They were all sold to different owners: Connell, Rose, Johnson, and Hughes respectively. The practice was common until its abolition in 1865 with the end of the Civil War and the ratification of the Thirteenth Amendment to the Constitution.. For the time being, we are using this as the Slavery Plantation umbrella or portal. You can use the links below to view more common surnames. College Advanced AA Gen. Class, November 2012, Robyn, Aaron, Karen, Katherine and Michael, October 2014, African-American Family History Conference, February 2015, African-American Genealogy Group Conference, October 2016, Central Maryland AAHGS, with Alice Harris, September 2015, Howard Comm. Harris: A patronymic meaning son of Harry. This database is a compilation of information on over four thousand slaves from Louisiana who were involved in manumission (the formal emancipation from slavery) between 1719 and 1820. She was the great patroness-goddess of the city of Athens. In these cases, unless the name change had been passed down in the family by oral history, it would be impossible to trace the family back any further. Register now! . -William Faulkner, "Call it a clan, call it a network, all it a tribe, call it a family. Toussaint Louverture (1743-1803), a former slave, he enslaved a dozen people himself before becoming a general and a leader of the Haitian Revolution. Thank you as always, your posts are so helpful. 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. He stated that he had always been known by his fathers surname Scott, even before he was freed. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. Like most of the architecture and towns in Italy, they can also tell a story. 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". George Duncan Ludlow (1734-1808), colonial lawyer. 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. 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 . The Language of Names. Renate, 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. Have you visited the Whitney Plantation yet? 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. Slavery's reach is still with us, and part of the gift of doing African-American genealogy, "The past is not dead. Famous name bearers: many King Louis of France, Sandra Bullock's son and actor Louis Partridge. Copyright 2023 Facing History & Ourselves. No, I dont know to whom she belonged before she was brought from Virginia to Kentucky. They are part of Records of the U.S. Customs Service . Special slave censuses were kept in the early 1800s. I would appreciate any constructive comments on this question, which can be posted to me via my website address above. It can be a difficult path, but just might be reachable. A. I was called by that name all the time I was with the Morrows. No superior alternative has yet been found." That alone can make if difficult to research an African- American family during those years. "Injurious Names: Naming, Disavowal, and Recuperation in Contexts of Slavery and Emancipation." In The Anthropology of Names and Naming. 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. You are the continuation of each of these people." 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. I am an engineer by day, but my true passion lies in genealogy. 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. 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. Spencer is a name that has everything: it's both distinguished sounding and accessible, dignified but Spencer Tracy-like friendly. Instead a wide variety of surnames came about that would be the family name for future generations. He took his last enslaver surname. 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. 1. They cut it off from OCTAVIA. Another slave named Bill who attended the sheep became Bill Shepherd. According to the latest search data available, Italian last names and their meanings are searched for nearly, 40,500 times per month. However, a small change to searching on C?lbert, which accounts for the variations in spelling expands that initial list to 877 enslaved people owned by people with those names. 3. Louis (M) (English origin) means "famous warrior". Feel free to contact me directly if you have more questions or need some assistance. In 1911, Barnett and Frys widow, Mollie, both applied for pensions from the government. Surnames. I was only three years old when she died. Bradley was the last man owned em. One frequently occurring name is Rolle. So far Ive found no one who can give me any information about how these people assumed the Culbert surname. 20 August 2022, 1-3:30 pm [PAST EVENT], Eastern Standard Time: Join me for a two-hour lecture and workshop on Using Deed Records. Former slaves often made up surnames based on their occupations. Slavery existed in the United States from its founding in 1776 and became the main . Phone: 314-994-3300, Hours & Locations Comments/Suggestions314-994-3300, Copyright 2023. Whereas names withAfrican, classical, or other unique origins were popular during enslavement, --- often continuingfrom one generation to the next and creating a distinctive nomenclature unlike that of southern whites -- free black peopleoften used more traditionally Anglicized versions of their first names. Maria Aparecida Schumaher, Erico teixeira Vital Brazil. In many cases this is ignored and children use their fathers name! Following the emancipation of approximately 360,000 enslaved people in North Carolina, changes in African American names became indicative of a new value system and sense of self-identity among freedpeople. I truly believe they used surnames of each of their former owners for some of their childrens middle names. In Greek mythology, Athena is the name of the daughter of Zeus who was the goddess of wisdom, warfare, handicrafts, mathematics, and courage, among others. I love how you have documented the history of your own surname. James: (M) (Latin origin) means "heel" or "supplanter". What are the most popular last names in the UK? Another common way of distinguishing people would be 'son of', for example Johnson (son of John), Richardson, Wilson, Harrison etc. Thank you for your kind comment and I am glad my post helped some with the complicated reasons behind the surnames enslaved people had. . A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. Bailey, Word Stories Surrounding African American Slavery. Now, that parents surname could very well be the surname of the most recent slaveholder or an earlier slaveholder. You should give a TED talk! I also have a Slavery and Freedom Collection available for $20. The names that were brought together to form "Geffery" were "Gaufrid" (territory-peace), "Godafrid" (god-peace), and "Galfridus" (song-peace). Where did you get the maiden name of Smith from? 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. Practices undoubtedly varied, and different archival sources may yield different conclusions. Got.the name.Auber.. Hi Roxana, Q. Manifests - Alphabetical by Slave Names Return to Slave Manifests main page Click on each Slave name to view information on that voyage. The idea was for the children to enter the inhumane system of slavery protected by a sense of Selfhood and history. is for you. Thanks for commenting and continued luck in your research, The slave schedules of 1860 Arkansas do not give the names of the slaves. Thank you for your comment, This page is currently showing names ranked from 1 to 1000. For more details, see the flier here, and you can purchase them here. This is due in part to officials imposing surnames on them based on their last owners. 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. 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. 2. "The past is not dead. Bernard Meaning: brave warrior Origin: French 4. 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. Please submit permission requests for other use directly to the publisher. Robyn. A. Ninety percent of them were African-American, a far higher black percentage than for any other common name. CLICK HERE TO SAVE YOUR SEAT! In another case Sukey Ann and he 4 children were manumitted by their Ashby owner with only their first names. I was born in Montgomery County, Ala. the child of Phillis Houston, slave of Sol Smith. A. Lottie Smith was my name and what they called me before I met Phillip and was married to him. Emphasizes the giving and repeated use of names as a performative act of domination. 26 September 2021 [PAST EVENT]: Acclaimed genealogist Melvin Collier and I will be presenting an all-new 2-hour lecture titled More Than Just Names: Incorporating Social and Community History Into Your Research from 1:00-3:30 EST (please note it is Eastern Standard Time). They reflect an acculturation process by which generations of enslaved people, increasingly removed from the direct influence of their first enslaved African ancestors, adopted the conventions of their enslavers, eventually creating a culture and value system all their own. Brief, but stimulating and thoughtful for students coming new to the subject. I am the identical person who served in the said companies under the name of Lewis Smith. 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. This event is $12. For example, I know of one Louisiana family whose surname of Poulard evolved from a ancestor of the Poular nation(aka Fulani). Now, that parent's surname could very well be the surname of the most recent slaveholder or an earlier slaveholder. An accessible introduction to the field. Benson, Susan. Samuel had only two slaves: the man that could be Wilson and a 42-year-old woman. My mother then told me my fathers name was John Barnett, a white man, and I took up the name Barnett., My mothers name was Jane and she was called Jane Nunn because she belonged to the Nunns. We had to register as someone, so we could be citizens. 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. 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'. 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 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 . Thanks for adding your very experienced voice to the conversation. There was often a fluidity to the surnames that enslaved people had. how the surnames former slaves had were connected to their experiences in slavery. And now that it's been chosen by Gwen Stefani and Gavin Rossdale, it could take off as their first son's nameKingstonhas. 42. In 1870, he is listed as John Washington. See footnotes for source information. A valuable and incisive discussion, both theoretically and historically informed, of slave naming in two African societies, the Caribbean, and the American South. A. Tell me the name you were called before you met Phillip Fry? They identified 21 distinctly Black male names, among them biblical classics such as Abraham and Moses, and word names including Freeman and Prince. Three formerly enslaved people discuss their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation. When I was born my mother was known as Phillis Smith and I took the name of Smith too. Alfred Francis Russell (1817-1884), 10th President of Liberia. For him, this meant claiming his new identity as a freedman and a citizen. 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 . 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. BRATHWAITE - This name was derived from a geographic location in the north of England. CLICK HERE TO REGISTER NOW! Because I like to let formerly enslaved people speak for themselves, here are several examples of freedmen and women discussing their surnames. CAs Push to Restore Voting Rights to System-Impacted Individuals Still in Custody, Eli Lilly to Cap Out-of-Pocket Insulin Costs, Asm. Thanks for your comment, I am the applicant for pension on account of having served in Co. B. . I did a post sometime ago about Slavery Studies, where I named some of the top books on the subject. My full name is Dick Lewis Barnett. Corbin Corbin has an Old English origin. Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. 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. 3. I make extensive use of tables for organization, analysis and citation in my research, and they have proven very popular with genealogists. 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. At her death when Thomas was ten, he was sold to Solomon Cobbs who lived nearby. My maternal grandmother was an Auber. Who called you by that name and where was it done? 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. "While African-American genealogical research in many ways is like all genealogical research, the era of slavery makes the task especially challenging. John Lewis was born in 1831; in 1844 he and several family members were given to George A. Washington of Wessyngton. 13 March 2022, 1-2:30pm [PAST EVENT], Eastern Standard Time: Cant find some of your ancestors in the census? Tell me the name you were called before you met Phillip Fry? 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. . 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. Index by slave owner's name | Surname unknown or illegible.