The popularity of some of these Southern surnames can also be attributed to the great TV shows and movies in which they are used for the characters. I know a Sarah that was instead often called Sar-ee and The Deer Hunter had a great aunt Cora that was called Cor-ee by the family. The most common origin of the Williams surname is patronymic, meaning "son of William," a given name that derives from the elements wil, "desire or will," and helm, "helmet or protection." 04. Pick the last name that suits your character best from the below list of Southern surnames. This list of cool last name ideas will help you find a unique surname for your novel, fantasy, gaming or online characters. It is a most wonderful tradition that I think our children will continue to carry on. 69. I learned some of the real names after they passed, but sadly not the story behind the nicknames. Anna. TATE (1,443) 2. Another one that comes to mind is an Irene who is called Arlene. My daddys sister was called Emmer Lee for Emma Lee. Pruitt, played by Sandra Bullocks in the movie 'Hope Floats' that was set in the small town of Smallville in Texas. Im on my wifes page. 57. Who you talking about? 11. They also spelled it Huce. 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. American Surnames. Later they butchered a calf annually after we got a freezer. Tipper, 87. 'Jesus,' 'John,' and 'Joseph' are all names of religious origin that still remain popular today. Thank you for all you do to preserve our Mountain/Appalachian heritage. Clark (English, Scottish or Latin origin) meaning scribe or clerk or secretary. Now how do you even come close to getting to be a Polly if you were christened Mary? You might say I cannot be bought period. 5. 46. I think it's important to know because when pe. That should have said I had a cousin named Anita Lynn, but she was called Zoolie. Sorry for the omission! Wake Cemetery Project. 62. One of the funniest memories I have about names: My Grandmother had a visitor and my cousin were in the next room playing when we heard the woman telling Mama about her daughter. 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. Hernandez (Spanish origin) meaning the son of Hernando. Eventually he married and moved his rather large family to Tennessee for a short period and then finally to Alabama. My Dads parents were named a George and Socia Smith. I had a cousin named but she was called Zoolie all her her life and I was called Tilly from Tilly the Toiler for a while because I was always busy. Choosing a Southern last name from the Deep South is a great way to give yourself or a character a truly Southern feel. We also had a Cora (Cor-ee), Barbara (Barb-ree) and Agatha (Aga-thee) in town. . Many of them carry incredible meanings, whilst others are more simple. Many unusual given names are middle names used when the first name is very common and the community has many people with the same surname. Holt (German origin) meaning forested upland. Patree (Greek origin) meaning worthy. Marks, a character in 'Dazed And Confused', is another very popular surname in Texas. Thanks for doing what you do. Subscribe for FREE and get a daily dose of Appalachia in your inbox, Yep, dinner at noon and supper late in the day. Maybe it is at least partly about how people invent language. We found 613,523 records for Appalachian last name. Hubbys mothers name is Faye JennieVee but she was called Fimp by those that knew her. I had a 2nd great grandfather named Pinkney, a great aunt named Della they called deller, and a great grandfather whose name was Staples, which I have always wondered where it came from because Ive never heard that one anywhere else. Rank in 2000: 3. 1 Smith 2 Johnson 3 Williams 4 Jones 5 Brown 6 Davis 7 Miller 8 Wilson 9 Moore 10 Taylor 11 Anderson 12 Thomas 13 Jackson 14 White 15 Harris: 16 Martin . 2. And my youngest daughter, Well, its not much of her name. This is a great post. Armstrong (Scottish origin) meaning the son of the strong man.. When I was a teenager, my mom decided we should go visit the OLD graveyard up on the high mountain where new owners of the land had paused their decade long strip mining. 33. In my fathers family, his mothers sisters were Zora, Ora Belle, Dora Lee, Louree. Birdie (Anglo-Saxon origin) meaning for God. (function() { 5. I Love the names from our region! A few, sadly, were small family burial grounds on old home places that had been used to pasture cattle for decades. Nicknames included Fatty, Gander, and Scooter., Sophronia, Ozie, Jerusha, Euphemia, Parlee, Asenath, Zessie Othello, Kiziah Kissie, Mahuldah, Peaceable, Temperance Ann, Dicy Didamy Elvira Ophelia, Senny Onsimus, Asenath Amissa with children Amariah, Didama Dicey, and Hepzibah Hepsey.. Surnames generally fall into 1 of 5 categories: toponymic (location-based), occupational . As of February 2022, Korhonen was the most common surname among the 5.5 million Finnish population. Williams (English origin) meaning will or protection. Lemma is another strange (to me) family name but there are several Lemmas in the cemetery book. Love it! Kidadl provides inspiration to entertain and educate your children. Some have been described as being "swarthy" or at least somewhat dark-skinned in appearance, but the physical characteristics of Melungeons differ greatly. Top & Most Popular Names & Nicknames. We will always aim to give you accurate information at the date of publication - however, information does change, so its important you do your own research, double-check and make the decision that is right for your family. Lainis (Hawaiian origin) meaning shining brightly. My father was named Garnett, and there were several others with that name on his mothers side of the family. I have a great uncle named Zsoldos (ZOLE-duss), but called Zeke. Buddy is great uncle. Oh and grandpa was the original Logan that has been used a lot just recently..I do recall hearing grandma call him Loggie (long o). Also because, the people who had already settled the east coast didnt know where else to put all these rugged ol Celts, except the frontier. 84. Her full name has an unusual story to it too, but Ill save that one for another day. I thought that was an unusual name but never asked Mammy how she came up with it. We have loads of ideas right here! 54. Several years back I did a post on unusual names I found while researching Lufty Baptist Church. Texas folklore developed the idea of her having a sister named Ura Hogg. We sometimes dont recognize their real name either. I have done extensive family genealogy and know they came from Scotland, Ireland, England, and France by the way of Acadia. Lahoma. 97. Tennessee Appalachian Mountains Region I am a direct descendant of a "Lorenzo Dow Andrews." Researching this name, I found that many southern families have a Lorenzo Dow [surname]. Ive never seen the name Tivit but have seen Verlie/Verla/Varley. I have a granddaughter whose middle name is Danger and indications are shell live up to it. My own dear grandmother Ida was always called Idy by Grandpa. Newsletter. Not sure if that was a childs pronuncation of her married name which was Lytle (which is my middle name). I enjoy yall so much keep up the good work. I sometimes wonder if they were names from diaspora communities, and as people began to speak English with their original accents, and as that developed into the various Appalachian accents, we ended up with weird names. I am sure a lot of these ways followed them from over the sea. Alma (F) (Celtic origin) means "good". The kids have a huge area to play out of doors. Davis (English origin) meaning the son of David. The Bell Witch. Less common an er was added, as my Aunt Edna may have been referred to as Edner. It was his fathers first name and his middle name: Verlie. 40. I do understand that people will add, subtract or even use a complete substitute for sounds in speaking to make words easier to say. I will be forever indebted to these women. My mother hated this. Berkeley (Old English origin) meaning birch lea. 53. Copeland (Old Norse origin) meaning bought land. Casteel probably originated with a native of Castile in Spain. I never knew where the names came from until I figured it out. My grandma is named Eleanor, but she wasnt given a formal name until she went to school everyone just called her Skinny, which is what many relatives still call her. Also, sort of funny was that she gave her daughters two names, but always called them by their middle name. My mother was named after him. Sometimes called the "Lost Tribe of Appalachia," the Melungeons are people of mixed ethnicity who claim varying degrees of Portuguese . Surnames; First Names; Search People; Search Families As always, thank you, Tipper for sharing with us! The source is noted at the top of each list. 17. I had several family members with different nicknames, some having two or more. I should be horse- whipped because they were brilliant! While Smith remains the most common U.S. surname, for the first time, two Hispanic namesGarcia and Rodriguezmade the top 10. Keren-Happuch was the youngest of Jobs three daughters. The fields in the file are as follows: 'yr' - the year (e.g. They were names like Lola, Dora, Vesta and etc that were seldom ever pronounced the way they were spelled. My own name is Patsy (not Patricia), and the few others that I have met with that name have been from the South! She was most certainly a young woman. No idea how an e became an a. The inscription read Homer Barnes dau. I just watched your youtube video about the names from the church in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park and I think you may have mentioned some of my Beck family members! Bowen (Welsh origin) meaning the son of Owain. Yeller (German origin) meaning farmer. The most common surnames in Alaska at American Surnames . My maternal grandmother and her twin sister were named Toka and Noka Scaggs. Underwood (Old English origin) meaning below all the trees in a particular forest. Oh goodness, there are a ton of different names in our family too. Same story with my Uncle Ira . Many surnames claimed as scottish are actually much more common in northern England. I think k growing up a lot of people had nicknames that were used more than the real ones. My Great Grandfather went by D.I. Most Common Last Names In Tennessee. Harding (English origin) meaning strong or hardy or brave. Garcia (Spanish origin) meaning young. Candy. Subscribe for virtual tools, STEM-inspired play, creative tips and more. Then I am born, the next girl in the family, so I get the really weird one!!! 27. Does it seem like the variations like y and ie endings are more noticeable in the women of the family? 14. Alice was one of the most common names in the 1700s. My maternal grandmothers name was Eula. From people I grew up around: Onie, Essie, Effie, Swears, Pallie (my maternal grandma, Palmyra). My name is Yecedrah. According to the most recent publicly available U.S. Census data from the year 2000, the five most common last names in the . 75. 67. Arch Goins and family, Melungeons from Graysville, TN, 1920s. on Appalachian grammar turns out to be detectable), and to compare the . Whether its a Texan movie character or a TV series hero from Florida, movies and TV shows are full of popular and interesting last names. For example, My papaw went by his middle name, which was Suel, pronounced Sool, like tool. I dont really know any names in my family that were unusual, a lot of repeats of family names. Porky, a less common surname, this character was a bar owner in the film by the same name who was cunning. Carson (Scottish origin) meaning the son of Carr. My name is John Smith My wifes name is JoAnn Helton Smith Her mothers name was Velda Caldwell Helton. There are indeed a lot of "double names" among Appalachian women. Within the Appalachian Mountains, from the mountainous regions of Tennessee and Virginia, to parts of Kentucky, there has traditionally been a group of people known as the Melungeons. Published by J. Clausnitzer , Feb 23, 2022. Both my grandmothers name was Anna, pronounced Annie. Fuller (English origin) meaning one who deals with woolen clothes. In Episode 42 of the Vanntage Point's series on Appalachian and Southern families, our search for the origins of common and not-so-common family names takes . Looking to find a last name for your Texan cowboy character? 21 . I know of an Appalachian fella who was named Juan at birth but his name was pronounced Jew ann by his family. The Most Popular Baby Names 100 Years Ago. belrespiro 6 yr. ago. Face, from the most thrilling movie ever made, 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. Allen (Celtic origin) meaning handsome or little rock or harmony. Whether youre naming your next fictional character or figuring out the name for a Southern gaming character, old Southern last names are a superb choice. To help you find the best Southern last name for your characters, here is a list of the 100 most popular surnames used in the South, along with their meanings and origins. Redd (Old English origin) meaning red or read. People back then fed and raised families on little to nothing. But that side of the family aint no count. After finding and enjoying your blog so much, I now realize where so many of my familys sayings originated. This southern state has numerous last names that are incredibly popular. My grandfathers name was Cracker. As we already had an Ina in the household, I was always called Jeanne. These names are simply the most common surnames encountered and may prove useful to those pursuing genealogical research." Melungeon and Melungeon-related surnames (North Carolina, Virginia, Tennessee, and Kentucky) Brass Ankles (South Carolina) Carmel Indians (Ohio) Cubans (North Carolina) Guineas (West Virginia Melungeon) Caldwell (36) 10. Aaliyah and all its variations are very common. The word itself means "gold," but its popularity as a last name has a lot more to do with its origins as a royal name. Oh what a joy Saw many of the name variations in the old census pages when I was researching my families. Sarah became Sally and Margaret became Peggy. Davenport (Old English origin) meaning market town. . Fischer (English or German origin) meaning fisherman. Most Common Forenames in Tennessee Most Common Forenames in The World Most Common Surnames in The World. 4. Could be an offshoot of Otis? } Ima was a beautiful young woman and quite the philanthropist. We were raised on the same kind of good homegrown garden vegetables, fresh milk and eggs. They were from Sumner, GA. Adams is a frequent last name among English and Scottish household. Seline was Aunt Slina (long i). Mildred (Old English origin) meaning gentle strength. Most Distinctive Last Names by State. forms: { The table below shows the first and last surname included in each part of the document. You can see the post here. Buckley (Irish origin) meaning buck or a boy. I am 80 years young, and our family has been having an annual family reunion for the past 56 years at an organized camp ground at the lake up home. For instance, Ollie for Olivia, Lyd (long I sound) for Lydia. I was named after both my grandmother and mother, Im Ina Jeanne (after the Jeanne in Jeannette). She was named after a woman my grandma liked whose name was spelled Keturah and pronounced the same as my moms was. I had and uncle named HARDEN. Juanita (Spanish origin) meaning God is gracious. Today, human society is more culturally diverse than ever, but our surnames can tell us a lot about our ancestral origins. Doby (Scottish origin) meaning famous or renown or bright. Take 'Michael' which is the name of a famous archangel and is one of the most popular male names. 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