How did some Indigenous peoples in North America turn traditional names into English last names?

The process by which many Indigenous peoples in North America adopted English last names was largely driven by the imposition of colonial administrative systems, particularly during the late 19th-century reservation period. Government officials often insisted on listing families by surnames to align with Euro-American record-keeping practices, a system that was largely foreign to many Indigenous cultures.1

For those who did not adopt English names, a common practice involved using the English translation of their traditional names as surnames. These names were often derived from totems, animals indicated by omens or dreams, or significant life events. Examples of this naming pattern include names such as John Sleeping Owl or Mary Little Bear. It is important to note that these translated surnames were sometimes not hereditary, reflecting a departure from the traditional naming conventions of the cultures from which they originated. This shift was part of broader, often coercive, assimilationist programs that sought to replace traditional cultural structures with Euro-American norms.21