Example: All, or most only had first names, that I'm aware of. How did they choose last, or also, middle names? Did they use the plantations name? Their "masters"? What? Also, where were they're names registered?
2007-01-25 12:12:41 · 11 answers · asked by choo-choo 1 in Arts & Humanities ➔ History
Commonly they used the names of their masters. They also used the surnames of their (white) fathers if they knew them. This may have been frequently the same thing but not always. And you are correct about the use of the name of the property they came from in some cases. Before the final abolutition, The surnames chosen by the freed slaves became fixed on deeds of real estate transfered following their manumission, on the titles to those of their family they had been able to purchase from bondage, on documents carried before abolition stating their status as a "free person of colour" and in work permits, that allowed the slave to work away from home for wages. These however seldom included more than a first name, a description and the owners name. Finally, in the 1870 US census, where they were listed as individual people and not just as property; age, sex, owner. This fixed these surnames in law.
2007-01-25 12:42:15 · answer #1 · answered by colinchief 3 · 2⤊ 0⤋
They used all kinds of things, depending of the family. Some did use the master's last name, some used the name of the plantation, some used nature, or religious words. I don't know where their names were registered. I would imagine that they were registered as property or belongings before they were freed and perhaps at their churches or maybe at the town hall.
2007-01-25 12:22:58 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋
Some took the last names of thier former masters. Some picked names they liked or that had some signifigance to them as free Americans [Washington, Jefferson] some took names of regions or towns they lived in, thier trade [Smith, Cooper, Baker, Cook] and some came up with names on their own.
2007-01-25 12:23:39 · answer #3 · answered by ajtheactress 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They already had the masters names, so there wan't much choosing. That's why in the 60's and 70's civli rights people started tracing back their roots and finding their real family names.
I don''t know where they would be registered
2007-01-25 12:22:45 · answer #4 · answered by jack s 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Sometimes they used names that meant something to them, thus a whole lot of Washington's, Jackson's, Jefferson's, etc. But some used the names of their former masters. One woman told me that her grandfather chose the name of his former master because he feared being reinslaved and wanted to be sure he got his kindly old master back. By calling himself Toby "Johns" he wanted people to know who he should be returned to if slavery made a comeback.
2007-01-25 17:52:50 · answer #5 · answered by James@hbpl 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I was under the impression that a lot did go by their "masters" last name or they used their profession (like Smith for being a blacksmith). Although I'm not entirely sure.
2007-01-25 12:21:54 · answer #6 · answered by ? 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Took their masters name
2007-01-25 12:25:11 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
Many took the name of the family that owned them, soo took names based on some skill or trade that that they had knwoledge of, and some took names based on other factors reflecting their new status as freemen.
2007-01-25 12:36:22 · answer #8 · answered by kveldulf_gondlir 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I'm not 100% positive but I believe they were known by their masters' sir names and kept them.
2007-01-25 12:22:21 · answer #9 · answered by Betsy 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Usually their masters !!
2007-01-25 12:20:11 · answer #10 · answered by Anonymous · 1⤊ 0⤋