African American Genealogy: Surnames

1. A common myth: It is commonly believed that African Americans took the surname of the slave owner, however, this is certainly not always the case. Originally slaves had no surnames, only given names, and did not take a surname unless need for a certain type of documentation or after manumission. Some enslaved people or newly freed people may have taken the name of the slave owner, or if they were on multiple plantations it could be the name of a previous slave owner, or once freed taken a different name entirely.
2. Location: There are certain regions or counties where there are large populations with a common surname. It is easy to assume that all are related but that is not always the case. For example, if a certain surname did come from a planation owner there could be two plantations owned by slave owners with similar names. One example is the Whitener plantations in North Carolina, two brothers owning separate planations.
3. Name changes: Many freed slaves changed their name to one of their choosing, and some more than once, which means you might find different surnames in separate censuses.
4. Spellings: It is very common within census records to see multiple spellings of a surname. This can be a result of many factors, including human error. One tool that is helpful for navigating this issue is the Soundex.

According to an Ancestry database blog post, "Soundex is an algorithm used to search for alternate spellings of a name. Searching by Soundex variations can help you find records despite spelling variations (such as “Smythe” for “Smith”) or errors (such as “Smth” for “Smith”) recorded in the record or the record index." Originally Soundex was in print form, but now most genealogy databases make it as easy as checking a box when performing a search. Many of the handbooks referenced in this guide provide a more in-depth history and instruction of use on the Soundex system.