“It Ain’t What They Call You, It’s What You Answer To.” – W.C. Fields
W.C. Fields understood the complexity of names. My April newsletter touched on the importance of names. Your name links you to your ancestors. My grandfather told us the story that when he left the Cape Verde Islands in the 1920s, the intake clerk changed his surname because he couldn’t spell his actual surname (Sequiera). He asked my grandfather what his mother’s last name was; he stated “Fernandes” and so my grandfather became Henrique Fernandes. Although many immigrants Americanized their names or were illiterate and could not spell their own names (see Family Matters Newsletter – May 2022), the intake clerks did the best they could, spelling it phonetically.
Names are important in genealogy because it is how we find our ancestors. Some ways are easier than others. Unique first and last names are easier to find in records than common names like Mary, Ann, Smith, or Jones. Look for uncommons names when tracing your direct line ancestors on your family tree.
Surnames
After Emancipation, the formerly enslaved chose their surnames. There was no rhyme nor reason for their selection – it depended on what they felt at the time. They might have taken the surname of their last enslaver or their first enslaver or the enslaver that treated them the kindest (see what I mean)? They might have chosen someone they admired (like Presidents “Lincoln” or “Washington”). It could have been their occupation (Cooper, Smith, or Baker) or chosen randomly to express their newfound freedom (the surname “Freeman” was popular for this reason).
Not knowing where to start in your research, make the assumption that the surname IS the enslaver’s name (I know the phrase about assuming…). Now, look for your ancestors on the 1870 census and see if there are any white people within the same area with the same surname. If you find this to be true, research the oldest male member of the household. Go back in the census records to find their father and see if they died before Emancipation. If so, search wills, probate and business records. You should look for your ancestors being willed or given to family members. Also check Freedman’s Bureau Records for employment contracts. Many formerly enslaved continued to work for former enslavers! I know this sounds like a lot but keep at ot, the information is there.
First names and Nicknames
During slavery, it was common for names to be repeated frequently within a family. Parents named their children after themselves or their grandparents; this also included daughters! First born daughters shared their mother’s name, their mother’s sister’s name or a grandmother’s first name. Parents did not use suffixes like “Junior, Senior and III” (a genealogist’s nightmare), instead nicknames like Sonny, Big John, Little John and JoJo were popular. Big families had several members with the same names. Nicknames distinguished family members between each other. Sometimes, families shortened names like Babs, Pandy and Morty from Barbara, Pandora and Mordecai. These nicknames were sometimes listed on census records. When searching, always look for various spellings of first names, nicknames and misspellings if you hit a brick wall.
Middle names
African Americans are famous for naming their children one name and calling them by their middle name! Parents named their children after a family member out of respect but sometimes didn’t like the name. There were several aunts, uncles, and/or cousins with the same first name and had to distinguish between other family members. Some parents preferred a child’s middle name over their first name. Historian Herbert G. Gutman suggested that slaves selected the names of their children so that they would know their familial ties in case of separation.
Perfect example, a client was trying to trace the steps of her great great grandmother – let’s call her Zeta Jones – but we could only find her and her granddaughter (Phi Beta Smith) on one census record in 1940 but then the tracks went cold. We did all kinds of searches in the entire state…NOTHING. After looking through all the records and talking to my client, there was an obvious pattern in the naming of the children in her family. The granddaughter had an unusual middle name so I decided to search Beta Jones instead of Zeta Jones and wonders never cease…she popped up! Zeta wasn’t her first name but no one in the family knew this. We were able to go further back in the family tree knowing this info.
Maiden names
The hardest people to track in genealogy are women! Why? Because we take the last names of our husbands when we get married. In earlier times, women lost their identity after marriage and therefore their family history. They became “Mrs. James X” or Mrs. Ann X.” However, women from wealthy families kept their maiden names because it was their status symbol for recognition in high society. Often, they gave their daughters their maiden name as their middle name.
So, if you’re looking for your female ancestor and don’t know her maiden name, look for her marriage license under her husband’s name or look for the death certificate of one of her children – these documents will have her maiden name listed. You can also track her brother because they would have had the same surname. The most important lesson in this – HYPHENATE YOUR NAME, LADIES!!! Try to make it easier on future generations trying to find you.