Ho Joanne, Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. Leo (M) (Russian origin) means "lion". . I did a post sometime ago about Slavery Studies, where I named some of the top books on the subject. State of residence is Missouri unless otherwise noted. 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". 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 former slaves and some free people of color took the first name of their father, mother and sometimes former slaveowner as their last. I mean, really retro. Picked by several celebrities (a couple of times even for a girl), adding up to an enthusiastically recommended choice. Numerous historical sources confirm that enslaved people had surnames that they used among themselves and in many cases were known by their slaveholder. After emancipation, he became William Smith. 6. 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. That alone can make if difficult to research an African- American family during those years. 1-86-NARA-NARA or 1-866-272-6272, Finding Aids for the National Archives at Atlanta, National Archives Catalog (National Archives Identifier 2767350). They were all sold to different owners: Connell, Rose, Johnson, and Hughes respectively. Explore the most common surnames in England. Three formerly enslaved people discuss their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? Facing History & Ourselves, "Changing Names," last updated May 12, 2020. Slavery in America was the legal institution of enslaving human beings, mainly Africans and African Americans. Brief, but stimulating and thoughtful for students coming new to the subject. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. 2019 (cited under the Anglophone Caribbean) includes a good general introduction to slave naming. I especially recommend Mother, Thy Name is Mystery! I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. Kaplan, Justin, and Anne Bernays. Some of the most common or popular last names in the 1800s included Robinson, Clark, and Smith. Trinidad and Tobago. 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. 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. In his pension file, my great great grandmother his widow expressed that he chose his former enslaver surname because his father had been enslaved by them, too. One thing I envy about the Catholic church is the baptisms available for even the enslaved people there. I love that your example shows two brothers, who came to different conclusions about their surnames. James: (M) (Latin origin) means "heel" or "supplanter". My full name is Dick Lewis Barnett. I am awar eof the different naming traditions practiced in that area and I thank you for sharing them here for my readers. 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. "Albumen print of enslaved women and their children near Alexandria, Virginia." After emancipation, he moved back with his mother, brothers and sisters and used the Cobbs surname. Many of these were names of heroesbut not Lincoln. You should give a TED talk! They established and held on to their own cultural traditions in the small spaces that slavery afforded them. Interestingly, the five most common American surnames as of 2010 haven't changed that much over time and are Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, and Jones. 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. No, I don't know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. Robyn. 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. The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Familys Journey to Freedom is proudly powered by WordPress Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS). This event is $12. . The resources Im getting from my colleagues through Facing History have been just invaluable. It means 'clerk' or 'secretary'. Hi Donna, One of the largest sources are the Civil War pension records of the almost 200,000 black men who served in the US Army and Navy. 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. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. 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. 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. They identified 21 distinctly Black male names, among them biblical classics such as Abraham and Moses, and word names including Freeman and Prince. When slave owners married, they often received slaves as wedding gifts and inheritances from their wifes family. My father once told me his grandfather ran away from the Carrington place and changed his name to Williams. . George Duncan Ludlow (1734-1808), colonial lawyer. St. Louis County Library. You can find many more examples of the above in my post, The Mind of the Slaveowner. Currently, the most popular Black last name in America is Williams, with a total count of 774,920 people who have the surname. -Unknown, "If you can't get rid of the skeleton in your closet, you might as well make it dance!" Robyn, youve done it again! No, I dont know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. 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. Just from the detail in your first comment, I knew there was a good chance you were already familiar with those authors. I'll illustrate transcribing deeds, show you how to find your county deed records on FamilySearch, and you will receive my PDF Beginner's Guide to Using Deed Records, a $12 value! I would still recommend all of these books, except the first one listed for obvious reasons. Thank you so much for your kind words. . You already know the rich historical terrain of FPOC in Louisiana, what terrific grounds for family research. No, I dont know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. They are held at The National Archives (Kew, England). In fact, the previous enslaver widow sold most of the slaves. 2. Students consider what it means to be free by learning about the choices and aspirations of freedpeople immediately after Emancipation. Ref. 1. In 1850, Ward. I am the applicant for pension on account of having served in Co. B. -George Burns, "Where does the family start? This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. And please do share posts that interest you. By the late 19th century, England was home to about 300 surnames with traceable genealogy. I focused on surnames but many of these books also discuss first names. Thanks for your comment, The second hour is hands-on, and I want you to bring the deeds you've found along with your questions. Famous name bearers: many King Louis of France, Sandra Bullock's son and actor Louis Partridge. Others who wanted no connection to their former owners used surnames like Freeman or Freedman. 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. Cora: We first fell in love with this short baby girl's name from Downton Abbey, but Cora was already popular in the 1800s, meaning 'maiden' or 'good'. 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. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? Enslaved people resisted in ways large and small. The most common of 603 names of female Slaves were Bet, Mary, Jane, Hanna, Betty, Sarah, Phillis, Nan, Peg, and Sary. 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. 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. Each is present in your body. A valuable and incisive discussion, both theoretically and historically informed, of slave naming in two African societies, the Caribbean, and the American South. These cookies do not store any personal information. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. You are the continuation of each of these people.". However, research byLisa D. Cook and colleagueshas revealed evidence of racialized names from the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Even tiny steps are huge in someones life. 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. Here, three different former slaves discuss their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation. Beginning in the early nineteenth century, more biblical names were given to enslavedchildren, a reflection of the widespread attempts to Christianize enslaved communities. This event is $20. I belonged to him until emancipation. 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 . Q. In small communities when slaves were sold, they were often bought by someone in the area. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Elijah is derived from the Hebrew name Eliyahu, composed of the elements. 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 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. By examining periods of violence during the Reconstruction era, students learn about the potential backlash to political and social change. Abel, the name of Adam and Eve's unfortunate younger son, compensates with positive connotations: capable, competent, ready and willing. If the former slave had been befriended or assisted in getting established after the Civil War, they might have taken that person's name. Got.the name.Auber.. Hi Roxana, Louis (M) (English origin) means "famous warrior". This is due in part to officials imposing surnames on them based on their last owners. 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. Best of luck to you, Farley, (English Origin) Victorian-era last names meaning "fern woodland". A 2nd great grandmother for example was baptised Sarah Charlotte Chase; her mother is recorded as being Ann Lewis Chase. It was after emancipation on that I went back to work for Col. Morrow and where I got the name Lottie, as already explained. Copeland This last name comes from Old Norse origin. . 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. It is from this myth that the plant genus, Phoebe is the Latin variation of the Greek name Phoibe, which derived from. Well, I got to thinking about all us slaves that was going to take the name Fitzpatrick.

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