The Origins of Jamaican Surnames

Jamaica’s surnames offer a fascinating window into the island’s complex history and cultural makeup. Though most Jamaicans are of African descent, the vast majority bear surnames of European origin—especially British, and notably Scottish. Understanding the origins and distribution of these names means examining colonial history, migration patterns, and the naming customs that shaped identity over centuries.

British Isles

Scotland

Influence: Scotland has had an outsized impact on Jamaican surnames—more so than any other single country outside the island itself.

Common Names: Campbell, Stewart, Gordon, Grant, McKenzie, McFarlane, McIntosh, McDonald, Reid, Graham, Anderson, Wilson.

Why so prevalent?

• Large-scale Scottish migration, including transported prisoners, planters, merchants, and overseers (1600s–1800s).
• Surnames were often assigned to enslaved Africans on plantations owned by Scots.

For its size, Jamaica has one of the highest concentrations of Scottish surnames in the world. The name Campbell, in particular, is more frequent per capita in Jamaica than in Scotland itself.

The prominence of Campbell in Jamaica is particularly striking given its complex legacy in Scotland. The Campbells were among the most powerful Highland clans—staunch allies of the British Crown and often at odds with other clans. They played a central role in suppressing Highland uprisings and enforcing English authority—most infamously during the 1692 Massacre of Glencoe, when government troops, led by Campbells, killed members of Clan MacDonald after having accepted their hospitality for nearly two weeks. That act of betrayal earned the Campbells lasting resentment in parts of the Highlands, where the name still provokes strong reactions today.

England

Common Names: Brown, Smith, Williams, Johnson, Clarke, Jones, Taylor, Davis, Robinson, Miller, Bailey.

Features: Many of these surnames stem from occupations (Smith, Taylor), given names (Williams, Johnson), or physical traits (Brown, White).

About the name Brown: Although often grouped with English surnames, Brown has roots in both England and Scotland, and is also found in Ireland and parts of continental Europe. It likely began as a descriptive surname based on appearance—such as hair color, skin tone, or clothing. In Jamaica, it ranks among the most common surnames island-wide, reflecting its wide historical use across British territories.

Ireland

Common Names: Kelly, Burke, O’Connor, Walsh, Flynn, Murphy, Delaney, Barrett.

Context: Irish surnames entered Jamaica through indentured servants, soldiers, and settlers. Though fewer than English or Scottish names, Irish surnames remain a visible minority.

Wales

Common Names: Morgan, Davies, Lewis, Evans.

Presence: Welsh surnames are less common but tied to specific families from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Other Regions Contributing to Jamaican Surnames

Spain

Names: Rodriguez, De La Vega, Gonzalez, Mendez (rare).

Context: These surnames are remnants of the Spanish occupation of Jamaica from 1494 to 1655, before the island was taken by the English. During that period, Spanish colonists—including officials, soldiers, priests, and settlers—established towns such as Sevilla la Nueva and Santiago de la Vega (now Spanish Town). While the Spanish population was relatively small and many fled or were expelled after the English conquest, a few names persisted through conversion, intermarriage, or legacy naming in place names and institutions.

Present Use: Today, Spanish surnames are rare in Jamaica, but names like De La Vega survive as family names and in geographic references—such as Spanish Town. The surname Rodriguez, while more common globally, is infrequent in Jamaica and often indicates ancestry from more recent Spanish Caribbean migration (e.g., Cuba or the Dominican Republic), rather than direct descent from the original Spanish settlers.

India

Names: Singh, Persaud, Maragh, Rampersad, Bhoorasingh, Ramlall.

Notes: Brought by indentured laborers who arrived post-emancipation, beginning in 1845.

China

Names: Chin, Chang, Lee, Fong, Kong, Chung, Chen, Lim, Leung.

Notes: These surnames came with Chinese immigrants in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, mostly in merchant families.

Middle East & Jewish Communities

Names: Azan (Lebanese/Arabic), Cohen, DeCordova, Matalon, Henriques (Jewish).

Context: Jamaica’s Jewish community dates back to the Spanish colonial era (1494–1655), when Sephardic Jews fleeing the Spanish Inquisition settled secretly on the island. Many lived as conversos (forced Christian converts) while continuing to practice Judaism in secret. After the English conquest in 1655, Jews were granted more freedom and became active in trade, finance, and urban life. Surnames like DeCordova, Henriques, and Matalon reflect this early Sephardic presence and are still found in Jamaica today.

In later years, small numbers of Ashkenazi Jews arrived from Central and Eastern Europe, and Jewish Jamaicans became prominent in areas such as publishing, law, and commerce.

Separately, Syrian and Lebanese families—mostly Christian, with some Muslim—began arriving in the late 19th and early 20th centuries as part of a broader wave of Middle Eastern migration across the Caribbean. Surnames like Azan and Haddad are common among their descendants, many of whom established successful businesses and integrated into Jamaica’s urban middle

West Africa

Names: Kameka, Kanneh (rare).

Notes: Due to the forced renaming of enslaved Africans, very few African surnames survived. African influence remains more visible in language, culture, and lineage than in surnames.

Other Naming Patterns

Some surnames in Jamaica emerged not from geographic origin but from religious or symbolic choices. After emancipation, many freed individuals selected surnames that reflected biblical figures or spiritual ideals—such as Moses, Abraham, Isaac, or Christian. These names, while not tied to a specific country, became part of the surname landscape across Jamaica.

Key Historical Events That Shaped Jamaican Surnames

Many of Jamaica’s surnames reflect not just geographic origin, but the major historical forces that drove migration, exile, or labor movement to the island. These include war, slavery, indentureship, religious persecution, and economic hardship. Below are some of the most influential events that shaped surname patterns across the island:

• Sephardic Jewish Flight from the Inquisition (1490s–1600s): Jews fleeing persecution in Spain and Portugal settled secretly in Jamaica during the Spanish era and later gained rights under English rule. Their surnames—such as Henriques, DeCordova, Matalon—reflect this early diaspora.
• Irish Transportation and Indentureship (1650s–1700s): During and after Oliver Cromwell’s conquest of Ireland, thousands of Irish people—including prisoners of war, political rebels, and the rural poor—were forcibly transported to the Caribbean, including Jamaica. Many served as indentured laborers, while others came as settlers or soldiers. Irish surnames such as Kelly, Burke, O’Connor, Walsh, and Delaney continue to reflect this early presence.
• The Transatlantic Slave Trade (1600s–1807): Millions of Africans were forcibly brought to Jamaica. Enslaved people were stripped of their original names and assigned the surnames of their owners, overseers, or prominent Europeans—most commonly English or Scottish surnames. This accounts for the widespread presence of names like Brown, Smith, Williams, Gordon, and Johnson among Afro-Jamaicans.
• Scottish Migration and Exile (1600s–1700s): Scots began arriving in Jamaica in significant numbers in the late 1600s, often to fill managerial and professional roles in the growing plantation economy. Many served as overseers, merchants, doctors, or soldiers. Later, following the failed Jacobite rebellion and the Battle of Culloden in 1746, additional Scots—particularly Highlanders—were forcibly transported to Jamaica as punishment for rebellion. Others were exiled for petty crimes or vagrancy under Britain’s penal policies. These combined waves led to the widespread adoption of Scottish surnames such as Campbell, McDonald, Graham, McKenzie, and Reid, many of which remain common across Jamaica today.
• Post-Emancipation Indentureship (1845–1917): After slavery was abolished, thousands of laborers from India and China were brought under indenture contracts. Their surnames—such as Singh, Maragh, Persaud, Chin, Fong, and Chang—are still seen today, especially in communities descended from those immigrants.
• Middle Eastern Migration (Late 1800s–Early 1900s): Small numbers of Lebanese and Syrian merchants arrived, often fleeing Ottoman repression or economic instability. Names like Azan, Haddad, and Shoucair are part of this legacy.

Explore More: For a deeper look at how different ethnic groups came to Jamaica—from Africans and Europeans to Indians, Chinese, Jews, and Middle Eastern communities—visit jamaicatimeline.com/people.html, a project of Fiwi Roots. The page offers a timeline-driven exploration of Jamaica’s demographic evolution and the layered histories behind its diverse population.