary, Jane, Hanna, Betty, Sarah, Phillis, Nan, Peg, and Sary. Garcia is the Spanish variation of the word Gerald that means a pointed weapon, like a spear. 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. Enslaved women were raped, creating children with white fathers who in most cases did not claim them and even sold them away. Several of the other slaves were sold to various slave owners. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Wonderful to have first hand account that help shine light on the attitudes of our ancestors. Bradley was the last man owned em. It was after emancipation on that I went back to work for Col. Morrow and where I got the name Lottie, as already explained. The most common of 603 names of female Slaves were Bet, Mary, Jane, Hanna, Betty, Sarah, Phillis, Nan, Peg, and Sary. Elaine Fantham, Helene Peet Foley, Natalie Boymel Kampen, Sarah B. Pomeroy, H. A. Shapiro. Brutus) and a private name (e.g. I am sure your father would also be very proud of your interest in family history. 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". Through DNA matches, I believe I have recently found a brother of my mothers great grandfather. Also largely unrecorded are the alternative names the enslaved used among themselves, sometimes called country names or basket names; they may also, according to African practice, have had multiple names over a lifetime. In many cases this is ignored and children use their fathers name! All rights reserved. Robyn. I was called by that name all the time I was with the Morrows. Smith.). 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. Examples include: Francois, Jean, Pierre, and Leon for men; and Manon, Delphine, Marie Louise, Celeste, and Eugenie for women. Brief, but stimulating and thoughtful for students coming new to the subject. 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. It is not uncommon to see an African American family listed with one surname in 1870 and another in 1880. My surname of SAM originated from Sem or Sam FUSELIER, a free man of color who freed my ancestor,Jean-Louis, out of slavery in 1811. 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. Theres always more to learn! I would appreciate any constructive comments on this question, which can be posted to me via my website address above. Wide-ranging survey of naming practices in the (mainly Anglophone) Atlantic world both during and after slavery. One of my grandfathers in Africa was called Jeaceo, and so I decided to be Jackson. With mythological names rising, the handsome son of Zeus and god of medicine, music, and poetry among many other things might offer an interesting, if high-pressure, option. This is another instance of oral history being a key component in tracing African American ancestry. Register now! The 2000 U.S. Census counted 163,036 people with the surname Washington. 2. 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. Both comments and pings are currently closed. 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 However, the enslaved occasionally had surnames, which became normal leading up to and after emancipation as a mark of assimilation into free society. 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. He took his last enslaver surname. Got.the name.Auber.. Hi Roxana, Forenames. Nameberry is a registered trademark of Nameberry, LLC. 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. Runaway ads illustrate how many slaveholders knew the surnames of their slaves. The link was not copied. Explore the most common surnames in England. I also have a Slavery and Freedom Collection available for $20. 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. 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. 5. Unique Surnames to Grenada. I make extensive use of tables for organization, analysis and citation in my research, and they have proven very popular with genealogists. 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. Names from the Bible were another common practice, for given and surnames. Another interesting fact is that Creole surname use also evolved over time and varied from record to record with the same person. Ho Joanne, Ninety percent of them were African-American, a far higher black percentage than for any other common name. 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. This page is currently showing names ranked from 1 to 1000. This unique-sounding French last name means 'bold' or 'daring'. They did so either to take on a surname for the first time, or to replace a name or surname given to them by a former master. Evie (F) (English origin) means "life" or "lively". 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. Alfred "Teen" Blackburn (1842-1951), one of the last living survivors of slavery in the United States who had a clear recollection of it. I find it interesting that they often used the strange phrase he calls himself in the ads, as if having a given name and a surname was silly: Ran away from the subscriber on the 25th of October, a well set dark mulattoe man named Jem, but calls himself James Ferguson.. . 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 . Thank you. One thing we should keep in mind is that the practice of referring to enslaved people by a given name only was a part of the attempt of the system of slavery to dehumanize them..to other them. Of course my mother wasnt a Bradley fore she married. Over time, East Tennessee, hilly and dominated by small farms, retained the fewest number of slaves. Many names, whether African derived or English, refer to birth circumstances, including both the ubiquitous day-names, which derive from the West African Akan-Twi language group, and others such as birth order and time of birth (e.g., day of the week, month, or season). I focused on surnames but many of these books also discuss first names. > | 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). Spanish areas had male Slave names as Francisco, Pedro, and Antonio; and for females: Maria, Isabella, and Juana. 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. Each name was a clue to her origins. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. The battle was long and hard-fought, with pro-slavery campaigners arguing that the slave trade was important for the British economy and claiming that enslaved Africans were happy and well-treated. No, I dont know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. It starts with a young man falling in love with a girl. But the Slaves generally had two namesthe one given by the slave owner (e.g. This causes many researchers to wrongly conclude that enslaved people did not have surnames until after emancipation, which was not the case. -Unknown, "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance!" After emancipation, he became William Smith. I presume no death certificate for her survives? He identified father, mother and siblings in a Freedmans bank deposit in 1873, when he was already in New York City. "Albumen print of enslaved women and their children near Alexandria, Virginia." I was called by that name all the time I was with the Morrows. Mary Deborah Petite, "1836 Facts about the Alamo and the Texas War for Independence". 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. Finding the Slave Who Bore Philomene Daurat. There is also another historian, Gwendolyn Midlo Hall who did work on African ethnicities in Louisiana, you can read more of that here if you havent seen that yet: http://whitneyplantation.com/the-louisiana-slave-database.html, Again, I applaud you for doing the research on the history of the areas where your ancestors livedmany researchers dont realize how crucial that understanding is. I belonged to him until emancipation. Students explore the legacies of the Reconstruction era today, reflect on the idea of democracy as a continuous process, and consider how they can best participate in the ongoing work of strengthening our democracy. Eugene D. Genovese, Roll, Jordan, Roll: The World the Slaves Made (1974). In 1850, Ward. Robyn. Since those are the countries from which many of America's original settlers came, it's hardly surprising. For more information about the records covered in this index,please contact the History and Genealogy Department. Most Popular African Last Names Or Surnames. And you get to tell the story of Jean-Louiss life in slavery and also in freedom. 1. -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." James) will have . So I asked my mother and she told me my father John Barnett, a white man, and I took up the name of Barnett . Q. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Beginning in the early nineteenth century, more biblical names were given to enslavedchildren, a reflection of the widespread attempts to Christianize enslaved communities. Renate, But there was also the detective Nero Wolfe, hero of many mystery stories. 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. 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. They called me "OCK". Kaplan, Justin, and Anne Bernays. 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. 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 would still recommend all of these books, except the first one listed for obvious reasons. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. 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. Eliza Moore (1843 - January 21, 1948) Source = Pinimg. 43. 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. One thing I envy about the Catholic church is the baptisms available for even the enslaved people there. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. Archambeau. The table below shows the most common last names with statistics on the heritage and ancestry of those with the surname. Letter to James Edward Calhoun, August 27, 1831. The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Familys Journey to Freedom, A Thank You Letter from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Plantation Records Key Link to African American Past . My hat goes off to you and your passionate efforts. Location the owner of ones ancestor is crucial for an African American genealogist to trace his family before 1870. The highest percentage of African names was found among male slaves in the eighteenth century, when . Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? . I have been a researcher, writer, and lecturer for over twenty-five years. common last names for slaves in the 1800s. Most Popular Names. Hi Donna, Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. 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. I was called by that name all the time I was with the Morrows. 44. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. how the surnames former slaves had were connected to their experiences in slavery. St. Louis County Library. These cookies do not store any personal information. Brown: A common last name derived from an ancestor's complexion or the color of their hair. 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. Thus, the patronymic surname can be effectively regarded as "keeper of the peace." This phenomenon is not unheard of with African American surnames. Abel, the name of Adam and Eve's unfortunate younger son, compensates with positive connotations: capable, competent, ready and willing. 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. 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. No superior alternative has yet been found." After the war ended and slavery was abolished, they exercised their freedom by changing their names. Many took the surname of famous or celebrated people; such as 'Lincoln', 'Grant', and 'Washington' was very popular. Wesley is one of a group of W-starting surname names reminiscent of the Old West that are making a comeback -- though it's not as well used as it was in the 1970s, when he ranked as high as Number 66.