This list is a compilation of the Indigenous names that were given by Amerindian people to the Caribbean islands before the Europeans started naming them. The islands of the Caribbean were successively settled since at least around 5000 BC, long before European arrival in 1492. The Caribbean islands were dominated by two main cultural groups by the European contact period: the Taíno and the Kalinago. Individual villages of other distinct cultural groups were also present on the larger islands. The island of Trinidad in particular was shared by both Kalinago and Arawakan-speaking groups.
Current evidence suggests there were two major migrations to the Caribbean. The first migration was of pre-Arawakan people like the Ciguayo who most likely migrated from Central America. The second major migration was Arawakan-speaking people settling the islands as they traveled north from the Orinoco River in Venezuela. The Kalinago people, who were more dominant in warfare, began a campaign of conquering and displacement of the earlier Arawakan-speaking people at the point of European arrival. Starting at the southern end of the archipelago, they had worked their way north, reaching as far as the island of Saint Kitts by the 16th century.
The islands north of the Saint Kitts 'borderline' had Arawakan names while the islands south of it had Kalinago names. The island of Barbados was uninhabited at the point of European arrival, but evidence suggests that Barbados followed the same pattern of displacement as witnessed on neighbouring islands, but that it was abandoned for unknown reasons. The only Indigenous name on record for Barbados is one documented as the name used by Arawakan-speaking peoples on Trinidad in reference to that island.
Leeward Islands
Present NameIndigenous NameOriginMeaningAnguillaMalliouhanaArawakanArrow-Shaped Sea SerpentSt. MartinSoualiga OualichiArawakanLand of Salt; Land of Beautiful womenSt. BarthsOuanalaoArawakanToad on TopSabaSiba AmonhanaArawakanThe RockSt. EustatiusAloiArawakanCashew TreeViequesBiekeTaínoSmall IslandSaint CroixAy AyTaínoThe RiverCibuguiera KalinagoStoney LandSaint KittsLiamuigaKalinagoFertile LandNevisOualieKalinagoLand of Beautiful WaterMontserratAlliouaganaKalinagoLand of Prickly BushBarbudaWa'omoniKalinagoLand of the herons (broader interpretation: Land of the large birds)AntiguaWaladliKalinagoLand of Fish OilYarumaquiArawakanYarumo IslandRedondaOcananmanrouKalinagoUnknownGuadeloupeKarukeraKalinagoIsland of GumtreesMarie GalanteAichi Touloukaera
AulinaganKalinago Arawakan
ArawakanLand of chili peppers; Land of touloulou crabs; Land of cotton Source:
Windward Islands
Present NameIndigenous NameOriginMeaningDominicaWai'tukubuli KairiKalinago ArawakTall is Her Body IslandMartiniqueJouanacaeira KalinagoLand of IguanaSt. LuciaHewanorraKalinagoLand of the IguanaSaint VincentHairounaKalinagoLand of the BlessedBequiaBecouyaKalinagoIsland of the CloudsCanouanCannouanKalinagoIsland of TurtlesCarriacouKayryouacouKalinagoIsland of ReefsGrenadaCamerhogneKalinago / Galibi?Land of abundance Source:
Continental Present NameIndigenous NameOriginMeaningBarbadosIchirouganaimArawakanRed land/island with white teeth (reefs)TobagoTobagoKalinago / Galibi?Tobacco PipeTrinidadKairi IereKalinagoLand of the Hummingbird Source:
Greater Antilles
Present NameIndigenous NameOriginMeaning HispaniolaBohíoTaínoLand of goldBabequeHaitíLand of high mountainsQuisqueyaCiguayoGranberry and Vescelius, pp. 36Mother of the landsCubaKubaTaínoLarge island or place of abundancePuerto RicoBorikén Boriquén BorinquenTaínoLand of the Valiant and Noble LordJamaicaXaymacaTaínoLand of Wood and Water or Land of Springs Source:
Lucayan Archipelago Julian Granberry and Gary Vescelius suggest the following Lucayan (Taíno) etymologies for various Lucayan islands.
Present name Indigenous name Indigenous form Origin Meaning Inagua Inagua i+na+wa Lucayan Small Eastern Land Inagua Baneque ba+ne+ke Lucayan Big Water Island Little Inagua Guanahaní wa+na+ha+ni Lucayan Small Upper Waters Land Ragged Island Utiaquia huti+ya+kaya Lucayan Western Hutia Island Crooked/Jumento Jume(n)to ha+wo+ma+te Lucayan Upper Land of the Middle Distance Exuma Curateo ko+ra+te+wo Lucayan Outer Far Distant Land Exuma Guaratía wa+ra+te+ya Lucayan Far Distant Land Turks Bank Babueca ba+we+ka Lucayan Large Northern Basin Big Sand Cay Cacina ka+si+na Lucayan Little Northern Sand Salt Cay Canamani ka+na+ma+ni Lucayan Small Northern Mid-Waters Salt Cay Cacumani ka+ko+ma+ni Lucayan Mid-Waters Northern Outlier Cotton Cay Macareque Ma+ka+ri+ke Lucayan Middle Northern Land Grand Turk Amuana aba+wa+na Lucayan First Small Land South Caicos Caciba ka+siba Lucayan Northern Rocky East Caicos Guana wa+na Lucayan Small Country Middle Caicos Aniana a+ni+ya+na Lucayan Small Far Waters North Caicos Caicos ka+i+ko Lucayan Nearby Northern Outlier Pine Cay Buiana bu+ya+na Lucayan Small Western Home Pine Cays Boniana bo+ni+ya+na Lucayan Small Western Waters Home Providenciales Yucanacan yuka+na+ka Lucayan The Peoples Small Northern [Land] Providenciales Ianicana ya+ni+ka+na Lucayan Far Waters Smaller [Land] West Caicos Macubiza ma+ko+bi+sa Lucayan Mid Unsettled Outlier Mayaguana Mayaguana ma+ya+wa+na Lucayan Lesser Midwestern Land Plana Cays Amaguayo a+ma+wa+yo Lucayan Toward the Middle Lands Acklins Island Yabaque ya+ba+ke Lucayan Large Western Land Samana Samana sa+ma+na Lucayan Small Middle Forest Long Island Yuma yu+ma Lucayan Higher Middle Rum Cay Manigua ma+ni+wa Lucayan Mid Waters Land San Salvador Island Guanahaní wa+na+ha+ni Lucayan Small Upper Waters Land Little San Salvador Island Guateo wa+te+yo Lucayan Toward the Distant Land Cat Island Guanima wa+ni+ma Lucayan Middle Waters Land Great Guana Cay Ayrabo ay+ra+bo Lucayan Far Distant Home New Providence Nema ne+ma Lucayan Middle Waters Eleuthera Ciguateo siba+te+wo Lucayan Distant Rocky Place Great Abaco Lucayoneque luka+ya+ne+ke Lucayan The People's Distant Waters Land Grand Bahama Bahama ba+ha+ma Lucayan Large Upper Middle [Land] Andros Habacoa ha+ba+ko+wa Lucayan Large Upper Outlier Land Williams Island Canimisi ka+ni+misi Lucayan Northern Waters Swamp Bimini Bimini bi+mi+ni Lucayan The Twins
See also
Guianas
References