lastnamegenerators

Jamaican Last Names

These Jamaican last names range from Brown, Campbell and Williams to names that feel especially Jamaican, like Gayle, Hylton, Pinnock, Myrie and Nembhard, listed A to Z with the meaning and origin of each.

203 real surnames with meanings, A to Z.

A

  • Allen

    From the Breton name Alan; of uncertain meaning

  • Ammar

    Lebanese-Jamaican, Arabic for builder

  • Anderson

    Scottish, son of Andrew

  • Ashenheim

    German-Jewish Jamaican family surname

  • Azan

    Lebanese-Jamaican surname; Arabic origin

B

  • Bailey

    English for bailiff

  • Barnes

    English for barn dweller

  • Barrett

    English-Irish, possibly quarrelsome

  • Beckford

    English place name; stream ford

  • Bennett

    English, from Benedict, blessed

  • Blair

    Scottish Gaelic for plain or field

  • Blake

    English for pale or dark

  • Bogle

    Scottish; possibly from bogle, ghost or goblin

  • Bolt

    English for arrow maker or stocky

  • Brissett

    English-French surname; common in Jamaica

  • Brooks

    English for stream dweller

  • Brown

    English for brown-haired or dark-skinned

  • Bryan

    Irish, from Brian, high or noble

  • Buchanan

    Scottish Gaelic for house of the canon

  • Burke

    Irish-Norman, from de Burgh, fort

C

  • Cameron

    Scottish Gaelic for crooked nose

  • Campbell

    Scottish Gaelic for crooked mouth

  • Chambers

    English for chamberlain

  • Chang

    Chinese-Jamaican, from Zhang, archer

  • Chen

    Chinese-Jamaican; ancient state of Chen

  • Chin

    Chinese-Jamaican, Hakka form of Chen

  • Chong

    Chinese-Jamaican, Hakka form of Zhang

  • Christie

    Scottish, from Christopher or Christian

  • Chuck

    Chinese-Jamaican surname; romanized Chinese origin

  • Chung

    Chinese-Jamaican, Hakka-Cantonese form of Zhong

  • Clarke

    English for clerk or scholar

  • Coke

    English for cook

  • Cole

    English for dark or coal

  • Crooks

    English-Scottish for bend or nook

  • Cunningham

    Scottish place name in Ayrshire

D

  • DaCosta

    Portuguese-Jewish Jamaican; of the coast

  • Daley

    Irish Ó Dálaigh, assembly

  • Davis

    English-Welsh, son of David

  • DeCordova

    Sephardic Jamaican; from Córdoba

  • DeLisser

    Portuguese-Jewish Jamaican family surname

  • Dixon

    English-Scottish, son of Dick

  • Douglas

    Scottish Gaelic for dark stream

  • Duncan

    Scottish Gaelic for dark warrior

  • Dunkley

    English place name

  • Dwyer

    Irish Ó Duibhidhir, dark one

  • Dyer

    English for cloth dyer

E

  • Ebanks

    English, possibly yew bank

  • Edwards

    English, son of Edward, rich guardian

  • Ellis

    English-Welsh, from Elias

F

  • Facey

    English nickname; possibly witty

  • Ferguson

    Scottish, son of Fergus, man of strength

  • Fletcher

    English for arrow maker

  • Forbes

    Scottish Gaelic for field or district

  • Foster

    English for forester or foster parent

  • Francis

    English, from Latin for Frenchman

  • Fraser

    Scottish, possibly from French for strawberry

G

  • Garvey

    Irish Ó Gairbhith, rough peace

  • Gayle

    English for jovial; common in Jamaica

  • Gentles

    Scottish-English, possibly for noble or gentle

  • Givans

    Scottish-Irish; possibly from Gaelic Mac Giobúin

  • Gordon

    Scottish place name; possibly great hill fort

  • Goulbourne

    English place name Golborne

  • Graham

    Scottish from Grantham, gravel homestead

  • Grant

    Scottish from French grand, tall

  • Gray

    English-Scottish for grey-haired

  • Green

    English for village green dweller

H

  • Hadeed

    Lebanese-Jamaican, Arabic for iron

  • Hall

    English for worker at a manor hall

  • Hamilton

    Scottish from English place, flat-topped hill

  • Hanna

    Lebanese-Jamaican, Arabic for John

  • Harris

    English, son of Harry

  • Harrison

    English, son of Harry

  • Harvey

    English from Breton, battle worthy

  • Haughton

    English place name; enclosure in a nook

  • Henriques

    Portuguese-Jewish Jamaican, son of Henrique

  • Henry

    English, Germanic for home ruler

  • Heron

    English for heron; tall thin person

  • Hew

    Chinese-Jamaican, from Qiu or Hu

  • Hibbert

    English, from Hilbert, battle bright

  • Hinds

    English for servant or farmhand

  • Ho

    Chinese-Jamaican, from He, river

  • Holness

    English place name; hollow headland

  • Hutchinson

    English, son of little Hugh

  • Hylton

    English place name; hill farm

I

  • Issa

    Lebanese-Jamaican, Arabic for Jesus

J

  • Jackson

    English, son of Jack

  • James

    English, from Jacob

  • Jarrett

    English, from Gerard, spear hard

  • Johnson

    English, son of John

  • Jones

    Welsh, son of John

K

  • Kelly

    Irish Ó Ceallaigh; possibly strife or bright-headed

  • Kerr

    Scottish for marshland

  • Khan

    Indian-Jamaican Muslim; Turkic for ruler

  • Knibb

    English surname; as abolitionist William Knibb

  • Knight

    English for knight or servant

  • Kong

    Chinese-Jamaican, from Kong, as in Confucius

L

  • Lawrence

    English, from Latin Laurentius

  • Lee

    English for meadow; also Chinese-Jamaican Li

  • Lewis

    English-Welsh, from Louis, famous warrior

  • Lindo

    Portuguese-Jewish Jamaican; Spanish for pretty

  • Lindsay

    Scottish from English place, Lincoln's island

  • Lowe

    English for hill; also Chinese-Jamaican Lau

  • Lyn

    Chinese-Jamaican, from Lin, forest

  • Lyons

    Irish Ó Laighin or French Lyon

M

  • Mahfood

    Lebanese-Jamaican, Arabic for protected

  • Malcolm

    Scottish Gaelic for devotee of Saint Columba

  • Manley

    English place name; common land clearing

  • Maragh

    Indian-Jamaican, from Maharaj, great king

  • Marley

    English place name; possibly pleasant wood

  • Matalon

    Syrian-Jewish Jamaican family surname

  • Mattis

    Jamaican surname; possibly from Matthew

  • Maxwell

    Scottish for Maccus's stream

  • McCalla

    Scottish-Irish Gaelic, son of Amhlaoibh

  • McDonald

    Scottish Gaelic, son of Donald, world ruler

  • McFarlane

    Scottish Gaelic, son of Parlan

  • McIntosh

    Scottish Gaelic, son of the chief

  • McKenzie

    Scottish Gaelic, son of Coinneach, comely

  • McLean

    Scottish Gaelic, son of the servant of Saint John

  • McLeod

    Scottish Gaelic, son of Leod, ugly

  • McPherson

    Scottish Gaelic, son of the parson

  • Messam

    Possibly English place name Measham

  • Miller

    English for miller

  • Minott

    English-French surname; possibly small

  • Mitchell

    English-Scottish, from Michael

  • Mohammed

    Indian-Jamaican Muslim; Arabic for praised

  • Montague

    English-Norman for pointed hill

  • Morgan

    Welsh; possibly sea-born

  • Morris

    English-Welsh, from Maurice, Moorish

  • Morrison

    Scottish-English, son of Maurice

  • Mullings

    English-Irish surname; possibly miller

  • Murray

    Scottish from Moray; sea settlement

  • Myrie

    Distinctively Jamaican surname; possibly Scottish origin

N

  • Nelson

    English, son of Neil

  • Nembhard

    Jamaican surname; possibly German or Dutch origin

  • Nugent

    Irish-Norman from French place Nogent

O

  • O'Connor

    Irish Ó Conchobhair, lover of hounds

  • Ormsby

    English place name; Orm's farm

P

  • Palmer

    English for pilgrim carrying palm

  • Parchment

    English for parchment maker

  • Patterson

    Scottish, son of Patrick

  • Peart

    English for lively or bold

  • Persaud

    Indo-Caribbean, from Prasad, blessed offering

  • Phillips

    English-Welsh, son of Philip

  • Pinnock

    English place name in Gloucestershire

  • Porter

    English for doorkeeper

  • Pottinger

    English-Scottish for soup maker or apothecary

  • Powell

    Welsh ap Hywel, son of Hywel

R

  • Ramcharan

    Indian-Jamaican, Hindi for at the feet of Rama

  • Ramsay

    Scottish from English place, wild garlic island

  • Rattigan

    Irish Ó Reachtagáin

  • Rattray

    Scottish place name in Perthshire

  • Reid

    Scottish for red-haired

  • Rhoden

    English place name; possibly roe valley

  • Richards

    English, son of Richard

  • Ricketts

    English, from little Richard

  • Riley

    Irish Ó Raghallaigh or English rye clearing

  • Robinson

    English, son of Robin

  • Rowe

    English for row of houses or hedgerow

  • Russell

    English from French for little red one

S

  • Salmon

    English, from Solomon

  • Samms

    English, son of Sam

  • Samuels

    English-Jewish, son of Samuel

  • Scott

    Scottish for a Scot or Gael

  • Seaga

    Lebanese-Jamaican surname; Arabic origin

  • Senior

    English for elder or lord

  • Shaw

    English-Scottish for small wood

  • Shoucair

    Lebanese-Jamaican, Arabic for little fair one

  • Simpson

    English, son of Sim

  • Sinclair

    Scottish from French Saint-Clair

  • Singh

    Indian-Jamaican, Sanskrit for lion

  • Smith

    English for metalworker

  • Somers

    English for summer or sumpter-horse driver

  • Spence

    Scottish-English for pantry steward

  • Steele

    English-Scottish for steelworker or hard

  • Stephenson

    English, son of Stephen

  • Stewart

    Scottish for steward of a household

  • Sutherland

    Scottish for southern land

  • Swaby

    English place name in Lincolnshire

T

  • Taylor

    English for tailor

  • Thomas

    English-Welsh, from Aramaic for twin

  • Thompson

    English-Scottish, son of Thom

  • Tomlinson

    English, son of little Tom

  • Tulloch

    Scottish Gaelic for hillock

V

  • Vassell

    Possibly French vassal or English Vassal

W

  • Walker

    English for cloth fuller

  • Wallace

    Scottish for Welshman or foreigner

  • Walters

    English, son of Walter

  • Warren

    English for game park keeper

  • Watson

    English-Scottish, son of Wat

  • Wedderburn

    Scottish place name in Berwickshire

  • White

    English for fair-haired

  • Whyte

    Scottish spelling of White, fair-haired

  • Williams

    English-Welsh, son of William, resolute protector

  • Williamson

    Scottish-English, son of William

  • Wilson

    English-Scottish, son of Will

  • Wint

    Of uncertain origin; common in Jamaica

  • Witter

    English; possibly wise man

  • Wong

    Chinese-Jamaican, Cantonese form of Huang, yellow

  • Wray

    English for nook or corner

  • Wright

    English for craftsman or builder

  • Wynter

    English for winter

Y

  • Yap

    Chinese-Jamaican, Hakka form of Ye, leaf

  • Young

    English-Scottish for younger; also Chinese-Jamaican Yang

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Results (6)

  • Warren

    English for game park keeper

  • Lindo

    Portuguese-Jewish Jamaican; Spanish for pretty

  • Senior

    English for elder or lord

  • Ebanks

    English, possibly yew bank

  • Fletcher

    English for arrow maker

  • Dyer

    English for cloth dyer

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    The most familiar Jamaican last names and their meanings

    Brown, Williams, Campbell, Smith, Thompson, Johnson and Clarke are among the names you meet most often in Jamaica. Their meanings are British: Brown described hair or complexion, Williams means son of William, Clarke was a clerk or scholar and Thompson son of Thomas. Campbell comes from the Scottish Gaelic caimbeul, crooked mouth, and Grant, Reid and Stewart add more Scottish colour, from words for tall, red-haired and the royal steward.

    Next come names that are common in Britain but unusually frequent in Jamaica, such as Francis, Gordon, Morgan, Bailey, Henry, Powell, Spence and Samuels. Many were recorded at emancipation or through church baptisms, and once a name was established in a parish it spread through family networks over the following generations. That is why a Jamaican school register can look like a British one with a few surprisingly dominant names.

    Names that feel especially Jamaican

    Some names are ordinary British names that became far more common in Jamaica than anywhere else. Gayle, Hylton, Pinnock, Wint, Tulloch, Nembhard, Myrie, Mattis, Haughton and Rhoden all fall into this group, and several are uncommon in Britain today. Nembhard and Myrie are good examples of names that, for many people abroad, immediately suggest a Jamaican family. Lindo is a Sephardic Jewish name that also spread widely on the island.

    History has made other names famous at home. Garvey, Bogle and Manley are the surnames of National Heroes, Marcus Garvey, Paul Bogle and Norman Manley, and Gordon honours George William Gordon. Sport and music add Bolt, Marley and Fraser. DeCordova recalls the family that founded the Gleaner newspaper in 1834, and names such as Issa, Mahfood and Hadeed come from Lebanese and Syrian families who have been part of island life for generations.

    Tips for using the list for characters

    Because most Jamaican surnames are British, the mix is what makes a cast feel right. A realistic group might include a Campbell, a Brown, a Gayle, a Chin and a Mahfood, with nobody finding the combination unusual. Names with Mc, like McKenzie, McFarlane and McLean, are very common, and Jamaicans usually write them with Mc rather than Mac. Use the letter bar to jump to M, which is one of the busiest sections in the list.

    The search box also reads meanings, so typing Scottish, Irish or Lebanese quickly shows how those groups contribute to the list, and typing Chinese brings up Chin, Lyn, Chung and the other Chinese-Jamaican names. Spellings follow Jamaican usage, such as Clarke with an e and Whyte with a y. If you are writing about a real parish, local newspapers and school lists are the best check on which names are common there.

    Frequently asked questions

    Which Jamaican last names are the most common?

    Brown, Williams, Campbell, Smith, Thompson and Johnson are usually named as the most frequent, followed by names such as Clarke, Grant, Reid, Stewart and Francis. Rankings vary a little by source, but British and especially Scottish names dominate the top of every list.

    What does the name Gayle mean?

    Gayle is an English name, from a Middle English word for jovial or lively, or in some families from a place name. It is uncommon in Britain today but very familiar in Jamaica, where it belongs to many families, including that of the cricketer Chris Gayle.

    Are there Jamaican names of African origin?

    Very few surnames are African, because enslaved people were denied their own family names and most families later took British ones. African heritage shows more in first names, nicknames and Akan day names such as Cudjoe and Quashie, which were once widely used and survive in some families as surnames.

    Do Chinese-Jamaican families keep Chinese names?

    Many do, usually in spellings based on Hakka pronunciation, such as Chin, Chung, Lyn and Chong. Some Chinese-Jamaican families took English surnames or combined names over time. The community has been in Jamaica since the nineteenth century, so many of these names are several generations old.

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