Family Names

So Who Are Your People?

Lot happening on the day job . . . . Anyway, thought it would be right to describe these American families and what is known [what I know] about them.

The Descendants of Richard William Gines

There is quite a lot written about the origins of the surname "Gines." Variations are said to include Gaines, Goins, Joynes, Jones, Garnes, and others. That makes research a challenge to say the least. My research shows that there are at least four distinct Gines family groups in America today.

The LDS Gines Families

Probably the largest Gines family group in America, the Mormon Gines families are concentrated today in Utah, Idaho, Nevada, and other western states. I believe they moved west mainly from the Midwest.

The Asian-Pacific Islander Gines Families

These families come from the Philippines for the most part, and may have been related to the Latino Gines families.

The Latino Gines Families

The Spanish "Gines" and the English "Gines" are not homonyms. But on paper, that's hard to tell. The Latino Gines families are likely the second-largest Gines group in the USA. They actually consist of two sub-groups: the Puerto Rican Gines and the Chicano Gines.

The African-American Gines

The African-American Gines families today live throughout the South and the Midwest, with large concentrations in Mississippi, Louisiana, Texas, and Missouri. Their migration pattern seems to have been VA-->SC-->MS-->LA-->TX. Some, however, may have gone west from Virginia.

Richard William Gines was born in Louisiana in about 1860. In the early 20th century, his children were among the blacks from Louisiana who headed north to Kansas City to become part of the growing and thriving black communities there. This is the family I'm researching.


Coming Next . . . The Mansons of Scotland, Virginia, and Georgia