Jamaica
A feminine name of indigenous American origin meaning "land of wood and water".
Name Census estimates that about 1,500 living Americans carry the first name Jamaica. It is a predominantly female name (97.6% of registrations). The average person named Jamaica today is around 34 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jamaica births was 1977 (69 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jamaica. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.5K
~ 1 in 228,503 Americans
Peak year
1977
69 babies that year
Average age
34
years old
1997 SSA rank
#9,881
Tracked since 1972
Gender
Gender distribution for Jamaica
Jamaica leans heavily female at 97.6% of total registrations, but 37 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Jamaica as a male name
- Ranked #9,881 in 1997
- 5 male births in 1997
- Peak: 1977 (8 births)
Jamaica as a female name
- Ranked #16,233 in 2024
- 5 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1977 (61 births)
Popularity
Jamaica: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jamaica from the 1970s through to the 2020s, spanning 6 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 495 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1990s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jamaica by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jamaica during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Jamaicas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 11 states and territories. California, Ohio, North Carolina recorded the most babies named Jamaica, while South Carolina, Minnesota, Georgia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 20 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jamaica
The name Jamaica is believed to have its origins in the Arawak language, spoken by the indigenous people who inhabited the Caribbean islands before the arrival of Europeans. The Arawak word "Xaymaca" is thought to be the root of the name, which means "land of wood and water" or "land of springs."
In the early 16th century, when the Spanish colonized the island, they adapted the Arawak word to "Jamaicas." This later evolved into the modern spelling of "Jamaica." The island was known as "Xaymaca" or "Jamaicas" to the native Arawak people long before the Spanish arrival.
The name Jamaica first appeared in historical records during the Spanish colonization of the island in the early 16th century. It was mentioned in various Spanish documents and chronicles from that time period, referring to the island and its indigenous inhabitants.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jamaica can be found in the writings of the Spanish historian Gonzalo Fernández de Oviedo y Valdés, who visited the island in 1535 and documented its name and some aspects of the Arawak culture.
While the name Jamaica itself does not have any direct references in ancient texts or religious scriptures, it is deeply rooted in the history and culture of the Caribbean region, particularly the Arawak people who were the original inhabitants of the island.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals who bore the name Jamaica, though it is relatively uncommon as a first name. Here are a few examples:
1. Jamaica Kincaid (born 1949) is a renowned Antiguan-American novelist, essayist, and gardener. She is best known for her works exploring themes of colonialism, family relationships, and Caribbean culture.
2. Jamaica Rave (born 1984) is an American actress and model who has appeared in various TV shows and films, including "The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air" and "Saved by the Bell: The New Class."
3. Jamaica Jewell (born 1992) is an American professional wrestler and former competitive cheerleader, best known for her time in WWE's developmental territory NXT.
4. Jamaica Heolimeleikalani Osorio (born 1991) is a Native Hawaiian activist and educator who has been involved in the movement to protect Mauna Kea, a sacred mountain in Hawaii, from further development.
5. Jamaica St. Omer (born 1987) is a Canadian singer-songwriter and musician, known for her unique blend of soul, jazz, and R&B.
While not an exhaustive list, these individuals serve as examples of the diverse backgrounds and professions of people who have carried the name Jamaica throughout history.
People
Jamaica + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jamaica as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jamaica: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jamaica?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,500 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jamaica going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 228,503 US residents.
Is Jamaica a common name?
We classify Jamaica as "Rare". It ranks above 92.4% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,569 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jamaica most popular?
The single biggest year for Jamaica was 1977, when 69 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jamaica is about 34 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jamaica a female name?
Yes, 97.6% of people registered as Jamaica in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.