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Black History & Ancestry: Why So Many Caribbean Families Have Irish Names?

Sunday 12th July 2026

Discover how African and Irish histories became intertwined in the Caribbean and helped shape communities, family histories and cultural traditions in ways that are not always recognised today.

 

In this online Black history talk, genealogist and author Paul Crooks explores an often-overlooked aspect of Caribbean history, examining why so many Caribbean families have Irish surnames and what this reveals about ancestry, identity and the historical forces that shaped Caribbean society.

Drawing on historical records and genealogical research, the session explores how African and Irish histories became connected in the Caribbean and why this important part of the story remains largely absent from many discussions of Caribbean heritage. Rather than presenting a familiar narrative, the talk highlights where common assumptions fall short and what that means for understanding Caribbean ancestry today.

By placing these histories into context, the session offers a clearer understanding of how Caribbean identities were formed and why some aspects of family history are not immediately visible in historical records.

Paul Crooks is a genealogist, author and speaker specialising in Black history and African-Caribbean ancestry. He is known for one of the earliest documented reconstructions of African-Caribbean ancestry from the Caribbean to Africa using archival records, tracing his own ancestry from London to West Africa via Jamaica.

His work explores themes including ancestry, identity, migration, slavery, emancipation, Windrush and the interpretation of historical records. He is the author of A Tree Without Roots: The Guide to Tracing British, African and Asian-Caribbean Ancestry and the novel Ancestors. His research has been featured by the BBC and has helped inspire thousands of people to explore their own family histories.

This session forms part of a wider series examining how Black ancestry can be traced and understood through historical records.

What You’ll Gain

• Why African and Irish connections in the Caribbean are often overlooked
• Why some patterns in ancestry are difficult to explain
• A clearer understanding of how identity was shaped in the Caribbean
• Why parts of your family history may not be immediately visible in records

Who This Talk Is For

• People exploring African-Caribbean ancestry
• Those who have encountered patterns in their family history that do not fully make sense
• Individuals seeking a deeper understanding of the historical context behind their ancestry
• Anyone interested in how identity was shaped in the Caribbean

Event Details:

Start Time: 7:00pm
Finish Time: 8:00pm

Tickets: From £5.00

Location: Online

Ticket packages include optional digital resources such as the African–Irish–Creole Caribbean Culture Guide, Descendants eBook and DNA Testing Demystified.

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