"Washington" is the "blackest" surname in America. About 90% of the Americans with that surname are black. It is a common surname among black folks and an uncommon one among white folks. And that isn't because all those hundreds of thousands of black Washingtons are descendants of slaves owned by the Washington family. In fact, few are.

What actually happened is that when freedpeople had the opportunity to choose their own surnames, they favored "Washington" because it was the name of a famous national hero.

The second "blackest" surname in America is "Jefferson." Same reason. (Over 75% of American Jeffersons are black.)

The second most common surname among black Americans is "Jackson," likewise chosen because of its association with famous men.

Probably the best-known case of a former slave choosing "Washington" was when a kid who knew his name only as "Booker" started school and was asked his full name. He picked "Washington" on the spot. When he told his mother what he had done, she told him that he already had a surname: Taliaferro. So he just treated that one as his middle name.





[Post edited by Joey Wahoo at 05/11/2022 7:01PM]