Your partner in parenting from baby name inspiration to college planning. Former slaves often made up surnames based on their occupations. The following list of the most commonly occurring surnames in America includes details on each name's origin and meaning. Five of the slaves were sold to the Washingtons and brought to Wessyngton. For many years, Williams has remained a common surname for a person of African American descent.

Thomas’ mother, younger brothers and sisters remained with the Black family.

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Location the owner of one’s ancestor is crucial for an African American genealogist to trace his family before 1870.

The reality is that slavery is what largely introduced Africans to America, and many of them went through their entire lives with a single name given to them by their master.

You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site. 20 Jamaican Last Names That’ll Make You Wanna Visit Kingston. 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. Thus, once they were given their freedom, they chose his surname out of admiration.

As a result, many slaves used the surnames of their owner’s wife’s family. Tracing Your Roots: Were Slaves’ Surnames like Brands? The Association – Another working theory is that, by associating themselves with the most famous man in the U.S. (at the time), they were making a tactical decision that would benefit future generations. Well done, your article is of great help. In 1870, all of them were listed with the surnames of their last owner; however, each one of them named their sons for one of their brothers. It is now common in South Africa. The following is a list of the most common surnames for people who self-identified as "Black" in America during the 2000 Census. African last names are popular around the globe. Just found out that it was impossible to trace my name back further than 1800’s…. Another myth is once African Americans were sold they never saw their families again. Your email address will not be published. I’d be very thankful if you could elaborate a little bit more. and Comments (RSS). Excellent information for an enthusiast like me. In 1836, William Turbeville died leaving an estate with several slaves who were brothers: Turner, Nelson, Simon, Jordan, and Jacob. The daughters took the last names of their mothers and the sons took the last names of their fathers. This entry was posted 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. When it comes to dissecting the meaning behind African American surnames, the catalyst will always be slavery – or the lack thereof. For many years, Williams has remained a common surname for a person of African American descent. You certainly deserve a round of applause for your post and more specifically, your blog in general. An article (with a complete title list) about the 216 Arkansas newspapers available in GenealogyBank’s…, In this article, Jane Hampton Cook writes about the Seneca Falls Convention in 1848, a…, You can unsubscribe at any time. The reasoning behind their decisions can’t be explained and will largely remain a matter of speculation. Patriotism – Lastly, could it be that those who were given their freedom developed a sense of patriotism?

Once given their freedom, they were then allowed to take up any name they wanted. I love it.

Maduabuchi means Humans are not God. To understand exactly why this surname has mustered its popularity, one must take a look into the darker layers of America’s history.

A few theories: The truth is that historians don’t know why the name Washington became as prominent as it is with African Americans. Mi és partnereink cookie-k és hasonló technológiák használatával tárolunk és/vagy érünk el adatokat az Ön eszközén annak érdekében, hogy személyre szabott hirdetéseket és tartalmakat jelenítsünk meg Önnek, mérjük a hirdetések és a tartalmak hatékonyságát, és információkat szerezzünk a célközönségre vonatkozóan, valamint a termékfejlesztéshez.

There are 54 countries, between 900 and 1,500 languages and several thousand ethnic groups in Africa, according to Britannica. John Lewis was born in 1831; in 1844 he and several family members were given to George A. Washington of Wessyngton.

Even within the White-American population, most babies of that era were given a few very common names, with children given nicknames to distinguish the various people with the same name.

Last names come from indigenous, colonialist and diasporic roots. We use cookies to collect information from your browser to personalize content and perform site analytics. Working on African American families in Gallia County, Ohio, I've found a recurring theme with free African Americans born in Virginia before the Civil War. Have you ever wondered what the most common African American last names are? It's interesting to note, that since 1990 , the only other time this surname report has been compiled by the U.S. Census Bureau, three Hispanic surnames —Garcia, Rodriguez, and Menendez—have risen into the top 10.

Washington, an Inspiration – It’s entirely possible that George Washington and his beliefs were an inspiration to African Americans. There are many factors to consider in determining what surnames African Americans used. 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. Very few had their master’s last name, and fewer chose to claim it once they were given their freedom.

Választásait bármikor módosíthatja az Adatvédelmi lehetőségek oldalon. African Americans were known by these surnames in the slave community and often recorded by slave owners on plantation documents. According to US census records, Williams is the 16th most common last name associated with African Americans. On occasion, we also use cookies to collect information from our toddlers, but that’s a totally different thing.

After emancipation, they all used the Terry surname because their families had been with the white Terry family for generations.

To look at the meaning and origins behind African American surnames is to navigate through a dark part of America’s history.

Before then, most names were heavily influenced by European-American culture.

They were all sold to different owners: Connell, Rose, Johnson, and Hughes respectively. The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Family’s Journey to Freedom, A Thank You Letter from Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth, Plantation Records Key Link to African American Past, http://www.lancasterspecialcare.com/care-options.php. In small communities where census takers and county officials knew African Americans personally and their previous owners, they often recorded the former slaves with the surnames of their last owners. Az Adatvédelmi irányelvek közt és a Cookie-szabályzatban olvashat bővebben arról, hogyan használjuk fel adatait. Most Popular African Last Names on FamilyEducation: Ba, Ballo, Diallo, Our Favorite Thanksgiving Pregnancy Announcement Ideas. When Wessyngton’s owner George A. Washington married Margaret Lewis in 1849 her father gave the couple twenty-nine slaves. This might come as a surprise to you, as it’s not always a surname that’s stereotyped. Many chose their own, either copying another or creating one, however they saw fit. Ha engedélyezi a Verizon Media és partnerei részére, hogy feldolgozzák az Ön személyes adatait, válassza a(z) Elfogadom lehetőséget, ha pedig további tájékoztatást szeretne, vagy kezelné adatvédelmi lehetőségeit, akkor válassza a(z) Beállítások kezelése lehetőséget. The following is a list of the most common surnames for people who self-identified as "Black" in America during the 2000 Census. Most Popular African Last Names Or Surnames: 1.

The following are among the most common last names of African Americans: Williams. History. Learn how your comment data is processed. Information on our advertising guidelines can be found. In the 2000 U.S. Census, America counted more than 160,000 people with the surname Washington. After emancipation, he moved back with his mother, brothers and sisters and used the Cobbs surname.

This was the case with several others from Wessyngton.

Also: no one can dictate my life, nor my destiny, strong to be God to my destiny and my self. Exceptional post however , I was wondering if you could write a

This is true in some cases but not all. I am so grateful and thankful for your article. This is perhaps the most common last name identified with blacks. The Washingtons of Wessyngton Plantation: Stories of My Family’s Journey to Freedom is proudly powered by Get in touch! Again, there are no clear connections as to why it has become such a popular surname with African Americans – but it can be theorized. African last names are popular around the globe. Most common last names for Blacks in the U.S.

If searching for a slave owner with the same surname of your ancestor fails, check marriage records for the slave owners. Your email address will not be published. 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. on Friday, August 28th, 2009 at 11:46 am and is filed under Civil War, Genealogy & DNA, Interviews. Number of occurrences among people self-identifying as 'black', % of people with surname self-identifying as 'black'. PRETORIUS Southern African, Afrikaans From Latin praetor meaning "leader". Funny enough, Williams is a patronymic form of the name William that traces its roots back to England and Wales (during medieval times).