I was only three years old when she died. . I have done quite a bit of genealogy for my own family, and it was difficult enough, but what you are doing, is incredible work. 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 did a post sometime ago about Slavery Studies, where I named some of the top books on the subject. A Wessyngton slave named Bill who was the plantation's blacksmith was known as Billy the Smith during slavery. The surname issue really presents huge challenges for those of us doign this research, but you soulnd as though you are making headway. Robyn. 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 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. Corbin Corbin has an Old English origin. It gives the age and sex of the slave and the number of slaves of each age and sex. Q. Ref. . Another common way of distinguishing people would be 'son of', for example Johnson (son of John), Richardson, Wilson, Harrison etc. Most Popular Names. I am sure your father would also be very proud of your interest in family history. 1754 Excerpts from the Courant for June 22 to 29, 1754 at Jamaican Family Search Genealogy Research Library - contain the names of some "runaway slaves" or indentured servants, and information about them. Examples include: Francois, Jean, Pierre, and Leon for men; and Manon, Delphine, Marie Louise, Celeste, and Eugenie for women. Each name was a clue to her origins. An 's' at the end of a personal name also meant 'son of', for example Richards, Stevens, Williams and so on. 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. 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. Place names that were disproportionately popular among Black Americans in history include Boston, Jamaica, York, and Africa. I am not able to find any slaveholders in the Versailes area by the name of Ellis. 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). A. Mr. Thomas Jefferson of Louisville, bought me when I was three years of age from Mr. Dearing. Farley, (English Origin) Victorian-era last names meaning "fern woodland". 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. However, the enslaved occasionally had surnames, which became normal leading up to and after emancipation as a mark of assimilation into free society. 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. Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? They cut it off from OCTAVIA. Students learn about the violent responses to the transformation of US democracy that occurred as a result of Radical Reconstruction. My full name is Dick Lewis Barnett. Almost every major tome on slavery discusses slave naming practices in some form or fashion. Even tiny steps are huge in someones life. 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. Thank you for commenting, and continued luck to you in your research. The fifty most common Victorian surnames in England and Wales for 1853 are listed in alphabetical order below. No superior alternative has yet been found. Thanks for adding your very experienced voice to the conversation. Through a video-based activity, students explore how Radical Reconstruction changed the nature of voting rights and democracy in the South. One former slave Bill Scott from Wessyngton reported in his pension application for military service that when he enlisted in the Union Army officials put down his surname as Washington. One of my grandfathers in Africa was called Jeaceo, and so I decided to be Jackson. Runaway ads illustrate how many slaveholders knew the surnames of their slaves. 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. 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. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Others were more promiscuous. Hi Susan, In fact, it's not even past. Going back a decade to the 1850 Slave Schedule, both William Wood and Samuel O. Perhaps Wash Ellis registered under the name of one of his parents. Rounding out the Top 40, here are the next 30 most common names among African-Americans and Caribbean people: Taylor (Jayceon Terrel Taylor "The Game") Wilson (Charlie Wilson) Moore (Shemar Moore) White (Barry White) Lewis (Carl Lewis) Walker (Jimmie J. J. Walker) Green (Al Green) Thompson (Kenan Thompson) Washington (Denzel Washington) The second hour is hands-on, and I want you to bring the deeds you've found along with your questions. This page is currently showing names ranked from 1 to 1000. 6. [15] Alice Clifton (c. 1772-unknown), as an enslaved teenager, she was a defendant in an infanticide trial in 1787. Robyn. Louisiana, U.S., Slave Manumission Records, 1719-1820. 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). This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. Robyn. 782 Lists of Slave owners with names of slaves Tamme, 766 Tom, 766 West, 766 Will, 766 Barker, Nathaniel Harry, 591, 700, 746, 767 Barkley, Barbary Grace, 651 There are a wide array of sources that provide us with slave surnames, from the slave narratives and interviews, to freedmans bank cards, runaway ads and Southern Claims Commission records. I presume no death certificate for her survives? Slaves are identified by given name under their masters. Renate, A valuable and incisive discussion, both theoretically and historically informed, of slave naming in two African societies, the Caribbean, and the American South. Q. This article is from the Encyclopedia of North Carolina edited by William S. Powell. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Besides the Morrows, whom else did you live with in Louisville? For more information or to contact an Oxford Sales Representative click here. Thank you, my dear friend, for adding this about enslaved people owned in the Caribbean is really important, as some of the customs were certainly different. Several of the other slaves were sold to various slave owners. 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. On all subsequent census records, he is listed as John Lewis. He identified father, mother and siblings in a Freedmans bank deposit in 1873, when he was already in New York City. New surnames were created from a local regions name such as Smithfield the name taken might be Smith or Field. 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. Peneus saved Daphne from Apollos romantic obsessions by transforming her into a laurel tree. They are part of Records of the U.S. Customs Service . Plus, Jonah comes with a ready-made nursery-decorating motif. This lively Old Testament nature name (belonging to one of the three beautiful daughters of Job) may be missing from the current US Top 1000 list, but it ranks highly here on Nameberry making it one to watch! David Nicolle, Graham Turner: Poitiers AD 732: Charles Martel Turns the Islamic Tide. 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. Also, the government seemed to be in a almighty hurry to have us get names. Newly emancipated slaves also frequently chose new first names, discarding those associated with slavery. Thomas mother, younger brothers and sisters remained with the Black family. Melvin, What are the most popular last names in the UK? See more details in the flier here and they are available for purchase for $10 . It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. 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. In 1911, Barnett and Frys widow, Mollie, both applied for pensions from the government. It comes from the same Greek root as 'ambrosia', the food of the gods, said to confer immortality. is for you. I was bornthe child of Phillis Houston, slave of Sol Smith. Thanks for writing this post! It is certainly possible that Wilsons siblings could have been sold away or owned by others. Abel, et al. I focused on surnames but many of these books also discuss first names. She was the great patroness-goddess of the city of Athens. Use the form below to get in touch with me and I'll get back to you as soon as possible. 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 love to hear from my readers. You are the continuation of each of these people.". 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. 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 . A. Enslaved women were raped, creating children with white fathers who in most cases did not claim them and even sold them away. Your current browser may not support copying via this button. Join me as I present this NEW webinar that covers why we miss our ancestors in these records and presents numerous strategies to assist in finding every clue in census records. The name.Auber.is also.in.Haiti and.is of.French orign. This entry was posted on Friday, August 28th, 2009 at 11:46 am and is filed under Civil War, Genealogy & DNA, Interviews. . They called me OCK. . 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. Dick Lewis Barnett and Phillip Fry were African American veterans of the Union Army during the Civil War. Thank you. I also have a Slavery and Freedom Collection available for $20. This is true in some cases but not all. this page. Here, our list of notable early African American names. Robyn. The poster on each page *provides the link to the handout* for that lecture, so be sure to copy it. I also meant to email you and tell you how I enjoyed your article in the last NGSQ. 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. Most common last names names: 1-1000 | 1001-2000 | 2001-3000 | 3001-4000 | 4001-5000 This unique-sounding French last name means 'bold' or 'daring'. American slave owners or slaveholders were owners of slaves in the United States which typically worked either as agriculture laborers or house servants. My Louisiana Creole ancestors who were free persons of color and former slaves practiced a unique naming tradition I think comes from Latin cultures. However, the common practice by slaveholders was to only use the given names of enslaved people in documents such as estate papers, court and deed records. by John C. Inscoe, 2006; Revised May 2022 by NC Government & Heritage Library. 40. 5. 2. All of them are alive in this moment. Q. I love how you have documented the history of your own surname. Copyright 2006 by the University of North Carolina Press. 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. I belonged to him until emancipation. Dorothy, Doris or Dora: Meaning 'gift of God', this Victorian girl's name was popular in the 19th century. Through DNA matches, I believe I have recently found a brother of my mothers great grandfather. 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. They called me "OCK". Please subscribe or login. 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! Copy this link, or click below to email it to a friend. Davis: This name is a patronymic of David. In the 1930s, ex-slave Martin Jackson explained why he chose his last name after Emancipation: The master's name was usually adopted by a slave after he was set free. These cookies do not store any personal information. For personal use and not for further distribution. Students learn about President Andrew Johnson and the Congressional Republican's conflicting visions of how to rebuild the nation after the Civil War. Osprey Publishing 2008. Phone: 314-994-3300, Hours & Locations Comments/Suggestions314-994-3300, Copyright 2023. . James) will have . Middle Tennessee, where tobacco, cattle, and grain became the favored crops, held the . I communicate with them on Facebook. I was born in Montgomery County, Ala. the child of Phillis Houston, slave of Sol Smith. Who called you by that name and where was it done? He was a slave owner and, in 1800 as Chief Justice of New Brunswick, he supported slavery in defiance of British practice at the time. A. 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. Manifests - Alphabetical by Slave Names Return to Slave Manifests main page Click on each Slave name to view information on that voyage. So just a few things to be aware of when researching any African-American ancestors. A favorite of British novelists including Evelyn Waugh and P. G. Wodehouse, Ambrose has an air of blooming well-being and upper-class erudition. 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. Women tended to have two names, and slaves often just had one. Cambridge, UK: Cambridge University Press, 2006. Now, that parent's surname could very well be the surname of the most recent slaveholder or an earlier slaveholder. Robyn N. Smith, [insert post title], Reclaiming Kin (https://reclaimingkin.com: accessed [insert date you read the post]), [insert the date the post was written]. Facing History & Ourselves uses lessons of history to challenge teachers and their students to stand up to bigotry and hate. 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.. Just from the detail in your first comment, I knew there was a good chance you were already familiar with those authors. I also see that in 1900 she is listed as widow with 1 child living, so you may have luck trying to find out who her child was. I did not even check the 1850 slave schedule. This potential brother had been sold to a local and remained there in SC. 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. Currently, the most popular Black last name in America is Williams, with a total count of 774,920 people who have the surname.