🔥 200+ Jamaican Last Names With Meanings (2026 Updated List)
Jamaican last names, rich histories were well laid with diversity within the island from indigenous Taino roots to African heritage, colonization by Europeans, and different waves of migration.
These surnames have something relating to ancestral stories, resistance, and identity, revealing some complexity of Jamaica’s history.
Whether of British, Spanish, African, or Indian origin, Jamaican last names serve as a bridge between generations, preserving family legacies as they change through time.
The following highlights the origins, meanings, and significance of some common and less common Jamaican surnames.
Jamaican Last names
Bailey – Derived from Old English, meaning “bailiff” or steward.
Brown – Common among Afro-Jamaicans, often linked to skin tone or a family name from British colonizers.
Campbell – Scottish origin, meaning “crooked mouth.”
Clarke – English surname meaning “clerk” or “scholar.”
Dawkins – English origin, meaning “son of David.”
Dixon – English surname meaning “son of Dick (Richard).”
Edwards – English surname meaning “son of Edward.”
Ellis – Derived from Hebrew, meaning “Jehovah is God.”
Ferguson – Scottish origin, meaning “son of Fergus (man of force).”
Forbes – Scottish name meaning “prosperous” or “field.”
Francis – Latin origin, meaning “Frenchman” or “free man.”
Gordon – Scottish origin, meaning “great hill.”
Graham – Scottish origin, meaning “gravelly homestead.”
Grant – Scottish origin, meaning “tall” or “great.”
Gray – English surname, often referring to someone with gray hair.
Green – English surname, possibly referring to someone who lived near greenery.
Hamilton – Scottish origin, meaning “beautiful mountain.”
Harris – English surname meaning “son of Harry (Henry).”
Henry – French origin, meaning “ruler of the home.”
Hinds – Old English, meaning “servant” or “domestic worker.”
Jackson – English surname meaning “son of Jack (John).”
James – Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter.”
Johnson – English surname meaning “son of John.”
Jones – English surname meaning “son of John.”
Kelly – Irish origin, meaning “descendant of Ceallach (warrior or bright-headed).”
Lawrence – Latin origin, meaning “from Laurentum.”
Lewis – English surname meaning “famous warrior.”
Lindo – Spanish origin, meaning “beautiful” or “pretty.”
Lowe – English origin, meaning “wolf” or “hill.”
Malcolm – Scottish origin, meaning “devotee of Saint Columba.”
Martin – Latin origin, meaning “of Mars (god of war).”
McKenzie – Scottish origin, meaning “son of Kenneth.”
Miller – English surname meaning “one who mills grain.”
Mitchell – Hebrew origin, meaning “who is like God?”
Morgan – Welsh origin, meaning “sea defender.”
Morris – Latin origin, meaning “dark-skinned” or “Moorish.”
Nelson – English surname meaning “son of Neil.”
Palmer – English surname meaning “pilgrim” or “one who carries palm leaves.”
Parker – English surname meaning “keeper of the park.”
Powell – Welsh origin, meaning “son of Howell.”
Reid – Scottish origin, meaning “red-haired.”
Richards – English surname meaning “son of Richard.”
Robinson – English surname meaning “son of Robin (Robert).”
Scott – Scottish origin, meaning “a person from Scotland.”
Simpson – English surname meaning “son of Simon.”
Smith – English surname meaning “metalworker” or “blacksmith.”
Stewart – Scottish origin, meaning “household guardian.”
Thomas – Hebrew origin, meaning “twin.”
Thompson – English surname meaning “son of Thomas.”
Williams – English surname meaning “son of William (strong-willed warrior).”
Adams – English origin, meaning “son of Adam” or “earth.”
Allen – Scottish origin, meaning “handsome” or “little rock.”
Anderson – Scandinavian origin, meaning “son of Andrew.”
Anglin – Irish origin, possibly derived from “Ă“ hAngluinn,” meaning “descendant of Anglann.”
Ashley – English origin, meaning “ash tree meadow.”
Atkinson – English origin, meaning “son of Atkin (little Adam).”
Barnes – English origin, meaning “someone who lived near a barn.”
Barrett – Norman French origin, meaning “bear strength” or “quarrelsome.”
Bennett – Latin origin, meaning “blessed.”
Blake – English origin, meaning “black” or “pale” (depending on the region).
Bogle – Scottish origin, meaning “ghost” or “hobgoblin.”
Boyd – Scottish origin, meaning “yellow-haired” or “from the island of Bute.”
Burke – Norman French origin, meaning “from the fortress.”
Burnett – French origin, meaning “brown-haired” or “small brown one.”
Carr – English or Scottish origin, meaning “marsh” or “wetland.”
Chambers – English origin, meaning “attendant in the private chambers of a noble.”
Christie – Scottish origin, meaning “follower of Christ.”
Cohen – Hebrew origin, meaning “priest” (common among Jamaican Jewish families).
Coleman – Irish origin, meaning “son of Colmán (little dove).”
Cunningham – Scottish origin, meaning “village of the milk pail.”
Daley – Irish origin, meaning “assembly” or “meeting place.”
Davidson – Hebrew origin, meaning “son of David.”
Dennis – Greek origin, meaning “follower of Dionysius (god of wine and revelry).”
Douglas – Scottish origin, meaning “dark water.”
Drummond – Scottish origin, meaning “ridge” or “highland.”
Dwyer – Irish origin, meaning “black” or “dark-colored.”
Elliott – Hebrew origin, meaning “the Lord is my God.”
Fenton – English origin, meaning “marsh town” or “settlement by a fen.”
Foster – English origin, meaning “nourisher” or “foster parent.”
Gibbons – English origin, meaning “son of Gilbert.”
Gilbert – Germanic origin, meaning “bright pledge.”
Glover – English origin, meaning “glove maker.”
Harding – English origin, meaning “brave” or “hardy.”
Hastings – Old English origin, meaning “violent” or “swift.”
Holloway – English origin, meaning “hollow road.”
Hudson – English origin, meaning “son of Hugh.”
Isaacs – Hebrew origin, meaning “laughter” (descendant of Isaac).
Jacobs – Hebrew origin, meaning “supplanter” or “held by the heel.”
Kerr – Scottish origin, meaning “rough ground” or “wetland.”
Knight – English origin, referring to a warrior or soldier.
Lynch – Irish origin, meaning “mariner” or “descendant of Loingseach.”
Maxwell – Scottish origin, meaning “Mack’s stream.”
McCalla – Scottish origin, meaning “descendant of Cathal (battle rule).”
McFarlane – Scottish origin, meaning “son of Parlan (little bear).”
McIntosh – Scottish origin, meaning “son of the leader.”
Mendez – Spanish origin, meaning “son of Mendo (brave or sacrifice).”
Murray – Scottish origin, meaning “from Moray (seaboard settlement).”
Phillips – Greek origin, meaning “lover of horses.”
Rodriguez – Spanish origin, meaning “son of Rodrigo (famous ruler).”
Sinclair – Norman French origin, meaning “from Saint-Clair (a town in France).”
Allen – Derived from a Celtic word meaning “little rock” or “handsome.”
Anderson – Patronymic meaning “son of Andrew.”
Armstrong – From Old English/Scots meaning “strong arms.”
Azan – Of Arabic origin, meaning “call to prayer”; reflects diverse immigrant influences.
Baxter – Occupational name meaning “baker.”
Banks – From someone who lived by a hillside or riverbank.
Beckford – Likely locational from England.
Belafonte – From French fontaine, meaning “fountain.”
Bernard – Germanic origin, meaning “strong as a bear.”
Blair – Scottish Gaelic for “field” or “plain.”
Brooks – From a dweller by a brook or small stream.
Burrell – From Old French meaning “reddish-brown cloth,” later a surname.
Buddan – Surname variant from old English/French roots.
Cargill – From a locational name meaning “fort at the narrow pass.”
Calder – Scottish locational surname meaning “harsh waters.”
Cato – Possibly from Latin Catus meaning clever or perceptive.
Chung – Chinese surname adopted in Jamaica, linked to heritage.
Collymore – Historical family name found in Jamaican records.
deRoux – European surname (French/Norman) present in Jamaican history.
Duncan – From Gaelic Donnchadh, meaning “brown warrior.”
Ellis – Derived from Elijah/Ellis meaning “Jehovah is God.”
Esson – Variant of names meaning “son of Aodh” (fire deity).
Facey – English surname meaning “someone joyful.”
Ferguson – Patronymic meaning “son of Fergus,” with Fergus meaning “strong man.”
Forbes – Scottish locational surname meaning “field of daisies.”
Foster – Occupational surname meaning “forest guardian.”
Francis – From Latin Franciscus, meaning “Frenchman” or free man.
Garvey – Irish surname meaning “rough peace,” tied to Marcus Garvey.
Gibson – Patronymic meaning “son of Gib (Gilbert).”
Grace – English surname meaning “favor” or “blessing.”
Hammond – English surname meaning “home protector.”
Harding – From Old English meaning “hard” or brave.
Henry – Germanic name meaning “home ruler.”
Hylton – English locational surname.
Jackson – Patronymic meaning “son of Jack.”
James – From Hebrew name Ya’aqov meaning “supplanter.”
Kanneh – Of African origin; found among Jamaicans with West African roots.
Lawrence – From Latin Laurentius, meaning “from Laurentum.”
Lucie-Smith – Compound surname found in Jamaican legal history.
Manley – English surname meaning “heroic” or “manly.”
Maragh – Jamaican surname of Indian origin.
Marley – English locational surname meaning “pleasant meadow by the sea,” made famous by Bob Marley.
McKenzie – Scottish surname meaning “comely” or “attractive.”
Miller – Occupational surname meaning “grinder of grain.”
Morgan – Welsh origin meaning “sea chief.”
Morrison – Patronymic meaning “son of Morris.”
Nelson – Patronymic meaning “son of Neil.”
Ottey – Surname meaning “prosperous or wealthy,” linked to Merlene Ottey.
Palmer – Originates from medieval pilgrims who carried palm branches.
Peart – Old English for “sprightly” or “lively.”
Persaud – Indian origin, found among Jamaican Indo-Caribbean populations.
Powell – Welsh patronymic meaning “son of Howell.”
Ramsey – English/Scottish locational surname meaning “garlic island.”
Reid – Scottish surname meaning “red-haired” or “ruddy.”
Robinson – Patronymic meaning “son of Robin.”
Rowe – English locational name meaning “by the row of hedges.”
Sappleton – English surname common in Jamaica (athletes, etc.).
Scott – Scottish surname meaning “from Scotland.”
Seaga – Jamaican surname meaning “island dweller or protector,” tied to Edward Seaga.
Singh – Indian surname meaning “lion,” found in Indo-Jamaican communities.
Spence – English occupational surname meaning “dispenser of provisions.”
Stewart – Scottish surname meaning “household guardian.”
Swaby – English surname brought by settlers; also in Jamaican records.
Taylor – Occupational surname for a tailor.
Thomas – Derived from Aramaic meaning “twin.”
Terrelonge – Jamaican surname found in political/sports figures.
Walters – Patronymic meaning “son of Walter.”
Walker – Occupational name for a cloth-fuller.
Wallace – Scottish surname meaning “foreigner” or “Welshman.”
Whyte – English surname meaning “white,” often descriptive.
Wilson – Patronymic meaning “son of Will.”
Watson – Patronymic meaning “son of Wat.”
Wright – Occupational surname meaning “craftsman.”
Young – English descriptive surname meaning “youthful.”
Grantley – English locational surname seen in Jamaican families.
Holland – English locational surname meaning “land on the ridge.”
Langley – Old English locational name meaning “long clearing.”
Melrose – Locational name from places in Scotland/England.
Napier – Scottish occupational name meaning “table linen keeper.”
Pierce – From the personal name Piers.
Quarrell – English surname meaning “one who quarries.”
Rowland – From the given name Roland, meaning “famous throughout the land.”
Stokes – English locational or occupational surname.
Tucker – Occupational name for cloth tucker/softener.
Underwood – English locational name meaning “below the woods.”
Vaughan – Welsh surname meaning “small” or “junior.”
Winslow – English locational surname meaning “hill of wine barrels.”
Younge – Variant of Young; “youthful.”
Zackery – Variant of Zachary (“remembered by God”), present in Jamaican diaspora.
Barrett – English or Irish name meaning “bear strength.”
Dalton – English locational surname meaning “settlement in the valley.”
Ellington – English locational surname from Ellington places.
Fitzpatrick – Norman-Irish surname meaning “son of Patrick.”
Henderson – Patronymic meaning “son of Hendry.”
Ingram – From Old German meaning “raven.”
Jefferson – Patronymic meaning “son of Jeffrey.”
Kendrick – Derived from Old English/Scots meaning “royal ruler’s descendant.”
Lawson – Patronymic meaning “son of Lawrence.”
Montague – Locational name of Norman origin meaning “pointed hill.”
Singleton – English locational surname meaning “from the clearings estate.”
