Melungeons

History and Tidbits
Melungeons are a group of several hundred families from the Cumberland Gap area of the Appalachians, and surrounding counties of Virgina, Kentucky, Tennessee, and North Carolina with generally Caucasian features but with olive or swarthy skin color. The ethnic background and mix of these families is contested. Many seem to have American Indian in their background. Some researchers believe Portuguese from as early as the time of Columbus are part of their history. Others say sub-Saharan black Africans are also in the mix, but many insist otherwise. Melungeons are often called a "tri-racial isolate" but some Melungeons object to and deny this terminology.

It is even difficult to pin down exactly which family names can be included in a list of Melungeon names. Candidates include Bowling (Bolin), Bunch, Chavis (Chavez), Collins, Francisco, Gibson, Gill, Goins, Goodman, Minor, Mise, Moore, Mullins, Ridley (Riddle), Rodrigues, Stowers, Williams, and Wise.