82. Two names in my family always seemed odd. 6. My great-great grandmother Ora Barnes Vick had a sister named Homer. The boy called one evening and asked for her. Judging by Appalachian names I would say that english ethnicity far outnumbers any other. My moms middle name was Kitory, pronounced Kit-tor-uh. Youre the apple of my eye, Miss Appalachian steward and all around wonderful lady and friend!!! Henderson (Scottish origin) meaning the son of Henry. Take 'Michael' which is the name of a famous archangel and is one of the most popular male names. The surnames that saw the largest jump in volume . The most common surnames in Alaska at American Surnames . I have a lot of odd names among the older people in my family. Redd (Old English origin) meaning red or read. Ive been to the Hogg Plantation. Some of my grandmothers and great grandmothers (who we called Granny or Mamaw) were Ollie Mae, Leona, Rosella, Gloria, Audrey, and Elsie. I have done extensive family genealogy and know they came from Scotland, Ireland, England, and France by the way of Acadia. 32. In doing research on my family I often came across a nickname for Mary. Strange how people get their name. 3. There we around 22.1 thousand people having the . Here are some common first names for boys and girls in the Appalachian region you've never heard before: Each is at least 85% American Indian. Sometimes called the "Lost Tribe of Appalachia," the Melungeons are people of mixed ethnicity who claim varying degrees of Portuguese . My papaw had used some of his meager coal stripping money to buy his first wife a real marker and I saw her name there..LOUISA, Verner for Verna.Murry for Mary.my Gndma Mauneys name was Theodocia and was known as Doesh.my Grt-gndpa Cebrum Byers was known as Cebe..Roe for Monroe. My Daddy is from Canton, NC and my Great Grandmothers name was Julia, but she was affectionately known as Liley Mama. 'Jesus,' 'John,' and 'Joseph' are all names of religious origin that still remain popular today. She was most certainly a young woman. 99. Adams (Scottish origin) meaning the son of Adam. 49. She went by Karen. Congratulations on 100,000 subscribers! Thats all I can think of at the moment but I reserve the right to add more later in the day as I remember them! Food; Home; Garden; Travel; Some hand-me-down names may even have originated in Colonial phonetic spellings when somebody saw their name written such as on a militia muster roll and just took it as being the correct way. Her given name was Tennessee. Herman, played by Paul Reubens in 'Pee Wees Big Adventures', was eccentric, fun, and superbly unique. Taylor (English origin) meaning tailor. I personally think you do the name Tipper proud! { I Love the names from our region! Her mother was a full blooded Cherokee Indian. I never thought about it much as a child, but time and distance have sharpened my curiosity about this name. Ima was a beautiful young woman and quite the philanthropist. Seline was Aunt Slina (long i). While growing up, most people would not even attempt to pronounce it. When I was bitten by the genealogy bug in 1999, I learned of Homer from the cemetery books produced by the sweet ladies of the county Homemakers Club (which seems to be a Kentucky thing as far as I know). My mothers name was Ina and her Grandma would call her In-ee. Ruth (Old English origin) meaning friend. As an Amazon Associate, Kidadl earns from qualifying purchases. 113 Birth, Marriage & Death. About Author Research Credentials Reviews Genealogy Book A Walk In Life And War Highlights Geographical Areas Soldier Bio Excerpts . West Virginia Pioneers. My great-uncles name was Harrison but he was called Harris. Most Distinctive Last Names by State. My parents name is Cecil and AdaLee Smith. I grew up in Upstate NY. It wasnt just family members that called them these names, but also community and church members. This legend centers around the Bell family. 86. Your email address will not be published. 50. At least some of those kinds of changes are knowingly adopted in families. She was most certainly a young woman. My Pappys name was unusual. 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. 65. 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. A variation of this name Anna has been very popular between the 1700-1800s. Because this is a mixed race group of people, and because the exact racial characteristics vary, it is impossible to pin down a precise Melungeon appearance. The Kidadl Team is made up of people from different walks of life, from different families and backgrounds, each with unique experiences and nuggets of wisdom to share with you. We took a picnic and brush clearing tools and we kids climbed in the pickup truck bed. We also link to other websites, but are not responsible for their content. My great Grandmother, his wife, was always called Maw Maw, but that was because her real name was Maude. Not sure if that was a childs pronuncation of her married name which was Lytle (which is my middle name). The source is noted at the top of each list. 5. Homer passed away shortly after her eighteenth birthday. My Granny changed her name from Oga Bernice to Ogarette and changed my Grandpas name from DArcy to Dorsey. Then I am born, the next girl in the family, so I get the really weird one!!! We are somehow related to an old boy name Wormy and thats just his name. 18. My grandfathers name was Quitman. Just a sampling . 1. Ive heard Velma called Velmer or Velmar, Elva to Elvie, and in 1961 my good friend Donna had returned from her first year at college and wanted to go down south to my Grandparents with me for two weeks. 75. Bowen (Welsh origin) meaning the son of Owain. . Yes, they most likely were at least neighbors and probably related somewhere along the way! . CHRISTIAN (1,122) 3. Copeland (Old Norse origin) meaning bought land. Surnames; First Names; Search People; Search Families 13. I had an aunt named MELSTER. Casteel probably originated with a native of Castile in Spain. We are so proud of you. My third great grandfather was raised in Rowan County and they lived in and around Salisbury. I also have a Horacio Gates Lane ancestor, named for one of the less successful Revolutionary War generals. (Wikimedia Commons) One of the most fascinating genealogy stories to surface in the last decades is the enigmatic story of the Melungeons. Moxon (English origin) meaning a pearl. listeners: [], Her real name was Happuch Matilda Gibson. ); The last lady was not called Zola but went by her other name of Gladys. In the next few posts you'll be hearing about my family ancestors specifically. Heres one for someone to answer. Birdie (Anglo-Saxon origin) meaning for God. Most Common Forenames in Tennessee Most Common Forenames in The World Most Common Surnames in The World. My husband's step-grandmother's name is Snobie, she has a daughter named Nida (need-a) A LOT of names are mispronounced here. My grandfather (born around 1894) was from the mountains of western North Carolina; his name was Tivit. JoAnns grandparents name was Saylor and Ollie Caldwell. For example, My papaw went by his middle name, which was Suel, pronounced Sool, like tool. Hey Tipper. My Grandmothers name was Rosa (Raw see). In our community of Guntown, Hawkins County, TN. 2. My maternal grandmothers name was Eula. 44. I know many Dremas, and think it is a pretty name. Madison (English origin) meaning the son of Matthew. I dont really know any names in my family that were unusual, a lot of repeats of family names. She could grow anything in a pile of dust. The name is Drema. Alma (F) (Celtic origin) means "good". According to the above . Other Events. I am sure a lot of these ways followed them from over the sea. She said, Yes, Marthee had twins and she named them Eller and Steller. 72. 74. The graphics show the top 15 most popular surnames and those with the largest increase and rank.Additionally, the Random Samplings blog discusses trends gathered from the tabulations. Find. 19. He actually spent time at a TB sanitorium in Oteen, NC. I wonder what they would think of the things we spend money on today. 70. He has an Aunt Punkin, Uncle Fat, Aunt Let, Aunt Booker, Aunt Snookie. My mother was born Elizabeth Ann, but was always called Lizabeth. Now she just goes by Betty. I have a great uncle named Zsoldos (ZOLE-duss), but called Zeke. Saturday night is Mexican pot-luck (yummy), and again followed up with music into the night. 56. 3. Callaway (English origin) meaning a smooth pebble. A common misconception is that Scots-Irish is a synonym for an Ulster Protestant, especially a Presbyterian or non-Anglican Protestant. Please note that Kidadl is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon. Well send you tons of inspiration to help you find a hidden gem in your local area or plan a big day out. I had a granny named Ocie ( o see) and a grandpa named Bemer ( beemer). Rank in 2000: 3. Thankfully its a lot more common now. Ava and William are the most popular first names in the South, but what about the most popular last name? WCGS Publications. Imas father was Governor Jim Hogg, 1890-94. My cousins (from the Valley) called their grandparents Granny and Pap. Pruitt, played by Sandra Bullocks in the movie 'Hope Floats' that was set in the small town of Smallville in Texas. 'Number' - the total number of occurrences . (He was a stinker and I sure did love him). A neighbors name was Matilda, called Tillie. Face, from the most thrilling movie ever made, 'Texas Chainsaw Massacre'. Buster. Have a good day, Tipper. Barnes (English origin) meaning granary or barn. further back in his family line there was a Sol which was probably short for Solomon. WCGS Events. ( Oral history sometimes makes genealogy difficult when you have that aha moment of enlightenment). We still use every one of those nicknames, too. Tipper, It was just familiar. Thank you for all you do to preserve our Mountain/Appalachian heritage. Back in the day they showed up in some form. I'm from Appalachia and have a passing interest in Appalachian names. Most Common Last Names In Tennessee. 73. Pick the last name that suits your character best from the below list of Southern surnames. 33. Anyone using the information provided by Kidadl does so at their own risk and we can not accept liability if things go wrong. 8. Aaliyah is just out of the top 50, Aliyah is 155, Aliya is 848, Aleah is 457. 20. Here is a surnames list of some of the most popular southern last names. Alabama Indiana Smith (no indication of a personal link to either state), nickname Aunt Pal, Mollissie Pearl Tabatha Lovelady. The arrival of enslaved Africans in the area dates back to the 16th century. A few, sadly, were small family burial grounds on old home places that had been used to pasture cattle for decades. 39. of Len and Castile (1) 40. of Luxembourg (1) 41. of Maurienne (1) 42. of Monticelli (1) 43. of Mortain (1) 44. of Normandy (1) 45. of Ponthieu (8) 46. of Portugal (2) Carson (Scottish origin) meaning the son of Carr. An aunt Cora-Coree, and an aunt Dorothy called Dood. 92. My own name was uncommon to the point of weirdness when I was growing up in the early 1960s, but not an Appalachian name that I know of. You say to-mA-to but I say to-ma-to. Darville, one of the coolest wheelmen in history and a popular surname in the movie 'Smokey And The Bandit'. But now, after this post, I sure dont feel so bad about my name. 29. My maternal grandmothers name was Vielzie, from Harnett County. They had a daughter named Betty who was trying to impress a certain boy in school. 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). My other Granny had a sister Irene, I remember so well hearing Granny call her Reener. The kids have a huge area to play out of doors. Oatey Burr was his first and middle name. Buddy is great uncle. I should be horse- whipped because they were brilliant! Bettys dad thought the call was for Zeddie and said she was down there slopping the hogs.