Williams

[Le Chat]

I have a black friend whose surname is Williams. I have also noticed that there are many black people with this surname. My friend agrees and reckons that there was a 'slave trader' with that surname, who consequently passed the name onto all his slaves and his offspring by the slaves. Is she joking with this theory or does she have a point? I always thought that Williams was a welsh name!!

[HGKinsey]

She is not joking: slaves were named after their slave owenrs' surnames. A great many of the slave owners were from Wales (don't know why that is). In America, you can usually win a bet on someone called Jones or Williams being black.

[kempie]

It is alleged that 25% of the African-American population of the US have a surname of Welsh origin. Surprising when you consider how little credit the Welsh are given in the history of the U S of A {apart from slavery that is ;-) }.

I also believe that 4 of the first 5 US presidents were of Welsh descent.

[lodekka]

Bear in mind that Bristol and Liverpool were great centres for the slave trade, so it's quite possible for Welsh slave owners to have dealt at either place.

[Dom Tuk]

Did they also not adopt the name of priests and missionarys after being converted??

[Sammy Snake]

Oribinally the name Williams means 'Son of William'. 

As the name evolved over the centuries, apparently people from the north tended to keep the 'son' part i.e Williamson, and people from the south mostly dropped the 'son' part and were left with Williams, Roberts, Jones (son of john) etc

 

Wales being considered south, that's why wesh names are Roberts and not Robertson, Jones and not Johnson, Williams and not Williamson.

 

Of course, I have no idea what this has to do with slaves, just thought you might be interested!!