For centuries, many Native Black Americans have been cut off from their true tribal heritage due to forced reclassification, broken treaties, and erased histories. One of the most critical clues in reclaiming your Indigenous roots is your surname—a name that may have been adopted, assigned, or recorded in official tribal rolls.

The **Five Civilized Tribes—Cherokee, Creek (Muscogee), Choctaw, Chickasaw, and Seminole—**were among the first Native nations to adopt European-style surnames, particularly after contact with colonizers and the implementation of government records like the Dawes Rolls. Many of these surnames were later carried by Native Black Americans who were either enslaved within the tribes, adopted into tribal nations, or recognized as full citizens before reclassification policies sought to erase their identity.

​

How This Page Can Help You

​

This database allows you to search for surnames historically associated with these five tribes, helping you determine if your family name has known tribal connections. Keep in mind:
✔️ Having a surname on this list does not guarantee tribal enrollment, but it is a strong lead for further research.
✔️ Many Black Indigenous families were intentionally left off government records, meaning your ancestors may still have tribal roots even if your surname isn’t listed.
✔️ Cross-referencing this list with historical documents, oral history, and genealogy research can help verify your Native ancestry.

​

Start Exploring Your Ancestral Name Below