More: 50 Tropical Island Baby Names This guide includes many beautiful names to choose from including baby boy names, baby girl names, and gender-neutral names so you can have as many options as possible. There are names with so many different origins here, keeping the national motto of Jamaica “out of many one people” so true!
Jamaican First Names
Many of the names you will see listed are of Irish, English, and even Spanish origin. This reflects the Caribbean island’s history of people of many different nationalities emigrating to Jamaica in the 1600s. You can read more about Oliver Cromwell here, as he is one of the main reasons for this. So, it isn’t surprising that the national language in Jamaica is English. You will also see a lot of African names included as well.
Jamaican Last Names
There are many common last names of Jamaican origin that you can find in Jamaica and other places around the world. This is because there aren’t any real native last names in Jamaica, rather they came from colonization and immigration from other countries such as England, Ireland, and even China. This is why “Brown” and “Williams” are some of the most heard last names there. Many people in Jamaica were taken in as slaves by the British and inherited the last name of the plantation where they worked. You can read some more about popular last names in Jamaica here, as well as a little bit more information about how they came to be.
Naming Traditions
Jamaican last names are primarily British as mentioned earlier, and you can still see this today. As far as first names, many Modern Jamaicans choose ones that have relation to their family while traditional Jamaicans name their children after days of the week. It is a common Jamaican tradition for children to have double middle names. The middle names that are chosen are the most personal since the parents choose that name based on family ties, their preferences, and traditions. Another popular tradition that you will find in Jamaica is the use of nicknames. They are referred to as “yard names,” and it is normal for that name to be used more often in place of the person’s given name. Pretty cool, right? It is also normal for Jamaicans to use identifiers for people in place of their name. This applies to strangers AND people they know. Here is a fascinating blog entry about a couple who spent time in Jamaica during their time in the Peace Corps, where they discuss the time they spent in Jamaica, as well as examples of some of the nicknames and identifiers they heard there. Jamaican culture is definitely unique.
Jamaican Baby Boy Names
Generally, many of the most popular Jamaican boy names are very strong and have some sort of connection to religion. Some of the most popular boy names in Jamaica are Delroy and Glenmore. Parents typically want a name for their baby boy that will give them strength and courage. These are some of the most popular Jamaican boy names:
Jamaican Baby Girl Names
Many of the girl names that you will find in Jamaica have meanings that relate to beauty, purity, and strength. Two girl names that seemed to be the most common are Cedella and Jada. Parents usually choose their baby girl’s name based on what they feel suits them the most. Here are some of the most popular Jamaican girl names:
Gender-Neutral Jamaican Baby Names
These names can be used for either a boy or a girl, and are very commonly used in Jamaica. Kymani and Kingston are by far the most popular. For more baby name inspiration check out these popular baby name lists:
Top 1000 Most Popular Baby Girl Names in the U.S. Top 1000 Most Popular Baby Boy Names in the U.S. The 100 Coolest Baby Names in the World
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