Naming Patterns in Black Seminole Ethnogenesis

This article examines naming patterns in relation to the origins of the Black Seminoles, or Seminole Maroons. It argues that the data on Black Seminole naming represent substantial evidence for the existence of African-derived naming practices with features similar to those of a Kongo-Angolan system. The discussion contributes to the growing body of literature on African-American naming patterns among slave, maroon, and free communities, and it sheds light on the cultural backgrounds of the former slaves who came together in Florida to become the Black Seminoles.