The Welsh and American Slavery

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The Slave Masters

The Evidence of Surnames

Why do so many black Americans today have Welsh surnames?

Of the 432 black American football players during the 1975-6 season, 56 of them, or approximately 13% had Welsh surnames. This percentage is quite characteristic of most of the black population in the USA - why is this?

The first names of slaves

Was it slave masters of Welsh descent who were giving them these surnames? No; it quite unusual for slaves to have surnames at all; their original surnames were a sign of the indigenous culture the slave masters were so eager to destroy (see. " seasoning"). Was this also, perhaps a way of "treating them like children", emphasizing the dependence on the master and denying that they were "real" adults?

Most would only have a first name, often grandiose classical names such as Caesar, Cassius and Pompey. It was some sort of joke by their owners to give them names like this. The slave masters also chose for their slaves the same kinds of names as they gave to their horses and dogs - Fountain, Cuffee etc. - rather than more "usual" names. Once again, this was a way of denying the humanity and the equality of slaves.

So how did black Americans get their surnames?

As they were freed; and most of them were freed during the turmoil of the 1860s, some would take surnames to describe their new identity such as Freeman, Newman and Liberty, or would choose the surnames of American heroes such as Washington and Lincoln:

After freedom a heap of people say they was going to name theirselves over...Some of the names was Abraham, and some called theirselves Lincum. Any big name, 'cepting their master's name. It was the fashion. I heard 'em talking 'bout it one evening, and my pa say, "Fine folks raise us and we gonna hold to our own names" That settled it with all of us.Lee Guidon (Slave Narratives, South Carolina)

And yet, although they had the opportunity to select their own surnames, it appears that many adopted the names of their former owners.

The master's name was usually adopted by the slave after he was set free. This was done more because it was a logical thing to do and the easiest way to be identified than it was through affection for the master. Also the government seemed to be in a almighty hurry to have us get names. We had to register as someone so we would be citizens.Martin Jackson (Slave Narratives, Texas)

Most of the evidence about the naming of former slaves is anecdotal. Despite the growth in Afro American studies, very little cliometric work has been done to analyse what exact names were taken by former slaves.

No doubt the pattern varied from area to area, but from reading the Slave Narratives of the 1930s, (a very small sample of course of the 4 million who were freed), it appears that a small majority of those who mention how they got their surnames, had taken on the names of their former owners. And some of those former masters were, of course, of Welsh descent...

The man I belonged to been Marster John A Williams, born on the Cape Fear. I go by Marster John name - Williams Willis Williams (Slave Narratives, De Carolina)