My question is rather strange but , Where did Native Americans get their english last names from?

Answer 1

There are several ways Natives got English last names. Most Natives however did not choose these names but they were forced upon them by the U.S. government.

1. Native American boarding schools. Native children were kidnapped and Forced to attend White Christian boarding schools. These schools did whatever they could to attempt to turn Native children into non-Native Christians. These boarding schools were horrible much of the time and nasty acts such as rape and regular physical punishment occured at them.
2. During allotment. When the government allocated and split up Native lands they took it upon themselves to record Native land owners. They wanted Natives to adopt the colonizers view of land ownership. When they recorded Native names they either shortened them or changed them into English names. When they shortened the names they would change from something like Runs with Five Arrows to Five Arrows. And this is already the English translation of the name, keep in mind. When they shortened these English translations the meaning of the name was often lost.
3. Intermarriage. Many Natives married people outside their tribe and ethnicity and so gained English surnames.
(Well, those are the top three I know of)
I am a Native woman.

Answer 2

When Europeans came here some Native Americans were forced to become more 'white American' so therefore they were forced to adopt English or European last names.

Answer 3

It is my understanding that they were forced to take last names in order to register to vote (they first gained the right to vote in 1924 - four years after women and 54 years after black men!). So they either translated their names into English or added on an English surname--usually the name of somebody they knew or respected.

Answer 4

Generally by force... Especially the children that were basically kidnapped away from their families and forced into boarding schools meant to "civilize" them...they generally changed the children's names.

Answer 5

They either chose them in an effort to "blend in" or they were forced on them by the white power structure that wanted to forcibly assimilate them.

Answer 6

indians wer also used as slaves in america. they often took on thier owners last name

Answer 7

from the great grandfather in Washington