Family-name research — a mini family tree in 30 minutes
For schools, families or community centres: from family name to plantation to ancestor in 30 minutes.
Introduction
Many Surinamese-Dutch families today carry a surname that was assigned somewhere between 1832 and 1863 by a Dutch colonial official. Sometimes it is the plantation name, sometimes the owner's name, sometimes a fantasy name. This lesson helps you go from that name to concrete information in 30 minutes.
Exercises
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1.Step 1 — Write down the family name you want to research (for example a grandparent's).
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Personal answer.
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2.Step 2 — Go to surinameglobalgroup.com/en/roots and enter the name. Note all plantations that appear.
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Personal list. Sometimes 1 plantation, sometimes dozens.
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3.Step 3 — Click the plantation with the most mentions. Note: what was grown there? Along which river / in which district?
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Personal information from the plantation page.
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4.Step 4 — View the "Historical context" and the "Top maternal lines". Is one of those mother names also known in your family?
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Personal reflection.
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5.Step 5 — For depth: look up the same name at the CBG (cbg.nl) or National Archive (nationaalarchief.nl, slave-register database).
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Reference task.
⭐ Follow-up activity
Make a family poster with the data you found: surname, plantation(s), district, crops, any known ancestors. Share the poster with your family during Keti Koti (1 July) or a family gathering.