An accessible introduction to the field. If the former slave had been befriended or assisted in getting established after the Civil War, they might have taken that persons name. Bernard Meaning: brave warrior Origin: French 4. Slaves were generally listed with just one name and thus with little to none of the genealogical information recorded for free whites. Picked by several celebrities (a couple of times even for a girl), adding up to an enthusiastically recommended choice. The surname issue really presents huge challenges for those of us doign this research, but you soulnd as though you are making headway. The result was the birth of mulatto, quadroon, or mustee (mestee) children. I belonged to him until emancipation. The difficulties include using records that provide no surnames, the constant sale and breakup of families, and the lack of identification of fathers. This page is currently showing names ranked from 1 to 1000. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Evidence indicates that many enslaved parents named their children after the first generation or so of family members brought to America. I would still recommend all of these books, except the first one listed for obvious reasons. In the early years, especially between the 1860 and 1880s, families even changed a surname several times until they settled on a certain one. Thats high on my to do list. Slavery existed in the United States from its founding in 1776 and became the main . "Injurious Names: Naming, Disavowal, and Recuperation in Contexts of Slavery and Emancipation." In The Anthropology of Names and Naming. Osprey Publishing 2008. European, Javanese and African and Indentured Servitude in First Contact and Early Colonization of Brazil, France and its Empire in the Indian Ocean, France and the British Isles from 1640 to 1789, George Montagu Dunk, Second Earl of Halifax, Green Atlantic: the Irish in the Atlantic World, Histories and Historiographies of the Atlantic World, Impact of the French Revolution on the Caribbean, The, Indentured Servitude in the Atlantic World, Indian, Internal Slave Migrations in the Americas, Interracial Marriage in the Atlantic World, Liverpool in The Atlantic World 1500-1833, Maritime Atlantic in the Age of Revolutions, The, Marriage and Family in the Atlantic World, Material Culture of Slavery in the British Atlantic, Money and Banking in the Atlantic Economy, Napolon Bonaparte and the Atlantic World, Nation and Empire in Northern Atlantic History, Native American Histories in North America, Native Americans and the American Revolution, People of African Descent in Early Modern Europe, Pets and Domesticated Animals in the Atlantic World. 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. Perhaps this caused some Slaves to ask: Am I my new name or am I still my old name? In doing slave research in Barbados, I have found one group of enslaved Chase ancestors who were manumitted (freed) and given the last name of the former slave owner. If you can identify your ancestor's master, this source will prove of tremendous value to your research. 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. Names from the Bible were another common practice, for given and surnames. Enslaved people often transferred such names to later generations in modified form or relied on African naming traditions, such as "day names" or names reflecting the order of birth among siblings. Forenames. I think mostly about family separationas a mother now myself, the very idea that my dear child could be sold to who knows where, never to be seen again..just reduces me to tears anytime. 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. Enslaved women were raped, creating children with white fathers who in most cases did not claim them and even sold them away. 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". 42. 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. Nonetheless, this is a situation where two brothers selected different surnames. 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. Each is present in your body. 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. Another myth is once African Americans were sold they never saw their families again. Thank you so much for your kind words. .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. The brothers were sold when they were very young and remained with their last owners nearly thirty years. The different spellings are due to the non-consistent spelling rules in Norway in the 1700s and 1800s. In fact, the previous enslaver widow sold most of the slaves. 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. College, Advanced AA Gen Class, September 2011, AAHGS Annual Genealogy Conference, November 2008, Howard Comm. The Genealogy Source Table Collection includes 10 blank, editable source tables for death certificates, city directories, obituaries and funeral programs. I mean, really retro. But there was also the detective Nero Wolfe, hero of many mystery stories. The origins of this last name date back to the pre-medieval period. Q. Former slaves often made up surnames based on their occupations. Join my mailing list below to learn about upcoming webinars. For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here. Just from the detail in your first comment, I knew there was a good chance you were already familiar with those authors. This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. 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. Olympic speed skater Apolo Anton Ohno might inspire some parents. "More than half of the surnames are derived from the Christian or fore-name of the father," [1] and based on a total of 3,253,800 people, nearly 18 in every 100 persons was known by one of these fifty surnames. Wonderful to have first hand account that help shine light on the attitudes of our ancestors. 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. Slavery's reach is still with us, and part of the gift of doing African-American genealogy is recovering the stories of those caught in its grasp who could not in their own time leave their own witness.". Isaiah derives from the Hebrew Yeshayahu, containing the elements. Benson, Susan. 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. He stated that he had always been known by his fathers surname Scott, even before he was freed. Claudia Bautista,Santa Monica, Calif. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. It means 'bought land'. Lastly,emancipation itself often provoked many to choose new surnames, one of the few actual freedoms freedmen had. Genealogy becomes so much more than just names and dates, it really feels like a true passion indeed. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher. 7. It is these single names that have been most often studied. 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. My mother's name was Octavia Smith and it was from her that I got it but where the name came from to her I never knew. 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. 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. 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.. . Whatever you call it, whoever you are, you need one", "Friends are God's apologies for relations. Just go to my Vimeo page and make your selection. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. Former slaves often used surnames names of historical figures such as Washington, Jefferson or Jackson. 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. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? 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.) One of my grandfathers in Africa was called Jeaceo, and so I decided to be Jackson. Facing History & Ourselves, "Changing Names," last updated May 12, 2020. LOTTIE had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just continued that same name. ", "Call it a clan, call it a network, all it a tribe, call it a family. . Famous name bearers: many King Louis of France, Sandra Bullock's son and actor Louis Partridge. 17. In 1836, William Turbeville died leaving an estate with several slaves who were brothers: Turner, Nelson, Simon, Jordan, and Jacob. Names of prominent slaveholderse.g. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. He decided that he didnt want to be known as Cap Sherrod and that he would vote and marry under his choice of names. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Some of them developed a long-term relationship with one of the female slaves. 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. I was called by that name all the time I was with the Morrows. They called me OCK. Archambeau. Flora, the name of the Roman goddess of flowers and spring, who enjoyed eternal youth, is one of the gently old-fashioned girls' flower names we think is due for a comebackalongside cousins Cora and Dora. 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 You can find many more examples of the above in my post, The Mind of the Slaveowner. Smith.). One ancestor was known as Baber Masse, Elizabeth SENET and Elisabeth Leveille in different documents. Abel, et al. Hi Jann, If the former slave had been befriended or assisted in getting established after the Civil War, they might have taken that person's name. Also included here are common names among slaves, many of which were classical and had ties to the Bible or mythology, such as Keziah and Venus. I hope youll sign up to receive my postsif you do, youll get a free PDF with some of my favorite tips! -George Burns, "Where does the family start? Both are excellent researchers and historians. African Americans tended to use surnames associated with their own families instead of the last slave owner. I love that your example shows two brothers, who came to different conclusions about their surnames. South Atlantic Creole A Spanish America After Independence, 1825-1900, Tudor and Stuart Britain in the Wider World, 1485-1685, Warfare, Medicine, and Disease in the Atlantic World. - Jane Howard, "Friends are God's apologies for relations." 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. 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. 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. Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. She was a Murphy.. 44. Middle Tennessee, where tobacco, cattle, and grain became the favored crops, held the . Percy is an adorable old name that is finally shedding its pampered Little Lord Fauntleroy image in this new era of boys with soft yet traditionally, Titus, once seen as a slightly forbidding Roman, New Testament, and Shakespearean name, was brought back to contemporary life in the USA by the TV series, French surname from place name Perci-en-Auge, Latin, meaning unknown, possibly "title of honour". Tell me the name you were called before you met Phillip Fry? It means 'clerk' or 'secretary'.