David Nicolle, Graham Turner: Poitiers AD 732: Charles Martel Turns the Islamic Tide. Hi Rodney, I was only three years old when she died. 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. Thomas Black Cobbs was owned by a small slave owner Catherine Black. 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. You can also look up Charleston Manifests by Slave Owner These records are also available through the National Archives Catalog (National Archives Identifier 2767350). My full name is Dick Lewis Barnett. 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. Here are an even dozen, pretty much forgotten slanglike words or sayings from the 19th century, rediscovered while delving in the archives and with added guidance from James Maitman's 1891 . If we consider the diverse circumstances that the tragedy of slavery created, we can understand the reasons why. . 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. 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. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? No, I don't know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Familys Journey to Freedom is proudly powered by WordPress Entries (RSS) and Comments (RSS). Post Author: Post published: 18 avril 2022; Post Category: . Students learn about the period of violence in the South from 1873-1876 and examine its role in influencing elections and ending Republican control of Southern state governments. Free black slave holders could be found at one time or . Elaine Fantham, Helene Peet Foley, Natalie Boymel Kampen, Sarah B. Pomeroy, H. A. Shapiro. Place names that were disproportionately popular among Black Americans in history include Boston, Jamaica, York, and Africa. this page. . By the late 19th century, England was home to about 300 surnames with traceable genealogy. Choose the best name for your child. New York: Simon & Schuster, 1997. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. 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. Enslaved people suffered constant sale, where children were frequently torn away from parents at young ages and spouses were often separated. Label vector designed by Ibrandify - Freepik.com, https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2014.174.8?destination=/explore/collection/search%3Fedan_q%3Denslaved%26edan_fq%255B0%255D%3Dobject_type%253A%2522Photographs%2522. My great great grandfather in Mississippi took the surname of the previous SC enslaver, whose widow sold him away. There was often a fluidity to the surnames that enslaved people had. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW! Thanks for all you to do keeps us all so enlightened! 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. Slavery. ", "Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts. Claudia Bautista,Santa Monica, Calif. You must have JavaScript enabled to use this form. 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. Abebe: The genesis of this Ethiopian name is Amharic, and it means 'flower' or 'blossom'. My father once told me his grandfather ran away from the Carrington place and changed his name to Williams. He was sold to my master William Orr and he always went by the name Edward Orr after that.. 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. 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. College, Advanced AA Gen. Class, September 2009, Alice, Robyn and Lajoye, CM AAHGS, September 2017, Robyn and Andrea, NGS Conference, May 2014. Evidence indicates that many enslaved parents named their children after the first generation or so of family members brought to America. So I asked my mother and she told me my father John Barnett, a white man, and I took up the name of Barnett . CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW! Slavery's reach is still with us, and part of the gift of doing African-American genealogy, "The past is not dead. 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! The private name served as a form of Selfhood Armor (you cant take all of me, White man!); gave them a sense of power over their captors; and provided their children with a sense of heritage and pride. After emancipation, he became William Smith. My hat goes off to you and your passionate efforts. Dorothy, Doris or Dora: Meaning 'gift of God', this Victorian girl's name was popular in the 19th century. Picked by several celebrities (a couple of times even for a girl), adding up to an enthusiastically recommended choice. . "Injurious Names: Naming, Disavowal, and Recuperation in Contexts of Slavery and Emancipation." In The Anthropology of Names and Naming. He decided that he didnt want to be known as Cap Sherrod and that he would vote and marry under his choice of names. Chapter 4 gives a brief and introductory outline of naming in the United States during slavery and its consequences in African American culture. A small number of creoles in Louisiana also acquired surnames derived from ethnic identities in Senegal. A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. . No superior alternative has yet been found." 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. Enslaved peoplethemselves sometimes chose names denoting weather conditions at the time of their child's birth or some distinctive feature of his or her appearance. Available from https://nmaahc.si.edu/object/nmaahc_2014.174.8?destination=/explore/collection/search%3Fedan_q%3Denslaved%26edan_fq%255B0%255D%3Dobject_type%253A%2522Photographs%2522 (accessed May 6, 2022). -Elbert Hubbard, "Families are like fudge; mostly sweet with a few nuts." . USA.gov, The U.S. National Archives and Records Administration I have been unable to trace several of his siblings and now wonder if it might be because others did not take that name. 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. These require Microsoft Word and a Windows platform. I mean, really retro. 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. Surely the hundreds of black Culbert people living today cannot all be connected to those three cases. I belonged to him until emancipation. Please share, in the comments below, examplesyou have come across of the surnames of enslaved people, especially if it was different from their last slaveholder. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Dick Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War. My maternal grandmother was an Auber. This financial assistance was available to all Civil War veterans and their families. By clicking Accept, you consent to the use of ALL the cookies. Our headquarters are located at: 89 South Street, Suite 401, Boston, MA 02111. Some of these individuals probably lived through the Civil War to become named citizens in Ashley County, Arkansas and may have taken the last name of Hollaway/Holaway or Terry/Tery. They cut it off from OCTAVIA. This topic interests me greatly and Id like to do more research. Names from the Bible were another common practice, for given and surnames. 5. The names they gave their children provide a valuable, if limited, index of that process over time. An accessible introduction to the field. However, many African Americans faced a problem when they applied for their pensions. Tell me the name you were called before you met Phillip Fry? Turner was deeply religious,. It means 'raven'. . Through a video-based activity, students explore how Radical Reconstruction changed the nature of voting rights and democracy in the South. 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. But there was also the detective Nero Wolfe, hero of many mystery stories. I would appreciate any constructive comments on this question, which can be posted to me via my website address above. Emphasizes the giving and repeated use of names as a performative act of domination. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher. George Duncan Ludlow (1734-1808), colonial lawyer. Bailey, Word Stories Surrounding African American Slavery. Wheatley was traded into slavery at the age of 7 or 8 and imported to North America. No, I dont know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. 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. 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. Middle Tennessee, where tobacco, cattle, and grain became the favored crops, held the . I was called mostly Lewis Smith till after the war, although I was named Dick Lewis Smith After the War, I was wearing the name Lewis Smith, but I found the negroes were taking the names of their fathers, like the white folks. African Americans were known by these surnames in the slave community and often recorded by slave owners on plantation documents. You could not be signed in, please check and try again. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. When they were sold away they remembered their loved ones and they created extended kinship networks. Clark is a common surname of Anglo-Scottish origin. I am the applicant for pension on account of having served in Co. B. In 1850, Ward. 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. Students learn about the violent responses to the transformation of US democracy that occurred as a result of Radical Reconstruction. Jackson: This name is a patronymic of Jack. Daniel Odgen, Magic, Witchcraft, and Ghosts In The Greek and Roman Worlds, p. 119, Laurence Vidal, Los Amantes de Granada, Ed. . Bernard Meaning: brave warrior Origin: French 4. Rank. Were there any famous slaves? Use the form below to get in touch with me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. We use cookies on our website to give you the most relevant experience by remembering your preferences and repeat visits. Slaves are identified by given name under their masters. In the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries African-American slaves retained Africanisms in their naming practices. The poster on each page *provides the link to the handout* for that lecture, so be sure to copy it. 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 . Dick Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War. I did not even check the 1850 slave schedule. According to the latest search data available, Italian last names and their meanings are searched for nearly, 40,500 times per month. You can find many more examples of the above in my post, The Mind of the Slaveowner. Manifests - Alphabetical by Slave Names Return to Slave Manifests main page Click on each Slave name to view information on that voyage. 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. This event is $20. All of them are alive in this moment. As a result, many slaves used the surnames of their owners wifes family. Names and Naming, African Africans arriving in the American colonies and later the United States continued to give their children African names well into the nineteenth century. Robyn. Who called you by that name and where was it done? For example, Roll, Jordan,Roll has an entire chapter called The Naming of Cats, discussing slave names and The Slave Community has a very good chapter called The Slave Family. Two other books I like are Been In The Storm So Long by Leon Litwick (pgs 247-248)and Joining PLaces: Slave Neighborhoods in the Old South by Anthony Kaye. 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. Because I like to let formerly enslaved people speak for themselves, here are several examples of freedmen and women discussing their surnames. Who called you by that name and where was it done? Spanish areas had male Slave names as Francisco, Pedro, and Antonio; and for females: Maria, Isabella, and Juana. I also have a Slavery and Freedom Collection available for $20. Now, that parents surname could very well be the surname of the most recent slaveholder or an earlier slaveholder. Students examine the factors that led many northerners to turn against federal policies passed during the Reconstruction era that protected freedpeople. Thank you for your kind comment and I am glad my post helped some with the complicated reasons behind the surnames enslaved people had. How lucky you were to find that Freedmans Bank document! I love that your example shows two brothers, who came to different conclusions about their surnames. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. Im jealous;) The common names there (Marie, Louise, etc) would test anyones genealogical skills, so I take my hat off to you. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Ethereal and delicate, Cassandra was in the Top 70 throughout the 1990s but is now descending in popularity. common last names for slaves in the 1800s. In the early years, especially between the 1860 and 1880s, families even changed a surname several times until they settled on a certain one. 1. Nat Turner's Rebellion One of the most famous slave revolts in American history came in 1831 when Nat Turner led a bloody uprising in Southampton County, Virginia. A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. My father would be 105 if he were alive. Cook Cook has an Old English origin, and it means 'one who cooks' or 'one who sold cooked meat'. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. 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 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. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. In freedom, Jean-Louis was known as Louis SEM or Louis FUSELIER until finally using SAM. 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. Please subscribe or login. 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. I hope you dont mind my sharing those posts. You are the continuation of each of these people.". 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. His slaveholder was named David Humphries. Best of luck to you, Phillis Wheatley (May 8, 1753 - December 5, 1784) Source = Wikimedia. Thanks for writing this post! The campaign in Britain to abolish slavery began in the 1760s, supported by both black and white abolitionists. 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. 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. Fortunately, the French and Latin were excellent record keepers and the Catholics were obsessed with knowing the kinship of everyone. 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. In the. 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. Q. 2. 42. Societies. A great and timely article. Aruba Congo Bob D'Sean Latoya Dilsy Lopez Lunah African Emmaline Ebo Mema Milla Kyser Ibo Medwin Oilsay Cupad Viney Centere Minta Zoruba Tyzer Nefar Phiba LaVaughn Congo Bob Ladia Ikbo Abah Medger Bossy Shand Cufee Uri Zulu jenee Sorce Tomm Dedib Slave Names Of The 1800's Cena Billah Quarker Lamoney Minba Geto Tonesia Zulu Jana Brutis Some last names recognize certain histories or describe important events or narratives that mean a lot to the family. Louis (M) (English origin) means "famous warrior". Another common way of distinguishing people would be 'son of', for example Johnson (son of John), Richardson, Wilson, Harrison etc. 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 "The past is not dead. The Language of Names. Surnames (not always those of former owners) would then be adopted as family names by former slaves and their descendants. Is this the same woman Eliza I see living with Thomas Crenshaw in 1880 and 1900? 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. No superior alternative has yet been found. All rights reserved. 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. Just makes me sad for the human spirit that anyone, let alone hundreds of thousands of people could participate in it. African Americans tended to use surnames associated with their own families instead of the last slave owner. Evie (F) (English origin) means "life" or "lively". It can be a difficult path, but just might be reachable. Ref. Enslaved people remained legally nameless from the time of their capture until their purchase by American enslavers. The name.Auber.is also.in.Haiti and.is of.French orign. LOTTIE had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just continued that same name. Fernsby, (Old English Origin) Derived from the old English words meaning "fern farmstead". 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". Edited by Gabriele vom Bruck and Barbara Bodenhorn, 178199. Tell me the name you were called before you met Phillip Fry? Thank you. LOTTIE had been the name of the nurse before me and so they just continued that same name. Slavery is a social-economic system under which people are enslaved: deprived of personal freedom and forced to perform labor or services without compensation. A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. Edited by Gabriele vom Bruck and Barbara Bodenhorn, 178-199. -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." This mini-lesson helps students define the term, learn what forms reparations can take, and consider what reparations should be offered for slavery and other racist policies. Here, our list of notable early African American names. 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. 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. I was only three years old when she died. Both comments and pings are currently closed. This event is $25. Robyn. The result was the birth of mulatto, quadroon, or mustee (mestee) children. Mary Deborah Petite, "1836 Facts about the Alamo and the Texas War for Independence". "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? Smith.). In small communities when slaves were sold, they were often bought by someone in the area. There are so many examples of every kind of scenario, and I think it just speaks to the variety of experiences our ancestors had. 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. 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. The most common of 603 names of female Slaves were Bet, Mary, Jane, Hanna, Betty, Sarah, Phillis, Nan, Peg, and Sary. Prior to the emancipation of the American slaves in 1863, those African-Americans held in bondage had usually just one or two given names. Both are excellent researchers and historians. Ive taken back reclaimed some of that lost memory, especially that of my enslaved ancestors. And again, as a white Southerner whose ancesters were NOT slaveowners, your blog is helping me to understand the real and horrible legacy of the peculiar institution. With your explanations in mind, I will go back over a couple of family groups and re-assess the surname ambiguousness I have in my notes. They were Nelson Nunn and George Nunn and they may have changed their names to Crosby too because they were my fathers children.. This meant that army records documented their service with their old names instead of their new ones. You are the continuation of each of these people." How did you ever come by the name of "Mollie"? All of them are alive in this moment. . See flier here. 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 . 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 slave owners married, they often received slaves as wedding gifts and inheritances from their wifes family. I made up my mind I'd find me a different one. Going back a decade to the 1850 Slave Schedule, both William Wood and Samuel O. Like most of the architecture and towns in Italy, they can also tell a story. A. But the Slaves generally had two namesthe one given by the slave owner (e.g. John C. Inscoe, "Carolina Slave Names: An Index to Acculturation," Journal of Southern History 59 (November 1983). The population was more than 16 million and the industrial revolution was under way, which debunks any perception of a broadly colonial society. Table 7. Several names have been added under the letter representing the person's last name. Plus, Jonah comes with a ready-made nursery-decorating motif. Through Reclaiming Kin, I share tips on genealogy skillbuilding for all genealogists, and on researching slavery and the enslaved. I truly believe they used surnames of each of their former owners for some of their childrens middle names. Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? Relish, (Old French Origin) Derived from relaisse meaning "flavor or taste". 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. Hi Rodney, I communicate with them on Facebook. Renate, Just from the detail in your first comment, I knew there was a good chance you were already familiar with those authors. I was called by that name all the time I was with the Morrows. Until recently, scholarly consensus was that early African American names did not differ significantly from those of white Americans. Hello Leo (M) (Russian origin) means "lion". Former slaves often made up surnames based on their occupations.