Caribbean Surnames

A 1732 map of the Spanish Province of Tierra Firme, Guiana and the Antilles Islands .

Surnames across the Caribbean and the Guianas reflect a complex history of colonization, slavery, indentured labor, and cultural resilience. The region’s populations are descended from a wide mix of African, Indigenous, European, Indian, Chinese, and Middle Eastern communities—each contributing to a distinctive naming landscape.

In Spanish-speaking countries like Cuba, Puerto Rico, and the Dominican Republic, surnames follow Iberian customs, often featuring two surnames from both parents. Common names such as Rivera, Rodríguez, and Alonso trace back to Spanish settlers and colonial systems. Some surnames of indigenous or Yoruba origin like Hatuey and Lucumí are relatively common. The surname Kindelán, which at first sight may sound indigenous, is derived from the Gaelic name Ó Cinnfhaoláin, brought to the Caribbean Basin by the Wild Geese.

English-speaking countries like Jamaica, Barbados, and Trinidad and Tobago bear the legacy of British colonization. Enslaved Africans were often given English surnames such as Brown, Clarke, or Campbell, while Indo-Caribbean communities—descended from 19th-century indentured laborers—carry South Asian surnames like Persad, or Mohammed.

In French-colonized territories—Haiti, Martinique, Guadeloupe, and French Guiana—surnames are largely of French origin and derived from given names or with a religious meaning (Auguste, Laurent, Louis, Marie-Sainte), though Haitian and Creole naming customs often preserve African and revolutionary influences.

Dutch-influenced Suriname and the Dutch Caribbean (e.g., Curaçao, Aruba) feature Dutch surnames (Wijdenbosch, Kluivert) as well as names derived from Dutch and Spanish first names (Croes, Martina) and African, Indian, Javanese, and Chinese immigrants like Singh, Lin and Kromowidjojo . In Suriname, surnames may also reflect the legacy of Maroon (escaped enslaved) communities, who preserved African names and identities. Similarly in Guyana, the population's ethnic mix—Afro-Guyanese, Indo-Guyanese, Amerindian, Chinese, and Portuguese—has created a surname pool that includes everything from Persaud and Singh to Williams and Thomas.

Together, the Caribbean and Guianas offer some of the most culturally layered surname traditions in the world, shaped by colonization, migration, and resilience, serving as powerful markers of personal and ancestral identity.