Why do so many african americans have the last name Jackson?

Question:

Why do so many african americans have the last name Jackson?

Best Answer - Chosen by Asker: They had the choice to take any name they wanted. So they took Presidential names. Jackson, Washington, Jefferson, etc.

"Research has shown that slave owners seldom named newborn slave children. Similarities in naming practices among African Americans in the United States and those in western Africa indicate that it is more likely that the slaves chose the names of their children. The given name of a child, therefore, showed important connections between African American families. There appears to have been a significant tendency toward the maternal line when the mother was alone, but when both parents were present, children were named after the maternal and paternal lines in nearly equal numbers.

In summary, the assumption that African Americans used the same surnames as their owners is not always true. William Still??s book on the Underground Railroad shows that, of the first 210 successful runaways, 84 percent had different surnames than the owners they had fled; this is equally true for men and women.

While runaways may not have been typical of the general population of African Americans, records from as early as 1720 indicate that slaves often had surnames different than their owners?? names. Certainly, post-Civil War records document that ex-slaves had surnames different than the names of their most recent owners; it is possible many ex-slaves chose new names and identifications when they were emancipated."
http://www.ancestry.com/learn/library/ar...

"We hope to connect families who share a common male ancestor. Also, because of the uniqueness of African American slaves adopting any surname of choice upon emancipation, any male with a different surname and suspects a connection to the WELLS surname is welcome to participate in this project. Ever wonder if you are connected to another family of a different surname? "
http://www.familytreedna.com/public/well...

"African-American Names
Identification of blacks in genealogical records is difficult because the African names of slaves were largely disregarded. Blacks were usually given only American first names. In Connecticut, a man's wife and children often took his given name as their surname. For example, the sons of Primus Richards were known as George and Henry Primus. In the Records and Papers of the First Congregational Church, Hartford, blacks are listed in the index as "Negroes". There are no individual name listings, and slaves were often listed under the slave-owners' names (i.e., "Myers, Miers, Negroes of") with no identification of the person by name.
When slaves escaped to the North or were freed, they adopted surnames. Some slaves took surnames prior to being freed, but generally kept the name a secret from the white community. It is a common misconception that freed slaves took the surnames of their last owner. In fact, slaves often went by several surnames and made a final choice at the time they were emancipated or gained freedom. They often took the surname of their father, who may have been a white slave-master or overseer. Or, they took the name of a current owner, a former owner, a famous American, or a locally-prominent citizen."
http://www.cslib.org/blagen.htm...