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. For example, My papaw went by his middle name, which was Suel, pronounced Sool, like tool. Ima was a beautiful young woman and quite the philanthropist. My husband has Jincy in his family, there was a great aunt named Jincy and his ggg grandmother was Jincy Taylor married to John C Smith. The most well-known bearer of this last name is the American film director Woody Allen. My sister is named PEARL after Granny Pearl (and some late 60s song about a girl called Pearl) Id not trade our hillbilly lives and all the stories for a million dollars and half the land!!!! Each is at least 85% American Indian. I think it's now time to talk specifically about MY Appalachian history. My grandfathers name was Wheeler, which Ive never heard elsewhere; he was born about 1916, I think. JoAnns grandparents name was Saylor and Ollie Caldwell. 7. A friend of my parents had a daughter with that name. Grave_Girl 6 yr. ago. My Daddy was nicknamed Gizmo. These southern surnames have gotten so popular that you often hear them as character surnames in movies, TV shows, and even fictional novels. Some of the family Surnames that I have researched or am continuing to research are: *Horse photo above copyright Susan Troxell See 2010 of Lexington, Ky. } I was named after both my grandmother and mother, Im Ina Jeanne (after the Jeanne in Jeannette). Buster. 79. I learned some of the real names after they passed, but sadly not the story behind the nicknames. Grady (Irish origin) meaning "noble". Tipper, I wonder what they would think of the things we spend money on today. The name Appalachia comes from the Appalachee tribe of Northern Florida. I started my family history after all who came before me were gone not a practice I recommend. My grandfather was OLLIE OREN ONEAL Beck and he was called Triple O He went off to Alabama to work and ended up marrying my grandmother, ARMENTIE, who was called Minnie (never heard that name anywhere else). I had not thought of this for ages, but I once read many years ago that a very popular name in our area is supposed to be unique to the area. I was so happy to see your post today! It was just familiar. Arabella. 94. But I think the secret is out, and we will gladly share you with the rest of the world. 30. In other cultures, it means "loving" in Swedish and "apple" in Persian. Not exactly common names for sure. Belle (Old English origin) meaning beauty. Oct 1, 2016. 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. Wake Gen Watch Newsletter. Im just not sure what. 49. 65. 67. The inscription read Homer Barnes dau. Store. Tipper (with black shoes), Gazzie, Tina (my first cousin). Both were raised in or around Campbell County, in East TN. Many of them carry incredible meanings, whilst others are more simple. 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 . 26. LOL. 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. Dawson (English origin) meaning the son of David. These ladies risked copperheads and rattlers, chiggers, mosquito bites, bulls and poison ivy to painstakingly record every known grave in the county. Alas, the last of the four states with Jones in its top three most common last names list. Ill be 50 next week and that seems to be a dying tradition. I am sure a lot of these ways followed them from over the sea. My Papaw gave me this name!! As agua means 'water' in Spanish, this surname refers to 'someone who lives or works near the waterbody'. Today, human society is more culturally diverse than ever, but our surnames can tell us a lot about our ancestral origins. Members Area. 72. 56. Her name was Rita and some people pronounced it as Ree-tee. My Grandma W. Cooked dinner everyday on the wood-burning cook, According to The Dictionary of Smoky Mountain English people in my area use the word neverin two ways which differ, Apples play a huge role in the foodways of Appalachia. My daddys sister was called Emmer Lee for Emma Lee. 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. Most time we call her Bina. 25. But that side of the family aint no count. . An example might be Hew for Hugh. She was most certainly a young woman. 41. You mentioned DARCUS. If you're on the hunt for a cute name for baby boys and girls. My name is Yecedrah. 95. Aunt Pliny (probably Pauline). She was born in the Fourth of July. Join WCGS. Omega (Greek origin) meaning the end. My mother hated this. Find. Pierce, the young and incredibly interesting character played by Winona Ryder in 'Reality Bites' is another popular Texan surname. 53. Hernandez (Spanish origin) meaning the son of Hernando. Show all surnames (sorted alphabetically) Top 50 surnames (total individuals): 1. So, when her daughter, Jeannette Florence, (my grandmother) named her three daughter, she only gave them one name and said that they could use their maiden name as their middle name if they needed one. Bakeman (English origin) meaning one who bakes. Adelaide. 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. Im especially interested in the ones we change like Sarah and Cora. Spalding (English origin) meaning people of a district known as Spaid or ditches. We live in southeast Texas, but originally our folks were from your area of Appalachia a few generations ago. Its nickname is Mountain State. Not sure if that was a childs pronuncation of her married name which was Lytle (which is my middle name). Synonyms 1. poisonous and harmful to people, animals, or the environment highly toxic industrial chemicals 2. business used to describe a loan or other financial agreement which causes very serious business problems for a bank or financial organization toxic debt/mortgages Bad management, plain and simple. The following list reflects the U.S. birth certificate data from 2021. My wifes Mamaws name was Velma, she was called Velmer or Jake. 27. Im on my wifes page. Belle (Old English origin) meaning "beauty". If you purchase using the buy now button we may earn a small commission. Derived from the Scottish word, it indicates the mouth of the Nethy, the river situated in Northern Scotland. Eubank: An old Anglo-Saxon name taken from the phrase "yew-bank", which meant someone who lived near yew trees. 86. About Us. Tennessee Appalachian Mountains Region Im going to read your earlier post to learn more. As of February 2022, Korhonen was the most common surname among the 5.5 million Finnish population. Required fields are marked *, document.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a1dbbb4a609e153827378c4bf597d8c6" );document.getElementById("jb1fe6f8fb").setAttribute( "id", "comment" );Comment *. ); His two boys are called Doodle and Speedy. We are somehow related to an old boy name Wormy and thats just his name. Alice was one of the most common names in the 1700s. Aunts, Uncles, cousins, in-laws and probably some outlaws have met every year up until the pandemic stepped in and made us cancel this last couple of Easter week-ends. Could the last name Atchi-son be apart of these tribes.. it def sounds like a hitchiti (itza-ti) word..(. The Most Common Last Names in South America. It will be interesting to learn some unusual family names others have and hopefully the stories behind them. 14. Oh, you mean Ary (AR-ee). 46. Riggins, a popular Southern surname, Tim Riggins was a character on 'Friday Night Lights' played by Taylor Kitsch. We try our very best, but cannot guarantee perfection. Ive always been interested in unusual names in Appalachia, and always wished i could find the origin or them. Abernathy (Scottish origin) meaning mouth of the river Nethy. I have a great great grandfather named Abijah Allie, and my great grandfather was named Bishop Leonard, but everyone called him B.L. The spelling of the names may not be correct especially Ziller but it was pronounced Zill ur. 34. Newsletter. The land was cheap and needed to be settled, tamed and cultivated. My papaw. 3. Well this has really helped me with my odd name and the trauma that it has brought to me!!! 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. Davis (English origin) meaning the son of David. Most of South America gained independence from Spain in the early 19 th century, but many of the most popular surnames throughout the continent today are of Spanish origin. Greenway, the powerful mother played by Shirley MacLaine in the famous and beloved movie 'Terms of Endearment'. The source is noted at the top of each list. My grandmother and her sisters were named after states. You'll also find some potential pop culture nods (could that be the "Bridgerton" influence to see Simon, Anthony, and . 84. I had an aunt named MELSTER. Ferrell (Irish origin) meaning man of valor. Her given name was Tennessee. Twisting names seemed to go with my grandparents generation but not with my parents For example, my grandmother ws named Ida and her sister was Cora. Ive been thinking about unusual names in Appalachia. Marks, a character in 'Dazed And Confused', is another very popular surname in Texas. He had twin sisters, Nellie Dee and Willie Vee. Pronounced Tokee and Nokee. Rodgers (English origin) meaning the son of Roger. Jones (Welsh origin) meaning loans son. Ex: James Jefferson Jones would go by Jefferson. West Virginia is the only state that resides entirely in the Appalachian mountain range. 100 Most Popular American Last Names. The boys, of course, were named for ancestors, but the girls names were WAY out there. Alcaraz. Overall, the 50 most common last names in the United States grew in numbers between 2000 and 2010, except for the name of "Hall" which dropped. Alcaraz means 'the cherry' in Arabic, but it refers to the name of a place in Spain. 68. Appalachian Culture Overview: Appalachia lies along the Appalachian Mountains, which extend from Mississippi to New York, and includes three sub regions. listeners: [], 50 Adorable Gender Neutral Baby Names. My grandfathers name was Cracker. My great grandmother was named Mahala and my grandmother was Jincy. We have continued the tradition of unusual names. I want you to know it was only last evening when Murray bragged about my cornbread and said I dont know who taught you, but YOUR cornbread is now great! And he had another piece. Garcia (Spanish origin) meaning young. I should be horse- whipped because they were brilliant! Ive never known another woman with either of those names. And it makes me sick to think of all she knew about quilting that I should have learned. I dont really know any names in my family that were unusual, a lot of repeats of family names. Southern Living. In doing research on my family I often came across a nickname for Mary. 51. My Pappys name was unusual. 81. [name_m]Silas[/name_m] Hasil (sounds like "Hassle" - from a Appalachian musician named Hasil Adkins) [name_m]Jethro[/name_m] [name_m]Enoch[/name_m] Adams is a frequent last name among English and Scottish household. 113 Birth, Marriage & Death. Next to each surname is the origin of the surname. Garcia and Martinez represent the rapid growth of several Hispanic communities in the United States. My mother was born Elizabeth Ann, but was always called Lizabeth. Now she just goes by Betty. 100. A granny named CORA was also called CORY ETHEL. They are from the Upper South, the Shenandoah Valley. They will remind you of many amazing, famous, and historically significant women. 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. Congratulations on your 100,000 mark! I did have a schoolmate growing up, whose grandparents were from South Jersey, and went by Memaw and Pepaw. We were raised on the same kind of good homegrown garden vegetables, fresh milk and eggs. 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. 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