Afro-Caribbean
Afro-Caribbean Genealogy & Family History
Afro-Caribbean genealogy is the study of families of African descent throughout the Caribbean and the wider Caribbean diaspora. Research may involve several countries, colonial administrations, languages, religions and record systems.
A single family can appear in British, French, Spanish, Dutch or local records — and may have moved between islands, the Caribbean mainland, North America, Britain, Canada or Latin America.
This hub brings together the main genealogy databases, archives, libraries, historical collections, slavery and emancipation resources, migration records, newspapers and DNA tools needed to research Afro-Caribbean family history.
Quick Navigation
Start Here
1. Identify the island or territory
Begin with the most precise location possible. “Jamaica”, “Barbados” or “Haiti” is useful, but a parish, district, town or plantation can make the difference between finding a record and missing it.
2. Determine the colonial system
Record systems differ according to whether an area was administered under British, French, Spanish, Dutch, Danish or another colonial system.
British Caribbean French Caribbean Spanish Caribbean Dutch Caribbean U.S. Caribbean3. Search church records
Baptisms, marriages and burials can be among the most important records for Caribbean families, particularly before civil registration.
4. Search the Caribbean collections
FamilySearch currently provides a dedicated Caribbean and Central America collection catalogue with country filters and numerous historical record collections.
Major Genealogy Databases
FamilySearch
Commercial databases
Coverage varies considerably by island and historical period. Always check the original record or archive where possible.
Libraries & catalogs
Country & Territory Research
Use the country-level resources below as entry points. FamilySearch’s current Caribbean catalogue includes records for many of these territories, while national archives and libraries remain essential for records that have not been digitized.
🇯🇲 Jamaica
🇧🇧 Barbados
🇧🇸 Bahamas
🇹🇹 Trinidad & Tobago
🇬🇾 Guyana
🇭🇹 Haiti
🇨🇺 Cuba
🇩🇴 Dominican Republic
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
🇦🇬 Antigua & Barbuda
🇩🇲 Dominica
🇬🇩 Grenada
🇱🇨 Saint Lucia
🇻🇨 St Vincent & the Grenadines
🇰🇳 St Kitts & Nevis
🇻🇬 British Virgin Islands
🇻🇮 U.S. Virgin Islands
🇧🇿 Belize
🇦🇼 Aruba · 🇨🇼 Curaçao · 🇧🇶 Bonaire
🇬🇵 Guadeloupe · 🇲🇶 Martinique
Slavery, Enslavement & Emancipation
Slave trade databases
Plantations & estates
Search plantation papers, estate inventories, correspondence, account books, wills, probate files, land records and compensation records.
British Caribbean slavery
Emancipation & post-slavery
After emancipation, search apprenticeship, labor, civil registration, land, church, school, court and migration records.
Record Types
Church & Parish Records
Birth, Marriage & Death
Probate & Wills
Wills and estate records can connect generations and may document enslaved people, free people of color, property and family relationships.
Land & Property
Census & Population Lists
Schools & Education
Military Records
Cemeteries
Migration & Afro-Caribbean Diaspora
Caribbean families frequently moved between islands and mainland territories and later to Britain, the United States, Canada and Latin America. The migration record may therefore be just as important as the birth record.
Caribbean → United Kingdom
Caribbean → United States
Caribbean → Canada
Migration within the Caribbean
Do not assume that an ancestor stayed on one island. Search neighboring islands, shipping records, employment records, military service, marriage records and children’s birthplaces.
Archives, Libraries & Research Institutions
Caribbean-wide portals
British archives
University of the West Indies
National Library of Jamaica
Newspapers, Obituaries & Community Press
Caribbean newspapers
British newspapers
Obituaries & funeral notices
Community, Churches, Schools & Oral History
Churches
Churches can preserve baptisms, marriages, funerals, membership rolls, minutes, anniversary publications and community networks.
Schools & colleges
School registers, alumni publications, yearbooks and university archives can identify family relationships and migration patterns.
Oral history
Interview relatives about names, nicknames, villages, plantations, churches, migration routes, occupations and family relationships.
Family histories & reunions
Research by Historical Period
Colonial settlement, slavery, parish registers, plantations, wills, land and early population lists.
Intensified emancipation-era research, plantations, manumission, church records and colonial administration.
Apprenticeship, labor, civil registration, land ownership, churches, schools and changing surnames.
Migration, urbanization, newspapers, military service, employment, education and diaspora communities.
Names, Surnames & Identity
Do not assume a fixed surname
Names can change after emancipation, marriage, migration, baptism, adoption, employment or movement between territories.
Search spelling variations
Search phonetic variations, French/English/Spanish/Dutch spellings, abbreviations and transcription errors.
Track the whole community
Neighbors, witnesses, godparents, witnesses to marriages, employers, plantation owners and fellow migrants can help reconstruct family networks.
Language matters
English French Spanish Dutch Haitian Creole PapiamentoLearn the historical terminology used by the specific archive and colonial administration.
DNA Genealogy
Autosomal DNA
Use autosomal DNA to identify cousin networks and test documentary hypotheses across multiple ancestral lines.
Y-DNA
Follows the direct paternal line and can be useful for surname and paternal-line research.
mtDNA
Follows the direct maternal line and can provide evidence about deeper maternal ancestry.
DNA analysis tools
Practical Afro-Caribbean Research Strategy
- Start with the most recent documented generation.
- Record every birthplace. A birthplace may reveal migration between islands.
- Identify the parish, district or town.
- Determine the colonial jurisdiction.
- Search church records.
- Search civil registration.
- Search land, probate and court records.
- For earlier generations, investigate plantations and estates.
- Search emancipation and apprenticeship records.
- Follow migration between islands.
- Follow migration to Britain, the United States, Canada or Latin America.
- Search newspapers and community institutions.
- Use DNA to test documentary hypotheses.
- Record the original source for every important claim.
Afro-Caribbean Genealogy Checklist
- ☐ Interview relatives
- ☐ Collect family photographs and documents
- ☐ Record maiden names and nicknames
- ☐ Record every known birthplace
- ☐ Identify island, parish, district or town
- ☐ Determine historical colonial jurisdiction
- ☐ Search church registers
- ☐ Search civil registration
- ☐ Search census and population lists
- ☐ Search probate and wills
- ☐ Search land and property records
- ☐ Search court records
- ☐ Search plantation and estate records
- ☐ Search slavery-related databases
- ☐ Search emancipation/apprenticeship records
- ☐ Search schools and universities
- ☐ Search military records
- ☐ Search newspapers
- ☐ Search cemeteries
- ☐ Follow migration between Caribbean islands
- ☐ Follow migration to Britain
- ☐ Follow migration to the United States
- ☐ Follow migration to Canada
- ☐ Investigate Latin American migration
- ☐ Search community and church organizations
- ☐ Search family histories and reunion publications
- ☐ Compare DNA matches with documentary evidence
- ☐ Record original sources and uncertainties
Essential Afro-Caribbean Research Links
Start with these
Slavery & historical research
Continue Your African Diaspora Research
Afro-Caribbean genealogy connects Caribbean family history with African, European, North American and Latin American migration histories. Continue with the wider GeneticVoyage African Diaspora resources.
African Diaspora GeneticVoyage ResourcesMajor Research Portals
Caribbean
United States
DNA Academy - Quick Answers
What formats are your free templates available in?
Our templates are available as downloadable Excel/Google Sheets files (for digital tracking).
How do I use a research log effectively?
A research log helps you track which records you’ve searched, what you found, and what’s still missing. We recommend filling it out as you go, it prevents duplicate searches and helps you identify patterns. Our template includes columns for date, source, location, and findings.
Are the templates available in languages other than English?
Currently, our templates are in English only. We are exploring translations into Swedish, Spanish, and German based on user requests. If you need a specific language, contact us and we’ll prioritize it.