Blverkr(Roman origin) means 'malefactor.'. Adler 5. Some are derived from first names or places, others from nicknames or descriptions, indicating the various paths that were taken in the development of these surnames over time. According to the bureaus data, there were nearly 6.3 million distinct surnames in the United States in 2010 and while they dont, unfortunately, sharethe rarest of these names (those that belong to less than 100 people), they do share those last names with only 100 entries each. Kidadl has a number of affiliate partners that we work with including Amazon. ', 9. Read More 5 Best Chicago Neighborhoods for Black Singles, Young Professionals, & Families IllinoisContinue, Thinking about moving to a new city can be stressful, but understanding which neighborhoods are best suited to your needs can reduce anxiety and facilitate a successful move. The conditions of enslavement allowed for someone to be sold as many as six times. Lolan(Irish origin) means 'little blackbird.' Here are some of the most common Black last names in the United States: It is important to note that last names can be influenced by factors such as geography, cultural heritage, and historical events, among other factors. 91. If their parents were married, they would take their fathers surname. 99. whose name is Clifford Harris Jr. Rounding out this top 10 list, we have Robinson. For example, some freedmen and women chose to take the last name Lincoln after President Abraham Lincoln, who was seen as a champion of emancipation and equality. Tempest(English origin) means 'violent storm. 34. Her work has helped Time win two National Magazine Awards. Here we provide you a list of such surnames from around the world. It Kossula, he said in Hurstons book, which was published posthumously in 2018. Shimeans 'stone. 61. Naming whether it was someones first or last was a strategy used by enslaved people to maintain familial ties despite being forcibly separated. You can probably name a ton of people with the last name Williams. Rummage. All from Danish immigrants. I have an extremely rare last name. Blakely(English origin) means 'dark or black.' Black Creole last names are common among the African-American population in Louisiana and the Gulf Coast. Cadieux (French Origin) meaning "little fighter". Hundreds of other English surnames are "endangered" so rare that fewer than 50 people in England and Wales have them and many more may be extinct within a couple more generations. Others went with Washington, Williams, Brown or Johnson surnames typical before enslavement that remain ubiquitous today. There are over 2.4 million African-American and Caribbean people with that last name. If youre a young, black professional, black family, or singleton planning to make a move to this city of over 115,000 residents, you may wonder, where does everyone live? With a 6.3% increase in the last name, there 375,576 Jacksons identified in 2010. Kenward(English origin) means 'guardian, protector.' When African Americans gained their freedom from enslavement, they also gained the freedom to name themselves and their children.. Another rich source is the Civil War pension records where veterans of the U.S. Thx! The names are the same as the top surnames in the United States: Smith, Johnson, Williams, Brown, and Jones. While looking through the National Archives in early 2020, Smith found a Civil War pension record for a United States Colored Troops veteran named Abram Sherrod. 4. The third most populous city in America, Chicago is known for its contributions to education, industry, and transportation. Walker: English origin, derived from the occupational name for a person who walked for a living. 24. The guitar player. Last Names Inspired by Creativity & Artistry. My last name is Blassingame (pronounced exactly how its spelt). ', 3. ', 39. Bruns(French origin) means 'brown.' As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases. Well, all language is made up so yes, but more relevantly, the idea of having family names isnt actually very old. Hayes 8. I actually have a few friends whose last name is Madris. Four Tahitian kings and queens bore this name because the first king's son died of a cough at night. Ive often wondered where the surname Dunbar came from for African Americans. Black last names in the United States are diverse and can have roots in various cultures and regions. Gatlin. Jarsdel. - healthy, secure. While choosing a name is only one component of your character, it is a crucial one that will likely last the person's whole existence. Sofia - wisdom. Alinsky (Russian origin), a truly unique surname to find. Mortimer(French and Latin origin) means 'dead sea. ', 74. I agree with you that my last name should also be on this list There are less than 15, Toughlians in the world, My Danish surname of RANDRUP is quite rare. ', 86. Oluale Kossula: Thats the name author Zora Neale Hurston used when she greeted Cudjo Lewis, the last known survivor of the transatlantic slave trade and the subject of her nonfiction book Barracoon. He was delighted at being addressed by the name his mother gave him, according to Hurstons account of the hours they spent in 1927 piecing together his life on that balmy summer day in Alabama. ', 70. Well, here are some neighborhoods to consider. In some cases, slaves took on the last names of their masters when they were freed, while in other cases, they chose new names to reflect their newfound freedom. Alarie(French origin) means 'all power.' ', 81. ', 63. This list represents the many cultures that contribute to the vibrant and multi-faceted Black community in the United States. Many of these names have French, Spanish, and West African roots, reflecting the regions complex cultural history. Savage - untamed. With that being said, theres probably one Smith that immediately comes to mind when you think of the last name Will Smith! Fusco(Italian origin) means 'dark.' You can download the latest data, a spreadsheet of surnames and the exact number of those claiming them, right here. My last name is Hatok. Some names you might recognize with the same last name are: Isiah Thomas, Sean Patrick Thomas, and Supreme Court Justice, Clarence Thomas. Lol, might have been a made-up surname. Derived from an old English word 'Cyneward.'. Mallory(Norman origin) means 'the unfortunate one.'. Raynott. Your privacy is important to us. Thomas is another last name that wouldnt rank in the top 10 when considering the entire population. It means blossom and flower. Here is a list of the best evil family names for your search. Unique 10 Last Names. I attended a German Lutheran high school in Inglewood California in 1958. 4. It gets trickier if the enlistee is known by their enslavers last name but identifies themselves differently, said Brandi Brimmer, an associate professor in the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hills African, African American and diaspora studies department. 23. . 78. 13. Durchdenwald (German origin) meaning "through-the-forest". Let's dive in! Abaddon(Hebrew origin) means 'doom' or 'destruction.'. 101. Sullivan(Irish origin) means 'dark eye.' These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. Copyright 2023, All Rights Reserved|uniquelastnames.com. Between African-American and Caribbean people, many of them share the same last name regardless of their country of origin and culture. Before, as a Black woman, you didnt have control over your own agency of your body. Huxley 6. Channel your inner artist and creator with these creative last names. But is Citizens Bank black-owned? Highest Heritage %. Coffey - "victorious" Copeland - "a land that is bought" Crespo - "someone with curls" Croce - "cross" Dempsey - "proud" Ditka - "important in war" Drewitt - "phantom or ghost" Hutton - "settlement" Kellett - "a slope with a spring" Lawless - "outlaw" A cool surname for a villain character. Black baby names find their roots all over the world. Your email address will not be published. Some couples do that for their own, personal reasons. Here are the Top 10 names that came up during the 2010 census. Its a moment where people who are coming from an oral culture are now having to engage with government bureaucracies and having to engage with surnames that certainly have meaning within their communities, but now have implications.. What we suggest is selected independently by the Kidadl team. Young professionals or black families thinking about moving to Columbus can find it overwhelming figuring out which neighborhood is best for them. Yamimeans 'darkness.' Most Popular African Last Names Or Surnames 1. While Smith remains the most common U.S. surname, for the first time, two Hispanic namesGarcia and Rodriguezmade the top 10. 20. After emancipation, once they could formally establish who they were absent of the enslavers influence, many Black folks chose the surname Freeman or Freedman. In one instance Smith found, an enslaver listed the surnames in an estate inventory a rare occurrence. What will you discover about your familys past? Valery (lat.) Sutton - southern settlement. Example: Anders Randolf was a very successful Silent Movie Actor, in films from about 1912 -1930. 29. Here is a list of some blood-curdling interesting surnames you might want to include. So help me, I once knew someone with that name, but recent online searches have yielded nothing, leaving me to assume she and her husband passed on as the last of the Puppybreath lineage. Baumann (German origin) means "farmer". Julia Craven is a freelance reporter and the author of the biweekly health & wellness newsletter, "Make It Make Sense.". IE 11 is not supported. 37. Today were going to look at some of the most popular and common black last names around. Ty Michael, Your email address will not be published. ', 62. Is this rare? Some newly freed Black folks who could read chose unique names they saw in newspapers despite lacking a connection to that family. How unusual is the surnames Drehsen and Reinking? Berry, who is researching Simkins, said keeping his fathers last name could have been a way to deny his father the ability to wash his hands of how he treated the people he enslaved. Acheampong (Ashanti origin) this last names means "destined for greatness," found among the Ashanti people of Ghana. Researching the origins of last names in your family tree can be a fascinating journey and well worth the effort. The last name Jackson definitely isnt as popular as the other names weve previously mentioned. 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. There was also a Major League infielder by the name of Don Blasingame (caucasion), who played in the 50s and 60s. It may be kind of rare in the US, but not so much in the Philippines, and parts of Germany. It is the name of a character in 'Book of Samuel', as King David's wife. Beckett 11. 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, Spell what is meant by a word or text, Sheard Who lived by a gap between hills, Shoulders Someone with broad shoulders, 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, Woodhouse dweller lived near the wood, 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. 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