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African-Irish Ancestry in the Caribbean: What Records and DNA Reveal

Sunday 18th October 2026

Why do so many African-Caribbean families have Irish surnames? Explore what ancestry, identity and family history reveal.

 

Many African-Caribbean families encounter Irish surnames, family stories or DNA results that raise unexpected questions about ancestry and identity. Yet the historical connections behind these discoveries are often poorly understood.

In this online talk, genealogist and author Paul Crooks explores the relationship between African and Irish ancestry in the Caribbean, examining how historical records, family history research and DNA evidence can help uncover connections that are often overlooked.

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 thousands of people better understand their family histories and ancestral connections.

This session examines why Irish surnames appear so frequently within African-Caribbean family histories, why family stories and ancestry do not always align neatly, and how historical context can help make sense of questions that many people encounter during their search for family origins.

Rather than presenting a conventional history lecture, the talk explores the relationship between ancestry, identity and heritage, offering fresh perspectives on how Caribbean family histories were shaped and why some aspects of that history remain difficult to see today.

What We’ll Cover

• African and Irish connections within Caribbean history
• Why Irish surnames became established within Caribbean communities
• The relationship between ancestry, identity and family history
• Historical influences that shaped Caribbean family experiences
• Why some aspects of ancestry remain hidden, misunderstood or difficult to interpret

What You’ll Gain

• A clearer understanding of African and Irish ancestry in the Caribbean
• Greater insight into why Irish surnames appear in many African-Caribbean family histories
• A broader understanding of how ancestry, identity and heritage became intertwined
• Context for interpreting family stories, inherited traditions and unexpected discoveries
• New perspectives on how Caribbean family histories can be understood across generations

Who This Talk Is For

• Anyone exploring African-Caribbean ancestry
• People with Irish surnames or family traditions connected to Irish heritage
• Individuals interested in Caribbean identity and family history
• Family historians seeking deeper historical context
• Anyone interested in the connections between ancestry, heritage and belonging

Event Details:

Start Time: 8:30pm
Finish Time: 9:30pm

Admission: Free

Location: Online

Suitable for anyone interested in genealogy, Black history, Caribbean heritage and family history research.

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