- American ▁freedom . ▁ ▁Neg ro ▁E lection ▁Day ▁is ▁also ▁another ▁festival ▁derived ▁from ▁rit uals ▁of ▁African ▁culture ▁specifically ▁West ▁Africa ▁and ▁revol ves ▁around ▁the ▁voting ▁of ▁a ▁black ▁official ▁in ▁New ▁England ▁colon ies ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 8 th ▁century . ▁ ▁Names ▁ ▁Although ▁many ▁African - American ▁names ▁are ▁common ▁among ▁the ▁larger ▁population ▁of ▁the ▁United ▁States , ▁distinct ▁naming ▁tr ends ▁have ▁emer ged ▁within ▁African - American ▁culture . ▁Prior ▁to ▁the ▁ 1 9 5 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 6 0 s , ▁most ▁African - American ▁names ▁closely ▁res emble d ▁those ▁used ▁within ▁European ▁American ▁culture . ▁A ▁dram atic ▁shift ▁in ▁naming ▁trad itions ▁began ▁to ▁take ▁shape ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 9 6 0 s ▁and ▁ 1 9 7 0 s ▁in ▁America . ▁With ▁the ▁rise ▁of ▁the ▁mid - century ▁Civil ▁Rights ▁Mov ement , ▁there ▁was ▁a ▁dram atic ▁rise ▁in ▁names ▁of ▁various ▁orig ins . ▁The ▁practice ▁of ▁adopt ing ▁ne o - A fr ican ▁or ▁Islam ic ▁names ▁gained ▁popular ity ▁during ▁that ▁era . ▁E ff ort s ▁to ▁recover ▁African ▁her itage ▁inspired ▁selection ▁of ▁names ▁with ▁deeper ▁cultural ▁significance . ▁Before ▁this , ▁using ▁African ▁names ▁was ▁un common ▁because ▁African ▁Americans ▁were ▁several ▁gener ations ▁removed ▁from ▁the ▁last ▁ancest or ▁to ▁have ▁an ▁African ▁name , ▁as ▁slaves ▁were ▁often ▁given ▁European ▁names ▁and ▁most ▁s urn ames ▁are ▁of ▁Ang lo