Some Examples Of "Ride The Horsey" Babies' & Young Children's Knee Bouncing Rhymes That Are Derived From A Verse In The 19th Century Song "Old Dan Tucker"

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents certain examples of "Ride The Horsey" babies' and young children's knee bouncing rhymes that are derived from a verse in the American folk song "Old Dan Tucker". 

Information about that folk song and the particular verse from that song are also included in this pancocojams post.  

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, cultural, and entertainment purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown original composers of these rhymes and thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
-snip-
Click these links for the related pancocojams posts: 

https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/12/old-dan-tucker-minstrel-song-play-party.html "Old Dan Tucker - Minstrel Song & Play Party Song"

and

 https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/11/timeline-for-went-to-town-went-downtown.html "Timeline For "___ Went To Town" ( "___ Went Downtown") Verses In American Folk Songs & Children's Recreational Rhymes."

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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTES
The content of this post may* depart from the main focus of this pancocojams blog which is to showcase the cultures of African Americans and other people of African descent throughout the world.

This blog sometimes focuses on children's recreational rhymes and other folk content regardless of the origin of those examples because I am also interested in those subjects. 

*I used the word "may" because these featured examples are from the Appalachia Facebook page, and- contrary to what is commonly believed in the United States- the population of the Appalachian region includes African Americans. That said, the Appalachia Facebook page that is quoted in this pancocojams post doesn't include any racial or ethnic information from its commenters.

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When I happened upon the Facebook page that features some examples of knee bouncing rhymes, I was struck by how so many of those rhymes were clearly derived from a verse in the 18th century American folk song "Old Dan Tucker". Here is that verse as it was quoted in the Mudcat online folk music forum:

-From Dicho (Frank Staplin), 29 Apr 02; https://mudcat.org/thread.cfm?threadid=27246 "Re: "Old Dan Tucker"

"..."Old Dan Tucker down in town,
A-ridin' a goat and leadin' a hound,
The hound gives a howl an' the goat gives a jump,
An' throwed Old Dan a-straddle of a stump."

[...]

From Mr. Carl Durbin, Missouri, 1927.
Found in minstrel shows as early as 1841. Often credited to Dan D. Emmett. A related piece, "Get Out of the Way, Old Johnny Tucker" (Negro Minstrel's Song Book, 1850), and many other citations.

Vance Randolph, 1982, Ozark Folksongs, Vol. 3, pp. 301-304. Several other sets of verses given from Missouri and Arkansas."
-snip-
WARNING: Some "Old Dan Tucker" lyrics that are found on that Mudcat page include what is now commonly referred to as the "n word".

Also, "Negro" was almost completely retired as a population referent by at least the end of the 1960s and has been replaced by "Black American" and/or "African American".  

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SELECTED EXAMPLES OF KNEE BOUNCING RHYMES FOR BABIES THAT ARE DERIVED FROM A VERSE IN THE 19th CENTURY SONG 'OLD DAN TUCKER"

These comments are given no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.

This is only a portion of the examples and the other comments that are found in that discussion thread.

From https://www.facebook.com/groups/AppalachianAmericans/posts/10160042147493648/ "Ride a little horsey into town don't let John fall down" Appalachian Americans  ·

1. Brandi Myers Bell, January 5, 2022
"Anyone remember / heard this and can help complete it. I can’t remember it all. We would say when playing “ride a little horsey” (this may have just been in our family?)

Ride a little horsey into town

Don’t let _____ (your name) fall down

Ride a little horsey into town

_____ a goat and leading a hound

The ______ (did something ) and the ______ gave a jump

And threw ole ____ (same name) on a stump ??

(Did I dream this). My grand dad has passed so I can’t ask him."

**
2. Cheryl Wolfe, 2022
"In my family: Ride a little horsey down to town, please little horsey don’t fall DOWN! It was sung while being bounced on my grandparents or aunts knees, and then they open their knees to let the child drop down to produce squeals of fun!"

**
3. Jackie Meadows, 2022
"The version I remember is

"Dr. Jones going downtown

Riding a billy goat, leading a hound.

The hound gave a bark, the goat gave a jump

And spilled Dr. Jones right straddle of a stump."

The adult would ride the child on their foot and "spill" them when the goat gave a jump. Every child in the family has loved this."

**
4. Julia Nichols, 2022
"I remember crossing your legs at knees and a small child would sit on top of foot and you would ride them up and down sing Trot little Horsey go to town watch out Horsey don’t fall down. I heard the song as this. Ida Red,Ida Blue she can put a saddle on a hump back mule,Ida Red going to town riding a Goat and leading a Hound the Hound barked and the Billy Goat jumped throwed Ida Red a straddle of a stump."

**
5. Kathy Carroll, 2022
"Old aunt Sally going downtown. Riding a billy goat leading a hound. Hound barked, billy goat jumped, throwed aunt Sally straddled a stump. (People in NC usually just put the name of the child on their knee in the song tho)"

**
6. Harriet Hawthorne, 2022
"My mother in law sang this to my kids when they were little. Mr. BROWN went to town,riding a billy goat leading a hound.The hound barked, the billy goat jumped threw Mr. Brown straddle the stump."

**
7. Tina Hagee, 2022
"My Granddaddy would bounce me and sing Trot little horsey, trot to town, trot little horsey don't fall down. Trot little horsey, trot to town, bring little Tina some candy down."

**
8. Jeff Presnell, 2022
"Trotty horse. Trotty horse heading into town. Riding ole goat leading ole hound. Hound did bark and the goat gave a jump ( or goat did jump) threw ole Soso over a stump. Is how I remember it. While bouncing on the knee!"

**
9. Betty Bowman Helton, 2022
"Tra la horsey into town woops little horsey don't fall down. Bulldog barked, made the horse jump throwed little(child's name)across a stump"

**
10. Christina Pell, 2022
"The second part, I was taught... Buster Brown went to town riding on a billy goat,leading a hound. Hound dog barked, the billy goat jumped and threw Buster Brown right straddle of a stump.."

**
11. Sue Brumley, 2022
"Ride a little horsey go to town riding a goat and leading a hound. Hound did bark goat did jump throwed little(child's name) astraddle a stump"

**
12. Patricia Pjura, 2022
"Giddy up horsey

Goin down town

Watch out horsey

Don't fall down,

This is sung bouncing a little one on your knee,

And the fall down part, is where drop them to the floor abit, how I loved doing this with my grands,too old now, 9 and 12!"

**
13. Patricia Pickett, 2022
"the section starting with the goat and ending with stump is a whole different song. It is from Old Dan Tucker."

**
Reply
14. Brandi Myers Bell [Author/First Commenter]
"Patricia Pickett really ??"

**
Reply
15. Scott Erenpreiss, 2022
"Brandi Myers Bell Patricia Bell yes, I remember that as well....

Old Dan Tucker come to town

Riding a billy goat, leading a hound

The hound dog barked and billy goat jumped

And landed old Tucker on a stump"

**
17.Tony Foster, 2022
"My family’s version: Ride a little horsey go to town, Buy some candy by the pound, Watch out little girl/boy don’t let your horsey fall down. 😁"

**
18. Valerie Cassell, 2022
"All we ever said was ride a little horsey, going to town, you better watch out or you'll fall down, and on the word down, whoever the little one on our foot was would go downward like they was going to fall but we didn't let them and they would just giggle 🤣"

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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome. 

Timeline For "___ Went To Town" Or "I Went Downtown To See ___" Verses In American Folk Songs & Children's Recreational Rhymes

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post provides a timeline and some examples of American (United States) folk songs and children's recreational rhymes with a "__ Went To Town" or an "I Went Downtown To See ___") verse. 

The content of this post is presented for folkloric, historical, cultural, entertainment, and recreational purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to the unknown composers of these songs and rhymes. Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.

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LINKS TO THREE CLOSELY RELATED PANCOCOJAMS POSTS 

Old Dan Tucker - Minstrel Song & Play Party Song

 https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2013/12/old-dan-tucker-minstrel-song-play-party.html

December 16, 2013

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Multiple Examples Of The Children's Rhyme "I Went Downtown" ("To See Charlie Brown" or "To See James Brown")

https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/01/multiple-examples-of-childrens-rhyme-i.html?sc=1763026021466

 January 4, 2017

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Some Examples Of "Ride The Horsey" Babies' & Young Children's Knee Bouncing Rhymes That Are Derived From A Verse In The 19th Century Song "Old Dan Tucker"

https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2025/11/some-examples-of-ride-horsey-knee.html
-snip-
Note: This post focuses on some examples of knee bouncing rhymes that are derived from a verse of the "Old Dan Tucker" folk song.

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TIMELINE, INFORMATION, AND EXAMPLES

around 1755- Yankee Doodle (also known as "Yankee Doodle Went To Town")
information from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yankee_Doodle
"Yankee Doodle" is a traditional song and nursery rhyme, the early versions of which predate the Seven Years' War and American Revolutionary War.[1] It is often sung patriotically in the United States today. It is the state song of the U.S. state of Connecticut.[2] Its Roud Folk Song Index number is 4501...

In British conversation, the term "Yankee doodle dandy" implied unsophisticated misappropriation of upper-class fashion, as though simply sticking a feather in one's cap would transform the wearer into a noble.

[...]

The song was a pre-Revolutionary War song originally sung by British military officers to mock the disheveled, disorganized colonial "Yankees" with whom they served in the French and Indian War. It was written at Fort Crailo around 1755 by British Army surgeon Richard Shuckburgh while campaigning in Rensselaer, New York.[15] The British troops sang it to mock American soldiers as simpletons who thought that they were stylish simply by sticking a feather in their hats.[1] It was also embraced by American troops, who added verses to it that mocked the British and hailed George Washington. By 1781, "Yankee Doodle" had become a song of national pride among Americans.[1][16][17]"...

An example of "went to town" verse in this song:
"Yankee Doodle went to town
A' ridin on a pony
He stuck a feather in his cap
And called it macaroni"

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1843- "Old Dan Tucker"
From http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Old_Dan_Tucker
"Old Dan Tucker", also known as "Ole Dan Tucker", "Dan Tucker", and other variants, is a popular American song. Its origins remain obscure; the tune may have come from oral tradition, and the words may have been written by songwriter and performer Dan Emmett. The blackface troupe the Virginia Minstrels popularized "Old Dan Tucker" in 1843, and it quickly became a minstrel hit, behind only "Miss Lucy Long" and "Mary Blane" in popularity during the antebellum period...

The first sheet music edition of "Old Dan Tucker", published in 1843, is a song of boasts and nonsense in the vein of previous minstrel hits such as "Jump Jim Crow" and "Gumbo Chaff". In exaggerated Black Vernacular English, the lyrics tell of Dan Tucker's exploits in a strange town, where he fights, gets drunk, overeats, and breaks other social taboos. Minstrel troupes freely added and removed verses, and folk singers have since added hundreds more. Parodies and political versions are also known"... 
-snip-
Early versions of "Old Dan Tucker" include verses with what is now commonly referred to as "the n word".  

Examples of "went to town" verses in the "Old Dan Tucker" song:

Old Dan Tucker down in town,
A-ridin' a goat and leadin' a hound,
The hound gives a howl an' the goat gives a jump,
An' throwed Old Dan a-straddle of a stump.

**

Old Dan Tucker down in town,
Swingin' the ladies all a-round,
First to the right and then to the left,
An' then to the one that you love best.

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-early 20th century to date-"Riding A Horsey To Town" (and similar titles of babies & young children) knee bouncing rhymes

Here's a description of the performance activity for these rhymes from
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kniereitvers:

Kniereitvers (German for "a verse for riding on knees") is a nusery rhyme that is recited while two people play. Usually an older person plays with a younger one (mostly a child), with the child sitting on the older person's knee.

[...]

Accompanying actions

While playing and singing[6] the verses, the child sits on a parent's knees or lap facing the parent. The parent moves the knees up and down, imitating riding a horse. The parent holds on to the child's hands imitating holding reins. When it comes to the part where the parent says "the rider will go plop" the parent opens the legs or knees so that the child slips down towards the floor while holding hands the entire time. The parent will then pull the child back onto the lap.

This little acting game is a lot of fun for the child,[2] anticipating the 'fall' from the 'horse' and being saved by the parent, staying safe and sound.[7]...
-end of quote-

Examples:
From https://www.facebook.com/groups/AppalachianAmericans/posts/10160042147493648/ Ride Horsey Knee Bouncing Examples from Appalachian Americans Facebook page
[These examples are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.]
1. Jackie Meadows, 2022
"The version I remember is

"Dr. Jones going downtown
Riding a billy goat, leading a hound.
The hound gave a bark, the goat gave a jump
And spilled Dr. Jones right straddle of a stump."

The adult would ride the child on their foot and "spill" them when the goat gave a jump. Every child in the family has loved this."

**
2. Julia Nichols, 2022
"I remember crossing your legs at knees and a small child would sit on top of foot and you would ride them up and down sing Trot little Horsey go to town watch out Horsey don’t fall down. I heard the song as this. Ida Red,Ida Blue she can put a saddle on a hump back mule,Ida Red going to town riding a Goat and leading a Hound the Hound barked and the Billy Goat jumped throwed Ida Red a straddle of a stump."

**
3. Kathy Carroll, 2022
"Old aunt Sally going downtown. Riding a billy goat leading a hound. Hound barked, billy goat jumped, throwed aunt Sally straddled a stump. (People in NC usually just put the name of the child on their knee in the song tho)"

-end of quotes-
Click __ for upcoming pancocojams post on this subject 

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-early to mid 20th century?- "Buster Brown Went To Town" And "I Went To Town To See Mrs. Brown (or "i Went Downtown Miss Brown" and similar titles)

Information about  the name "Buster Brown"
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buster_Brown

Buster Brown is a comic strip character created in 1902 by Richard F. Outcault that was adopted as the mascot of the Brown Shoe Company in 1904. The characters of Buster Brown, Mary Jane, and his dog Tige became well known to the American public in the early 20th century. The Buster Brown suit reflected his outfit and became very popular for young boys.[1][2][3]

 Origin

The character of Buster Brown may have been loosely based on Granville Hamilton Fisher, a son of Charles and Anna Fisher of Flushing, New York. Outcault copied Fisher's physical appearance for his comic strip. The name "Buster" came from the popularity of Buster Keaton, then a child actor in vaudeville.[4] Roger Cushman Clark (1899–1995) of Deadwood, South Dakota was also described as the "original model" for the Buster Brown character.[5][6]"...

Examples: 
From http://www.seedharvestmusicacademy.org/baby--me.htm
1." Buster Brown went to town,
Riding a billy goat leading a hound.
Hound barked,
Billy Goat jumped,
And threw Buster Brown right over the stump!"

2. From https://scoop.previewsworld.com/Home/4/1/73/1016?articleID=176751 "Playtime with Buster Brown"
"Buster Brown
Went to town
With his pants
On upside down
He lost a nickel
He bought a pickle
The pickle was sour
He picked a flower
The flower was yellow
He bought him a fellow
The fellow was mean
He bought a bean
The bean was hard
He bought a card
And on the card
It said, "Red hot pepper!"

**
3. darwineann , 2007, https://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20080323122038AA6gzqe [This link is no longer active.]
"I went down town, to see Miss Brown. She gave me a nickel, to buy a pickle. The pickle was sour so she gave me a flower. The flower was black so she gave me a smack. The smack was hard so she gave me a card. And on the card it said: Little Spanish dancer turn around(turn around) . Little Spanish dancer touch the ground( and then you touch the ground) . Little Spanish dancer tie your shoe (jump on one leg, pretend to tie shoe). Little Spanish dancer sixty four ski doo" .

**
4.Ellen Mason, AACS Music Teacher, https://elitejumps.co/blogs/guides/jump-rope-rhymes-songs?page=2

I went downtown
To see Ms. Brown,
She gave me a nickel
To buy a pickle,
The pickle was sour,
So I bought a flower.
The flower was dead, she gave me a tack.
The tack was sharp, she gave me a harp.
The harp was broke, she gave me a cloak.
The cloak was tight, she gave me a kite.
The kite away flew, and I did too.
(Player runs out at too)

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-late 20th century? to this date- "I Went Downtown To See Charlie Brown" (or "I Went Downtown To See James Brown") 

information about the name "Charlie Brown" from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charlie_Brown
"Charles "Charlie" Brown is the principal character of the American comic strip Peanuts, syndicated in daily and Sunday newspapers in numerous countries all over the world.

[...]

The character's name was first used on May 30, 1948, in an early Schulz comic strip titled Li'l Folks. The character made his official debut in the first Peanuts comic strip on October 2, 1950."...

Information about James Brown from https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/James_Brown
"James Joseph Brown (May 3, 1933 – December 25, 2006) was an American singer, songwriter, dancer, musician, and record producer. The central progenitor of funk music and a major figure of 20th-century music,

[...]

Brown was one of the first ten inductees into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame on January 23, 1986. His music has been heavily sampled by hip-hop musicians and other artists.[3]"...

These examples are performed as partner handclap rhymes.

Numbers are given for referencing purposes only.
1. From https://ezebreezy.com/silly-school-yard-songs1/
"I went downtown
To see Charlie Brown,
He gave me a nickel
To buy a pickle,
The pickle was sour,
So I bought a flower.
The flower was dead, so this is what I said.
Down Down baby, do the roller coaster.
Sweet sweet baby. Never wash the dishes.
Naughty naughty baby, jumping out the window.
Itchy itchy soda pop, you are out.
Itchy itchy soda pop, you are out."

**
2. From Sarah, Octoblog, Schoolyard games; 7/17/2005 [blog no longer active]
"i Went down town to meet charlie brown
he gave me a nickle that bought me a pickle
the pickle was sour so he bought me a flower
the flower was dead so this is what he said:
down down baby down by the rollercoaster
sweet sweet baby never wana let you go
just because i kissed you doesnt mean i love you
shimmy shimmy coco puffs
shimmy shimmy pow
shimmy shimmy coco puffs
shimmy shimmy pow
My momy your momy live across the street
18,19 Alligator street
Boom Bang Choo Choo Train
wind me up i do my thang
( hit the person beside you)
Oops i'm Sorry!"

** 
3,  Avengethe 90s, 2014,
https://www.reddit.com/r/nostalgia/comments/2n9rio/miss_mary_mack_and_other_hand_clapping_games/
...."(gonna rock to the treetops all day long, huffin and a puffin and singin that song. all the little birdies on danbird street love to hear the robins go "tweet tweet tweet", rockin robin, tweet tweet, tweetle-eet, rockin robin, tweet tweet, tweetle-eet, mama's in the kitchen burning that rice, daddy's on the corner shooting them dice, brother's in jail, drinking ginger-ale, sister's on the corner selling fruit cocktail. went downtown to see james brown, he gave me a nickel, i bought me a pickle, the pickle was sour, so i bought me a flower, the flower was dead so this is what he said, black power, black power, your daddy needs a shower, don't laugh (haha) don't laugh (haha) your mama needs a bath!)"

**
4. AnonymousNovember 13, 2025 
https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/01/multiple-examples-of-childrens-rhyme-i.html
"I’m from New Orleans btw but ours was:

I went downtown to see James Brown, he gave me a nickel to buy me a pickle, the pickle too sweet, I want a piece of meat, the meat too rough, I wanna ride the bus, the bus too full, I wanna ride the bull, the bull too black, I want my money back, the money too green, I want some red beans, the beans too hot, I think I gotta fot (“fot” is how we say “fart”)"

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Thanks for visiting pancocojams.

Visitor comments are welcome.

50 Most Common African American Surnames (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania & Other Communities In Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (1992-2001) Reprint

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post is a reprint of a page that was published on my cultural website cocojams.com on March 8, 2011* That website was launched in December 2000 and voluntarily retired in November 2014. Some of the content from that website has been republished on my pancocojams blog and some of that content has been republished on other Google blogs that I've started. Links to those blogs are included in my "about me" statement that is found to the right of these pancocojams posts.

In 2003 I requested information on surnames in Allegheny County from the Allegheny County Health Department. During that time, I was a member of that Department's Board of Directors. Upon receiving this information in 2003, I eventually posted it for educational and research purposes in a section of my cocojams.com website that was devoted to names and nicknames. Unfortunately (and ironically), I can't find the name of the man who voluntarily compiled this material. Regardless, I thank him for his efforts.

I'm posting this information on this pancocojams page because it might be of interest to others, and because it might be beneficial to those engaged in research on the differences in surnames between African Americans and non-African Americans within a given period of time.

The surnames listed here are those that were given to children born in Allegheny County during that period of time. (Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the largest city in Allegheny County, Pennsylvania.)

For context purposes, 1990 and 2000 US Census demographic information for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania (which includes Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania) is also included in this post.

This post also includes two other excerpts about Black surnames(last names) in the United States.

*This post was first published in this pancocojams blog on May 24, 2015 https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/05/50-most-common-african-american.html 

This is an exact reprint of that post except for this section and except for the following additions & corrections: 1. the addition of the word "eventually" in the sentence "Upon receiving this information in 2003, I posted it for educational and research purposes in a section of my cocojams.com website". 2. a correction of the word "adopted" instead of "adoptive" and 3. indication that links are no longer viable, and one link substituted for a link that is no longer viable 4. he Addendum which consists of two comments from one visitor and my reply. Those are the only comments for that 2015 post as of November 11, 2025.

Thanks to the administrator at the Allegheny County Health Department who compiled this data.

Thanks also to Lucas Musewe who helped me publish this information on my cocojams.com website in 2011.

Thanks also to slam2011 for her comments on the 2015 pancocojams post about this subject and on a number of  other pancocojams posts.
-snip-
Click for these related pancocojams posts:
https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2017/05/100-most-common-black-american-surnames.html "100 Most Common Black American Surnames (Last Names) From the 2000 US Census"
and 
https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2024/09/the-fifty-most-common-black-last-names.html "The Fifty Most Common Last Names For Black People In The United States And The Fifty Most Common Last Names For White People In The United States (US Census 2010)".

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WHAT "AFRICAN AMERICAN" MEANS IN THIS DATA [text reformatted December 12, 2017]
At the time that I requested data about surnames of babies born in Allegheny County, I had been the founder/director of an adoption program that focused on the recruitment and study of prospective parents for Black children. I also had conducted workshops in the child welfare field (adoption/foster care) on various topics pertaining to Black adoption. I have one biological daughter, one step daughter, two adopted sons, and one foster son. I mention these roles to indicate that on a number of levels I was familiar with the practice of child welfare agencies in the United States categorizing children as "biracial" when those children had one Black biological parent and one non-Black biological parent.

Many Americans who were associated with adoption at the time (particularly many White people) considered (and may still consider) "biracial" to be a separate category from "Black" when it came to making placement decisions. I very much disagreed with that practice. Because I felt so strongly about that position, I definitely recall asking the compiler of this data on surnames to make sure that he included all children with one Black birth parent in the "African American" category.

It should also be noted that the referent "Black" was used interchangeably in the child welfare system for "African American", but "African American" was considered to be a more formal referent for the same population. However, since "Black" includes persons from various regions of Africa, and all persons from any part of the African Diaspora, "Black" actually is a much broader referent than "African American". Nevertheless, it's likely that the surnames of any infant (born during the period of time covered by this data) who had at least one Black birth parent were included in this date, even if that birth parent wasn't "African American".

****
50 MOST COMMON AFRICAN AMERICAN SURNAMES (Based on Births among Allegheny County, Pennsylvania Residents) During 1992-2001

Research conducted by Administrator of Allegheny County Health Department

Posted on Cocojams.com in 2011 by Ms. Azizi Powell

[Note: Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania is the largest city in Allegheny County.]

File: surnames

Rank/ Surname/ Birth Counts
1. Johnson (684)
2. Williams (620)
3. Jones (518)
4. Smith (507)
5. Brown (468)
6. Jackson (334)
7. Davis (301)
8. Thomas (296)
9. Robinson (259)
10. Harris (233)
11. Washington (197)
12. Wilson (190)
13. Taylor (187)
14. Green (175)
15. Thompson (169)
16. White (167)
17. Scott (162)
18. Walker (157)
19. Turner (155)
20. Moore (151)
21. Wright (144)
22. Mitchell (134)
23. Carter (132)
24. Lewis (125)
25. Hill (122)
26. King (112)
27. Lee (112)
28. Clark (108)
29. Howard (107)
30. Allen (106)
31. Martin (103)
32. Coleman (102)
33.Young (102)
34. Adams (98)
35. Anderson (94)
36. Freeman (94)
37. Miller (94)
38. Ford (93)
39. Morris (93)
40. Hall (91)
41. Butler (90)
42. Griffin (87)
43. Nelson (79)
44. Henderson (76)
45. James (74)
46. Brooks (73)
47. Parker (73)
48.Reed (73)
49. Bey (69)
50. Edwards (69)

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50 MOST COMMON NON-AFRICAN AMERICAN SURNAMES (Based on Births among Allegheny County Pennsylvania Residents During 1992-2001)

No file name provided

Rank/ Surname/ Birth Counts
1. Smith (806)
2.Miller (671)
3. Brown (357)
4. Williams (345)
5. Jones (329)
6. Johnson (294)
7. Davis (280)
8. Kelly (280)
9. Martin (252)
10. White (251)
11. Wilson (240)
12. Thomas (222)
13. Taylor (209)
14. Thompson (198)
15. Anderson (184)
16. Synder (180)
17. Lewis (176)
18. King (172)
19. Moore (170)
20. Scott (166)
21. Wagner (160)
23. Walker (154)
24. Stewart (149)
25. Young (149)
26 Clark (148)
26. Baker (145)
27. Evans (144)
28. Hoffman (142)
29. Murphy (141)
30. Sullivan (140)
31. Cook (139)
32. Adams (137)
33. Phillips (133)
34. Campbell (132)
35. Collins (131)
36. Harris (129)
37. Jackson (127)
38. Fisher (122)
39. Graham (122)
40. Hall (120)
41. Mitchell (117)
42. Lang (116)
43. Bell (115)
44. Wright (114)
45. Hill (111)
46. Walsh (111)
47. Schmidt (110)
48. Kennedy (109)
49. Morgan (106)*
50. Ross (106)

-snip-
Spelling revised Feb 21, 2016 from "Maorgan" to "Morgan". My apologies for that typo.

Demographical Information
As a means of providing some context to this data on surnames, I've provided excerpted data from Census reports for Allegheny County Pennsylvania for 1990 and 2000. These charts are best reviewed by clicking the hyperlinks that are provided.

Excerpt from DP-1. General Population and Housing Characteristics: 1990
Data Set: 1990 Summary Tape File 1 (STF 1) - 100-Percent data
Geographic Area: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=n&_lang=en&qr_name=DEC_1990_STF1_DP1&ds_name=DEC_1990_STF1_&geo_id=05000US42003  [Nov. 11, 2025:This link is no longer active] 

RACE AND HISPANIC ORIGIN

White
1,169,452

Black
149,550

American Indian, Eskimo, or Aleut
1,452

Asian or Pacific Islander
13,469

Other race
2,526


Hispanic origin (of any race)
8,731

Total housing units
580,738

-snip-

Excerpt from: DP-1. Profile of General Demographic Characteristics: 2000
Data Set: Census 2000 Summary File 1 (SF 1) 100-Percent Data
Geographic Area: Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

http://factfinder.census.gov/servlet/QTTable?_bm=n&_lang=en&qr_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U_DP1&ds_name=DEC_2000_SF1_U&geo_id=05000US42003 [Nov. 11, 2025:This link is no longer active] 

RACE

One race
1,267,901 Percentage -98.9

White
1,080,800 Percentage 84.3

Black or African American
159,058 Percentage 12.4

American Indian and Alaska Native
1,593 Percentage 0.1

Asian
21,716 Percentage 1.7

Asian Indian
7,487 0.6 Percentage

Chinese
5,903 Percentage 0.5

Filipino
1,189 Percentage 0.1

Japanese
1,143 Percentage 0.1

Korean
2,068 Percentage 0.2

Vietnamese
1,638 Percentage 0.1

Other Asian 1
2,288 0.2

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
335 Percentage 0.0

Native Hawaiian
88 Percentage 0.0

Guamanian or Chamorro
59 Percentage 0.0

Samoan
85 Percentage 0.0

Other Pacific Islander 2
103 Percentage 0.0

Some other race
4,399 Percentage 0.3

Two or more races
13,765 Percentage 1.1

Race alone or in combination with one or more other races 3

White
1,091,899 Percentage 85.2

Black or African American
166,731 Percentage 13.0

American Indian and Alaska Native
5,419 Percentage 0.4

Asian
24,722 Percentage 1.9

Native Hawaiian and Other Pacific Islander
758 Percentage 0.1

Some other race
7,430 Percentage 0.6


HISPANIC OR LATINO AND RACE

Total population
1,281,666 Percentage 100.0

Hispanic or Latino (of any race)
11,166 Percentage 0.9

Mexican
3,568 Percentage 0.3

Puerto Rican
2,216 Percentage 0.2

Cuban
622 Percentage 0.0

Other Hispanic or Latino
4,760 Percentage 0.4

Not Hispanic or Latino
1,270,500 Percentage 99.1

White alone
1,074,129 Percentage 83.8

****
RELATED LINKS & EXCERPTS
THE FIFTY MOST COMMON SURNAMES FOR BLACK PEOPLE IN THE USA
(Excerpt from a list of 1000 surnames from http://names.mongabay.com/data/black.html)

*Source: 2000 U.S. Census, Genealogy Data

Name Rank - Number of occurrences - Overall U.S. rank for all races
1 WILLIAMS 716704 3
2 JOHNSON 627720 2
3 SMITH 527993 1
4 JONES 514167 5
5 BROWN 476702 4
6 JACKSON 353179 18
7 DAVIS 329957 7
8 THOMAS 271273 14
9 HARRIS 247092 24
10 ROBINSON 221835 27
11 TAYLOR 199326 13
12 WILSON 198269 10
13 MOORE 188082 16
14 WHITE 175099 20
15 LEWIS 172509 26
16 WALKER 171297 28
17 GREEN 149803 37
18 WASHINGTON 146520 138
19 THOMPSON 145176 19
20 ANDERSON 137688 12
21 SCOTT 135521 36
22 CARTER 126856 46
23 WRIGHT 120484 34
24 MILLER 117404 6
25 HILL 117025 41
26 ALLEN 116491 32
27 MITCHELL 115815 44
28 YOUNG 110849 31
29 LEE 105480 22
30 MARTIN 102925 17
31 CLARK 101613 25
32 TURNER 98383 49
33 HALL 98265 30
34 KING 96665 35
35 EDWARDS 95787 53
36 COLEMAN 91440 102
37 JAMES 88835 80
38 EVANS 85730 48
39 BELL 84138 67
40 RICHARDSON 81772 74
41 ADAMS 79313 39
42 BROOKS 78653 77
43 PARKER 78111 51
44 JENKINS 76881 95
45 STEWART 74564 54
46 HOWARD 73096 70
47 CAMPBELL 71155 43
48 SIMMONS 71102 103
49 SANDERS 70468 88
50 HENDERSON 69751 101

****
THE BLACKEST SURNAME IN THE USA
From https://www.mprnews.org/story/2011/02/20/washington-blackest-name "Washington: The 'Blackest Name' In America" by Jesse Washington, February 20, 2011 
"George Washington's name is inseparable from America, and not only from the nation's history. It identifies countless streets, buildings, mountains, bridges, monuments, cities – and people.

In a puzzling twist, most of these people are black. The 2000 U.S. Census counted 163,036 people with the surname Washington. Ninety percent of them were African-American, a far higher black percentage than for any other common name ...

Washington was listed 138th when the Census Bureau published a list of the 1,000 most common American surnames from the 2000 survey, along with ethnic data. The project was not repeated in 2010.

Ninety percent of those Washingtons, numbering 146,520, were black. Only five percent, or 8,813, were white. Three percent were two or more races, 1 percent were Hispanic, and 1 percent were Asian or Pacific Islander.

Jefferson was the second-blackest name, at 75 percent African-American. There were only 16,070 Lincolns, and that number was only 14 percent black.

Jackson was 53 percent black. Williams was the 16th-blackest name, at 46 percent. But there were 1,534,042 total Williamses, including 716,704 black ones – so there were more blacks named Williams than anything else.

(The name Black was 68 percent white, meaning there were far more white Blacks than black Blacks. The name White, meanwhile, was 19 percent black.)"
-snip-
In the 2003 Allegheny County surname study posted above, the last name "Washington" is #11 on the list of the 50 most common last names for African American children born during 1992-2001 and does not appear on the list of non-African American children born during that time period.

****
ADDENDUM- Comments from this post's first publication on pancocojams (May 24,2015)

https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/05/50-most-common-african-american.html

slam2011, May 25, 2015 
"Interesting statistics. Do you think the prevalence of surnames like Washington and Jefferson among African Americans reflects a deliberate historical choice among black people in the 19th c? When it became necessary for them to adopt official surnames, did they choose to be called after noted freedom fighters rather than some plantation owner?"

**
Reply 

Azizi Powell, May 25, 2015
"Hello, slam2011.

Yes. I have read that the prevalence of the Washington & Jefferson surname is a deliberate choice among Black Americans who were required to indicate a last name. Black Americans who were free before the end of the US Civil War already had surnames, and some recently freed Black Americans already had surnames which were often not the same as their most recent "master".

I was a guest at a reunion for a Black family in which one of the elders told a story about how members of their family came to have different last names. After emancipation, when Black people were required to tell the authorities what their "title' (last name) would be, one brother decided to take the last name of their last master. However, three other brothers asked permission to use the name of another former slave owner who was known for being good to his slaves. That man's last name was "Watkins"- at least that what some members of that family believe. That former slave master gave his permission for the brothers to use his name. However, because of faulty memory, or because the man or men who wrote down that name spelled it differently for each of the three brothers, some of the descendents of those brothers have the last name "Watkins", some have the last name "Walters", and some have the last name "Walker". And the members of the family aren't really sure which name was the actual name that former slave owner had.

But one of the best accounts that I've read of how a Black American family got its last name, is that of the family with the last name "Beman". According to the book that I read- I think its title was something like "Speak Loud In Thundertones", a freed slave chose the last name "Beman" so that everyone could never forget that he was a man."

**
Reply

slam2011May 26, 2015
"That's an inspiring story."

****
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Changes In The Types Of First Names Given To African American Females As Suggested By The Names Of Some Historically Black Colleges And Universities (HBCUs) Queens (1960s-2024)

Edited by Azizi Powell

This pancocojams post presents excerpts of two online articles that showcase examples of Historically Black Colleges And Universities (HBCUs) Queens from the 1960s to 2024.* 

Although that wasn't the purpose of these articles, I'm highlighting the names of these HBCU Queens to suggests the changes that occurred between the types of first names that these women had in those decades.

Although these articles include some photographs, no photographs are included in this pancocojams post.

The content of this post is presented for onomastic, historical, and cultural purposes.

All copyrights remain with their owners.

Thanks to all HBCU Queens, past and present and thanks to all those who are featured in this post. Thanks also to all those who are quoted in this post, and thanks to all those who archived this content. Thanks also to Getty Images for supporting Jackson State University's project of archiving photographs of HBCU Queens. 
-snip-
The first article that is featured in this pancocojams post includes the name of one HBCU Queen from 1951. The other HBCU Queens who are featured in this post are from 1960s to 2024.

****
PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
The names of the HBCU Queens who are featured in both articles of this pancocojams post are given in italics for highlighting purposes only. 

ARTICLE #1-HBCU CAMPUS QUEENS PROJECTS

Pancocojams Editor's Note: Most of the HBCU Queens who are featured in that article are from Jackson State University, Mississippi. (JSU). One HBCU Queen who is named in that article is from North Carolina A&T State University.

A 1951 photograph in that article has the name of a Queen. All of the other names of Queens in that article are from the 1960s - 2024. 

https://www.buzzfeednews.com/article/piapeterson/campus-queens-hbcus-photos-getty

These Newly Digitized Photos Show Almost A Century Of Campus Queens And HBCU Life

The tradition of Campus Queens at HBCUs goes back many decades. Now, more of their photos are coming to light.

Pia Peterson, BuzzFeed News Photo Editor, Posted on March 6, 2022
"The tradition of college and university queens spans decades and originates from May Queens, who walk or ride at the front of May Day parades, which itself comes from pagan May Day rituals. Over time, students on historically Black colleges and universities have taken on the role of Campus Queen at their colleges and appeared at many events; the first Campus Queen was named in 1927. “It’s a beautiful and symbolic gesture of love of leadership and beauty, epitomized in womanhood,” Jackson State University archivist Darlita Ballard said.

While many colleges maintain the Campus Queen tradition, JSU has recently been sharing its images through a partnership with Getty. At JSU, the queens are elected by popular vote; traditionally, the queen was crowned ahead of the May Day ceremony. Later, the queen was also elected homecoming queen, football queen, and Miss Jackson State University. “It's an expression of love for our heritage, our values, and our goals,” Ballard said.

Dr. Locord Wilson, the interim dean of libraries at JSU, noted that the women’s style changes in the photos over time. “When they were first crowned, in the early images, some were very casual and some were formal,” Wilson said. “Some of them just wanted to be photographed on a bench or sitting on the ground.  The last few years, everyone has wanted it to be formal.” The Campus Queens served their roles during COVID, though with much less fanfare as the college and student body navigated the coronavirus.

[Pancocojams Editor- In this post the caption under each photograph is given without the photograph.]

Left, Norma Jean Pryor, Miss Tennessee State University, riding on a convertible with Mary Culver, Miss Senior, and Barbara Greer, Miss Sophomore, during halftime on Thanksgiving Day, Nashville, Tennessee, circa 1965. Right, honor student Juanita Tatum gives greetings of welcome during the homecoming celebration held at North Carolina A&T State University, with Walter T Johnson Jr, president of the A&T Student Government, standing by her side, Greensboro, North Carolina, circa 1960.

For JSU, the goal is to share not only the images of the queens but the history of the university and the students through its vast archive. The university’s official photographer, Charles Smith, alone has about 12,000 photos that have been digitized; the school hopes to digitize 50,000 photos overall.

Four HBCUs received grants from Getty Images in 2022 to help digitize their archives, bringing thousands of photos spanning over a hundred years to a new audience. With the archivists’ help, Smith assembled a selection of donated images and photos from the JSU archives, called the Campus Queens Collection.

“We’re reaching people that we wouldn't normally hear from,” Dr. Wilson said. “Someone called me yesterday to tell me that she served as first alternate to Campus Queen and actress Tommy Steward in 1968, and she had a lot of photographs she wanted to donate to the archival collection from when she was a student. “We wanted to bring this to life, not just to Jackson and not just to Mississippi, but to the world.”

Left, Miss JSU Emma Jean Brown 1972-73. Right, Miss JSU Beverly Bowser, 1964.

Miss JSU Vernecia L. Gee, circa 1990.

Jackson State University Campus Queen Miss Alandrea Wallace, 2002-2003.

Left, Miss JSU Jackie Bacchus, 1973-74, and right, Miss JSU Martha Anderson, 1971-72.

Left, Mrs. Brenda Lang Thomas reigned as Miss Jackson State University from 1964-1965. Right, Miss JSU Lynetta Kaye Gaines circa 1985.

Miss JSU Joyce Williams in 1951.

Left, Miss JSU Vivian Hilly circa 1970s

****
ARTICLE #2 -  NATIONAL BLACK COLLEGE ALUMNI HALL OF FAME QUEENS
From https://nbcahof.org/queens-past-and-present/ [retrieved November 11, 2025]
"The focus of the Competition of Black College Queens is to provide great opportunities for young women attending our nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and help them better prepare for the future, as well as gain self-awareness, self-confidence, individual pride, pride for their institution and a greater social awareness overall. Each of the college queens in the competition represents the leadership and reigning queen of the HBCU they represent. In this series of competitions, our queens demonstrates their unique talents and skill sets, to the point of one finalist and ultimate college queen of the National Black College Alumni Hall of Fame.

Below is a look at our past & present queens through the years: 

1986-1987

Melanie Rainey (deceased)

Chicago State University

 

1987-1988

Shari Love

Prairie View A & M University

 

1988-1989

Guy Spears

Alcorn State University

 

1989-1990

Semora T. Johns

Albany State University

 

1990-1991

Sharron Jenkins

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

 

1991-1992

Faedra Chatard

Spelman College

 

1992-1993

Jujuan Williams

Philander Smith College

 

1993-1994

Chelle Luper Wilson

Langston University

 

1994-1995

Christie Bradford

Fayetteville University

 

1995-1996

Trenace Fayton

Elizabeth City State University

 

1996-1997

Robbyn Manning

Tennessee State University

 

1997-1998

Navasha Boxley Collins

Morgan State University

 

1998-1999

Juanica Robinson Reynolds

Talladega College

 

1999-2000

Michelle Robinson Wilkins

Tennessee State University

 

2000-2001

Megan Richmond

Jackson State University

2001-2002

Chinai J. Hardy

Stillman College

 

2002-2003

Darcie Chism Finch

Fisk University

 

2003-2004

Samantha Thomas

Lincoln University of Missouri

 

2004-2005

Tameka J. Wilson

Bowie State University

 

2005-2006

Kendria Biley

Albany State University

 

2006-2007

Erica-Christina Little

Savannah State University

 

2007-2008

Orna-Charece Jones

Tennessee State University

 

2008-2009

TaNisha Fordham

North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University

 

2009-2010

Kendall Nicole Isadore

Howard University

 

2010-2011

Adrian Love Pruett

Howard University

 

2011-2012

Ashleigh Taylor

Tennessee State University

 

2012-2013

Jasmine Mathews

Spelman College

 

2013-2014

Cayla Cowherd

Virginia Union University

 

2014-2015

Elisa Thomas

University of the Virgin Islands

 

2015-2016

Dontia Y. Barrett

Winston-Salem State University

 

2016-2017

Che-Raina Warner

University of the Virgin Islands

 

2017-2018

Crystal Autumn Brooks

Fisk University

 

2018-2019

Anta Sallah Njie

Spelman College

 

2019-2020

Tangela Mitchell

Spelman College

 

2022-2023

Joy Watson

Virginia State University

 

2020-2021

Patria Gatson

Talladega College

 

2021-2022

Jackeima Flemming

University of the Virgin Islands

2023-2024

Armani Washington

Howard University

 

2024-2025

Nya Floyd

Fort Valley State University

2024 Hall of Fame Queens Participants

Dailona Dallas

Miss Jarvis Christian University

 

Damaris Moore

Miss Howard University

 

Jayla Smalls

Miss Clark Atlanta University

 

Lamonee Morris

Miss University of the Virgin Islands

 

Mya Banks

Miss Fisk University

 

Oluwanifemi Mercy Faniyi

Miss University of Maryland Eastern Shore

 

Sian Lee

Miss Morehouse College

 

Thomyka Valcent

Miss Livingstone College

 

Tori Paige

Miss Norfolk State University

 

Yasmine Bryant

Miss Morgan State University

 

Nya Floyd

Miss Fort Valley State University

[WINNERS] MISS NBCA HALL OF FAME

Patria Gatson

MISS NBCA HALL OF FAME 2020-2021

 

Armani Washington

MISS NBCA HALL OF FAME 2021-2022

 

Jackeima Flemming

MISS NBCA HALL OF FAME 2021-2022

 

Joy Watson 

MISS NBCA HALL OF FAME 2022-2023

 

Nya Floyd

MISS NBCA HALL OF FAME 2024-2025

****
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