The Ultimate Guide to Jamaican Names

If you are looking for a unique name, or a name that will tie into your Jamaican culture or ancestry, this ultimate list of Jamaican baby names can help. It's important to keep in mind that learning about Jamaica's history can be a great way to learn more about where some of the most popular names have come from.

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:

1. Abisai - Hebrew, means "my father is a gift"
2. Adio - African, means "righteous"
3. Agwe - Native American, means "water"
4. Aidan - Irish, means "warm"
5. Ajani - Nigerian, means "the victor"
6. Badrick - English, means "axe ruler"
7. Barkley - Scottish, means "birch tree meadow"
8. Baron - Hebrew, means "son of strength"
9. Chilton - Old English, means "farm near the well"
10. Dajuan - American, variant of "da"
11. Damerae - Jamaican, means "a boy of joy"
12. Daniel - Hebrew, means "God is my judge"
13. Delroy - French, means "the king"
14. Eithan - Hebrew, means "firm, enduring, strong, and long-lived"
15. Ghana - A West African country, means "strong warrior king"
16. Glenmore - One of the most popular baby names, named for a place in Jamaica
17. Ife - African, means "love" in Yoruba
18. Jaden - Hebrew, means "God heard"
19. Jahmar - African, means "handsome" and is an alternative spelling for Jamar
20. Jevaun - Jamaican form of Evan, means "young warrior"
21. Joshua - means "God is Salvation"
22. Khenan - Jamaican, means "the rising sun"
23. Llanzo - Jamaican form of Lance, means "servant" or "God-like"
24. Marland - Old English, means "land near the lake"
25. Roje - Jamaican, means "guard" or "sentinel"
26. Rushawn - American, means "God gives to me"
27. Sanka - Jamaican, means "soulful"
28. Shamar - Hebrew, means "to guard"
29. Tarone - Greek, means "king's courageous advisor"
30. Usain - Jamaican, means "beautiful" and comes from Olympic runner Usain Bolt
31. Usher - English, means "doorkeeper"
32. Vittorio - An old Jamaican name that means "victor"
33. Zidane - Quranic name that means "increase, growth, and progress"
34. Ziggy - German, means "victorious protector"

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:

35. Abigay - Jamaican version of Abigail, means "the joy or happiness of Yahweh" Yahweh is the father of rejoicing
36. Alvita - Latin, means "lively"
37. Amelia - Islamic, means "diligent and hardworking"
38. Amoy - Jamaican, means "beautiful goddess"
39. Brianna - Celtic, means "strong, ascending woman"
40. Cedella - Jamaican, means "beautiful princess"
41. Chloe - Jamaican, means "young green shoot" or Greek, means "lark"
42. Delyse - Variant of the Latin name Delicia, means "pleasure" or "delight"
43. Dymond - Variant of the name Diamond
44. Eralia - Spanish form of Eulalia which is Greek, means "well-spoken"
45. Femi - Jamaican, means "God loves me"
46. Gabrielle - French, means "God is my strength"
47. Ionie - Greek, means "violet"
48. Irie - Jamaican, means "one who believes in spreading harmony"
49. Jada - Arabic, means "she is God's gift"
50. Jalissa - American, means "noble one"
51. Kaleisha - Jamaican, means "a woman who is strong-willed"
52. Karalana - Jamaican, means "pure and peaceful"
53. Kyndall - English, means "ruler of the valley"
54. Ladonya - English, means "bread kneader"
55. Lakresha - English, means "gift of life"
56. Martisha - Variant of Martina, Latin meaning "warlike"
57. Omnira - Yoruba, means "liberation"
58. Raeni - Arabic, means "queen"
59. Sabryna - Arabic, means "patient and endearing"
60. Taniyah - Latin, means "joyful" or "beautiful"
61. Tianna - Greek, means "princess"
62. Trinika - Jamaican, means "Holy Trinity"
63. Vea - Spanish, means "seen"
64. Xaviera - The feminine form of Xavier. Arabic, means "bright" or "splendid"
65. Yendi - African, means "place"
66. Zekia - Variant of Zakiya. Quranic origin means "pure"

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.

67. Bailey - Old English, means "fortification"
68. Dale - German, means "valley dweller"
69. Jayden - Hebrew, means "God heard." Also from the Old Testament, means "thankful"
70. Kimona - Jamaican, means "enchanting"
71. Kingston - Old English, means "ruler" and also the national capital city of Jamaica
72. Kymani - African, means "adventurous traveler"
73. Maven - Hebrew, means "one who understands"
74. Omario - Jamaican version of Omar, means "eloquent and articulate"
75. Requiem - Derivative of the Lain word Requies, means "rest and repose"

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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