Here, three different former slaves discuss their names and the changes they underwent after Emancipation. The Young, Child; Derived from the word iunior meaning younger. In the 2000 U.S. Census, America counted more than 160,000 people with the surname Washington. It has been used as a given name in the English-speaking world since the 1960s. MARSHALL Added May 12, 2002. NOXUBEE Added 11-16-2001. ADISA is a male West African name which means “one who is clear” in the Yoruba language. She is the author, most recently, parenting blog called Genbabycarrier.com. Further complicating African-American-surname research is the fact that after the Civil … MADISON Added 11-16-2001. Ashaki. This is perhaps the most common last name identified with blacks. It is a very important quality to be a good person in the future. KENYA f English, African American From the name of the African country. This pancocojams post provides a list of 100 most common last names for Black people in the United States. (As noted in that chart, the last name "James" ranks as #30 among Black Americans and #80 among the total number of Americans. Asante. Jefferson Co. Judy Gates. It is common among people in the American Southwest, specifically Texas and New Mexico, as well as among residents of the island nation of Cuba. Actually, Elmore James' last name is a stage name and Etta James' name was formed by her first name "Jamesetta". Africans used to live in colonies and clans and hence they give a lot of importance to their tribe while adopting a surname. After Emancipation, many former slaves adopted new names and surnames. Addendum #1: presents an excerpt from a pdf entitled "Putting a Demographic Face on Names from Census 2000". Boy. Adébáyọ̀ Origin: Nigerian (Yoruba) Meaning: ‘He came in a joyful time’ or ‘the … Lots of “old” British surnames have been disappearing in recent years; names which have been used for generations are being lost.We think the reason may be that nowadays, people have become increasingly embarrassed to have hilarious or funny last names that may make other people laugh.. Ebony – A Popular African American Name “Ebony and Ivory go together in perfect harmony.” This is another popular name for black females. Pronunciation : case sensitive: see the pronunciation key for a guide on how to write the sounds; sounds can only be searched in names that have been assigned pronunciations * is a wildcard that will match zero or more letters in the pronunciation example: *lee matches names which end with the sound lee _ is a wildcard that will match exactly one letter in the pronunciation List of famous African Americans sortable by name, dates, place of birth and occupation. girl Unknown meaning + Add to my list Related names. This would … A famous bearer was George Washington (1732-1799), the first president of the United States. Your email address will not be published. Our list of African American Names for Boys and Girls with meanings will inspire you to find the perfect name for your cute champ. Milam – someone who lived near the old Roman town, Pegram – a person who had made a pilgrimage, Pool – someone who lived near a lake or pond, Porterfield – a portion of land of the doorkeeper, Plowden – the valley where sport takes place, Stover – a maker or seller of beakers or mugs, Sumner – a petty officer who warned people to appear in court, Senegal – a country on the coast of West Africa, Sessions – a period of a particular activity, Stclair – a person who resided near a hill, Square – slang for an old-fashioned person, Sellars – a merchant who worked in cellars, Sheard – Who lived by a gap between hills, Spratley – dweller at the sign of the sprat, Sorrells – the reddish color of dry leaves, Sain – who acted as a servant or attendant, Sangster – a person who was a singer or musician, Thornhill – a hill overgrown with thorn bushes, Turnipseed – a maker of seeds of wood, metal, Taft – the site of a house and its outbuildings, Threadgill – who embroidered with gold thread, Westmoreland – the west territory of the Yorkshire moors, Wanigan – a garden of babies love and happiness, Woodfork – someone who lived by a fork in the road in woodland, Whipple – someone who lived by a whippletree, Waterman – who lived by a stretch of water, Wint – someone who lived by a road or pat, Vasquez – son of a guy from the Basque region. This is why you hardly see an African man bearing a Western name as his last name. If you’re here to uncover the meaning and origin of popular African American last names, then you’ve come to the right place. PANOLA Added 11-16-2001. ALLEN. Several common Native American last names actually have Spanish origin. Phillips Co. Tonya Smith. African-American names are part of the traditions of African-American mixed culture. girl Handsome + Add to my list Related names. Zahra: A floral name is always classy for baby girls, it suits their delicate nature. Whether you’re writing fiction or building out a D&D campaign, you know that choosing the right names for your characters is a tough task.You want to make sure your characters' names are appropriate, memorable, and meaningful! Williams. Therefore, you’d, find that most African Americans have some common black last names, which are used by most of them. Washington. OKTIBBEHA Added 11-16-2001. Addendum #2: presents a list of the 10 most common Black American surnames based on the US Census 2010. MONROE Added May 12, 2002. In the course of documenting the causes and consequences of distinctively Thus, Zahra is one of the top listed names which means ‘a flower’. Let’s dive in! This African American baby girl’s name means ‘a truthful, honest woman’. The country is named for Mount Kenya, which in the Kikuyu language is called Kĩrĩnyaga meaning "the one having stripes". Abercrombie – the mouth of the bendy river, Berger – someone who lived in the mountains, Barefield – a person in the habit without shoes, Claxton – those who lived near the clayey soil, Cottman – person worked as a horse breeder, Downer – one who lived in an area of downland, Duplessis – one who lived by a quickset fence, Dendy – For someone who was a male, where it was initially used as a pet form of Andrew, Eddins – A person who resided near a physical feature such as a hill, Fultz – play a significant role in the tribal, Fortenberry – influence in struggles for power, Finklea – cheerful person who sings a song, Fogg – someone who grazed cattle on grass, Gethers – someone from either of two places, Gillum –  a son of a protector in society, Goods – a person who performed good deeds, Ginyard – yard with alcoholic spirit plants, Holsey – a person who resided near a hill, steam, Hallman – someone who lived by a large house, Hatter – one resident by a hat-shaped hill, Harlan – one lived in the land full of hares, Jester – professional reciter of romances, Kittrell – An influence envied by a princess, Kersey – island where the watercress grows, Mcmichael – a son of the follower of St. Michael, Mcclean – son of the servant of Saint John, Morsley – the grove or thin wood on the moor, Merrick – branch or fork of a road or river, Maple – someone who lived by a maple tree. Interestingly, the five most common American surnames as of 2010 haven’t changed that much over time and are Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, and Jones. McMillion – son of the bald or tonsured one. It is not rare to see people of a certain race with common last names since it’s regarded as trying to identify with those of your kin. The last name "Martinez" derives from the name "Martin." In the United States,’ African Americans were considered a “black” race. ALEXANDER. It was about the typical habit of human beings to have a naming system that can be related to people of their kind. 12 12 African Names List (A-Z) - Page 2 - from "Aiyanna" to "Amare" Aminata. Pancocojams showcases the music, dances, language practices, & customs of African Americans and of other people of Black descent throughout the world. Asad. This surname was sometimes adopted by freed slaves, resulting in a high proportion of African-American bearers. In African culture, it is very important to have the clan’s name with their name even though you don’t have a surname. I decided to publish this adapted "chart" about surname rankings in the United States after publishing a pancocojams post about Elmore James' Blues song "The Sky Is Crying"*. Her work has helped Time win two National Magazine Awards. According to the above table, from the 2000 Census, 17.11% of Americans have … ... African-American slave: Natalie Cole: February 6, 1950: Los Angeles, California: Singer-songwriter: Nelly: November 2, 1974: Austin, Texas: Rapper: Nigerian Last Names – Popular Surnames and Their Meanings Nigeria, a beautiful, diverse, African country home to the Niger River, and a rich history of culture and tradition. Adébáyọ̀ Origin: Nigerian (Yoruba) Meaning: ‘He came in a joyful time’ or ‘the … Black Last Names (2021) - Unique Last Names Unique Last Names Junior. Fort Bend Co. If you’re hoping to stumble upon that perfect character last name, check out this article’s list of 78 unique last names for girl characters, guy … Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. This list may not reflect recent changes (). ^.^ (and if your wondering , my name is Brittany btw) :) and the names below are names ive personally seen/heard on black women Names are of huge significance in the continent and that is why some cultures go as far as having naming ceremonies where families officially name their children in the presence of other people. Required fields are marked *. In the 2003 Allegheny County surname study posted above, the last name "Washington" is #11 on the list of the 50 most common last names for African American children born during 1992-2001 and does not appear on the list of non-African American children born during that time period. 50 most common last names in America Posted Oct 02, 2019 US actor and cast member Will Smith arrives to the promotional event for the movie Gemini Man in Budapest, Hungary, Wednesday, Sept. 25, 2019. JEFFERSON (Linda Durr Rudd's page with full list of names of holders and number of slaves) LOWNDES Added 11-16-2001. Premina Parker, is a parenting advisor. This name peaked in the 1980s and there have been over 485 million babies who were given this name. List of famous African Americans sortable by name, dates, place of birth and occupation. The name comes from the word “ebony” which is a hard, black wood. Your email address will not be published. Acheampong: If you want your baby’s name to be promising, then, this is the perfect name to … They did so either to take on a surname for the first time, or to replace a name or surname given to them by a former master. African Americans are mainly of African ancestry, but many have non-black ancestors as well. at the end of the day your decision is yours but atleast consider this list and not be so quick to run to the sterotypes.. Now, presenting common (sensible )names for African -American/black girls. )Here's the link for that pancocojams post about Elmore James' "The Sky Is Crying": https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/05/two-examples-of-blues-song-sky-is, https://names.mongabay.com/data/black.html, https://www2.census.gov/topics/genealogy/2000surnames/surnames.pdf, https://www2.census.gov/topics/genealogy/2010surnames/surnames.pdf, https://www.census.gov/topics/population/genealogy/data/2000_surnames.html, https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/05/50-most-common-african-american.html, https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/05/two-examples-of-blues-song-sky-is. British surnames such as Williams, Jackson, Robinson, Harris, Davis, Brown and Jones are also common among people of non-British descent, such as African Americans due to slavery. Similarly, Nigerian last names have a wonderful history and an interesting way of being given. Viewer comments are welcome. Texas. [Added October 6, 2017]. © Copyright 2021, All Rights Reserved | uniquelastnames.com. But the bureau also compiled lists of the fastest-growing surnames in the United States and these include Zhang, Li, Ali, Liu, and Khan – a testament to the wonderful diversity of our nation. That post also features a cover of that song by Etta James (no relation to Elmore James). This is Handout 1.6 (p. African last names are the perfect example of colonial influence. both Gratitute, thanks, thank you + Add to my list Related names. Pages in category "Surnames of African origin" The following 92 pages are in this category, out of 92 total. Chinese Boy Names – Most Popular Baby Names (2021). In order to make your search simple, We classified names into two categories, African American Baby Boy Names and African American Baby Girl Names. boy Lion + Add to my list Related names. [citation needed] Garcia and Martinez represent the rapid growth of several Hispanic communities in the United States. To understand these common surnames, we must take a look at African American ancestry. The last name Yazzie is a Navajo name with unexplained meaning. Surnames like Cock, Daft, Death, Smellie, Gotobed, Shufflebottom, … SIMPSON (Linda Durr Rudd's page with full list of names of … However, my curiosity about whether the last name "James" was more common among Black Americans than other Americans resulted in this pancocojams post on 100 most common Black American surnames. **** Thanks for visiting pancocojams. Missouri. The Many Ways African Americans Came by Their Last Names . Many Black Americans use names that are popular in American culture although a number of naming trends have emerged within African American culture. African last names or surnames have deeper meanings than many think. Now, have a great experience of selecting a name for your newborn baby.