Surname Bluejacket - Meaning and Origin
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Bluejacket: What does the surname Bluejacket mean?
The surname Bluejacket has multiple possible origins, with one of the most common being a referential surname derived from the occupation or personal characteristic of an ancestor. It's an English-language surname which could refer to someone who commonly wore a blue jacket, worked in a field requiring a blue uniform, or likely, a sailor as they have historically been associated with blue jackets.
In a different context, Bluejacket can be found as a Native American surname. The most famous person of such heritage is Chief Blue Jacket (or Weyapiersenwah) of the Shawnee tribe in the late 1700s. According to one disputed theory, Blue Jacket was originally a white settler named Marmaduke Van Swearingen, who was captured and adopted into the Shawnee tribe, eventually becoming a war chief. This story, however, lacks solid evidence and is generally not accepted by the Shawnee tribe. If taken from this part of history, the last name Bluejacket may indicate Shawnee descent.
As such, different people with the last name Bluejacket may trace its origin differently, depending on their family history.
Order DNA origin analysisBluejacket: Where does the name Bluejacket come from?
The surname Bluejacket originates from the Native American Shawnee tribe. A notable figure with this surname was Chief Blue Jacket, also known as Weyapiersenwah, who was a war chief of the Shawnee tribe in the late 18th and early 19th century. This surname could possibly have derived from a translation of his Shawnee name or been adopted because he supposedly wore a blue jacket frequently.
The surname Bluejacket is still associated with the Shawnee tribe and can be found among their descendants today. Furthermore, while it is not extraordinarily common, it may be found on a broader scale within the United States. Additionally, the name became more recognizable due to a historical ship called the USS Blue Jacket, a training vessel in the U.S. Navy during World War II, which was named in honor of the Shawnee chief. In recent years, the Blue Jacket name gained additional presence in Ohio due to the Columbus Blue Jackets professional hockey team, their name serving as a homage to the state's rich Civil War history. However, as a last name, Bluejacket remains uncommon and primarily connected to Native American heritage.
Variations of the surname Bluejacket
The surname Bluejacket is quite unusual and it is primarily associated with Native American heritage, specifically the Shawnee tribe. The chief Bluejacket, a Shawnee leader, was known by Weyapiersenwah, which was anglicized as Blue Jacket.
Given the distinctive nature of this surname, there are few direct variations or spellings. Similar sounding but differently spelled names or homophonic names can include Blu Jacket, Bluejaket or Blu Jkt. However, there is no guarantee that these surnames originate from the same source as the surname Bluejacket.
Surnames related to Bluejacket through ethnicity or geography could include other Shawnee surnames like Chiksika, Catahecassa, or Methoataske.
It's significant to note that name variations can occur because of diverse factors such as translation errors, spelling mistakes, pronunciation differences, or personal preferences.
In terms of research, ancestry, or genealogy, it could be challenging to trace variations of 'Bluejacket'. It's generally best to note the connections with indigenous American roots and Shawnee tribe when investigating further on this name-genealogy.
Famous people with the name Bluejacket
The most notable person with the Bluejacket surname is Charles Bluejacket, a well-known Shawnee chief during the 19th century who eventually served as a preacher and farmer in Kansas and Oklahoma. Bluejacket, Ohio, is named in his honor. Another person of note with this surname is Fred BlueJacket, an American professional baseball player in the first half of the 20th Century. At least one other named belong to a rather infamous member of a family with the last name Bluejacket, a fugitive named Jesse BlueJacket who was involved in a notorious kidnapping case in Oklahoma during the early part of the 20th century. Charles Bluejacket's grandson, George Bluejacket, was a notable Shawnee tribal leader during the mid-20th century, known for his advocacy for Native American rights. He was inducted into the Oklahoma Hall of Fame in 1988. Other descendants of the Bluejacket family have had prominent roles in various local and tribal initiatives. However, overall, the Bluejacket surname is relatively uncommon and is primarily associated with Native American ancestry.