Edited by Azizi Powell
Updated Nov. 2, 2022
This pancocojams post is part of a continuing pancocojams series on names and naming practices in the Caribbean.
This post provides excerpts from two online articles about personal names in Jamaica and some comments from those articles.
Additions to this list are welcome.
The content of this post is presented for folkloric and cultural purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
Related link http://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2015/06/popular-first-names-in-trinidad-tobago.html
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PERSONAL NAMES IN JAMAICA, WEST INDIES
From http://staceymarierobinson.blogspot.com/2009/09/top-100-jamaican-names.html "Top 100 Jamaican Names", Stacey Marie Robinson, September 4, 2009
"I'm sorry, this may be irrelevant, but I think it's hilarious. I've compiled this list from a variety of random online sources, and can not take credit for any of it!
Please enjoy the Top 100 Jamaican Names. Traditional names, common names, old-fashioned names. If you are Jamaican I bet you can find the name of at least 20 relatives on this list!"
01. Ainsley
02. Alethia
03. Alton
04. Anne-as a prefix for females
05. Antionette
06. Audry
07. Barrington
08. Beres
09. Bernice
10. Beryl
11. Brenton
12. Bunny
13. Carmen
14. Cecil
15. Charmaine
16. Cherry
17. Claudette
18. Cletus
19. Clifton
20. Dawn
21. Delores
22. Delroy
23. Desmond
24. Donavan
25. Dwayne
26. Earl
27. Eggbert
28. Ernestine
29. Errol
30. Euda
31. Eunice
32. Fabian
33. Ferdinand
34. Fitzann
35. Fitzroy
36. Ford-as a suffix for males
37. Garfield
38. Garnette
39. Glenroy
40. Glenville
41. Hopeton
42. Horace
43. Hortense
44. Hubert
45. Hyacinth
46. Icilda
47. Joyce
48. Junior
49. Kenroy
50. Kingsley
51. Linford
52. Linton
53. Livington
54. Marcia
55. Marjorie
56. Marlene
57. Marva
58. Mavis
59. Maxine
60. Merville
61. Millicent
62. Myrtle (aka Mirkle)
63. Nadine
64. Nardia
65. Natalie
66. Natasha
67. Nigel
68. Opal
69. Pam
70. Patricia
71. Patsy
72. Paulette
73. Peaches
74. Pearl
75. Pearline
76. Peta-Gaye
77. Petoya
78. Petronella
79. Pinky
80. Primrose
81. Prudence
82. Radcliff
83. Renford
84. Renrick
85. Rohan
86. Royford
87. Rupert
88. Sheriann
89. Simone
90. Smith (aka Simit)
91. Stacey
92. Suzette
93. Teddy
94. Tony
95. Violet
96. Wentworth
97. Wilberforce
98. Winnifred
99. Winsome
100. Winston
Have I missed any??? Please let me know!"
-snip-
These names are given in alphabetical order. No indication of the chronological order of these names was given and there was no citation of the online source/s for this list.
Here are selected comments from this article's discussion thread:
JamaicanRocker, October 22, 2009
"Lol! I probably know someone with 95% of the names on this list.....
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Reply
Anonymous March 1, 2012
"Don't forget Sharon, Sheldon, Lorraine and Vesha every ting else sell off"
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Reply
Anonymous June 12, 2012
"Dalton, Victor, Shernette, Pansie, Hansel, Hazel, Mildred, Beverly, Olive, Marques, Maurice, Calvert, Faith, Hope, Joy, Fay, Vilma, Precious, Pat, Elrick, Devon, Dirk, Doreen, Noreen, Corinne, Everett, Harold, Bertrum, Lorna, Ronald, Howard, Margaret, Lloyd, Ouida, Trevor, Joyce, Yvonne, June, Elvelina, Patrick, Vernon, Albert, May or Mae, Belford, Carl, Roy, Arlene, Birdie, Sherlene, Carlton, Clover, Cynthia, Clive, Colin, Dudley, Errol, Gilbert, Gloria, Ivy, Inez, Joan, Carlene, -ford as a suffix for men's names, Mabel, Maxine, Lincoln, Monica, Noel, Norman, Olga, Oswald (Ozzie), Enid, Marjorie, Neville, Patricia, Lockley, Aubrey.
Just some of the people I have known and heard of. There are more, but they have names like Richard and Carol."
Reply
Anonymous April 2, 2013
"Wentworth, Glenford, Augustus, Shawn or Shaun, Dormvile, Nadia, Natalie, Nackisha, Kenneth, Dorreth, Marcia, Debbie, Debbi-Ann, Norma, Raquel, Kensworth, Ediston, Mable..just to add a few"
Reply
Anonymous July 11, 2014
"dont forget rostamon"
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Reply
Anonymous July 24, 2014
"Valdalene, Gertrude, Agatta, Jasper, Gladdys, Imogene"
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From http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/columns/So-what-s-in-a-name-_17438845 "So what's in a name?"by Lance Neita, August 31, 2014
..."Very old baptismal books record both the African slave name as well as the estate-given name. The most popular African names related to the day of the week that the child was born. So we had Quashie (boy) or Quasheba (girl), born on a Monday; Cudjoe (boy) or Jube (girl), born on a Tuesday; Quaco or Cubba, Wednesday; and on Saturday, the very pleasant-sounding name of Quanamin (boy) or Mimba (girl). Although not in popular use today, those names still survive as nicknames or family names.
But, as the traditional African names became obsolete, so did also the English/Jamaican names; from the very staid Elizabeth, Joan, Mary, Ann, Susan, to a host of new Jamaican names. Consider these modern names: Ajay, Aldane, Jaheem, Rojay, Kimani, D'Angelo, Demario, and on the female side Alesha, Beyonce, LaTanya, Shakera, Yanika, Amoya, some of which suggest a pull back to African origins...
From Quashie to Demario, from Mimba to LaTanya, and from Cudjoe to Kimani, we are a hard act to follow."
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