Jamaican DNA
Genetic origins and closest populations · Jamaica · Americas
Jamaica became an English colony in 1655, and its sugar plantations were built on the labour of enslaved Africans, until emancipation in the 1830s; the Maroons, who escaped and won their freedom by treaty in 1739, are a famous part of that history. In our model, the Afro-Jamaican average is 91.2% West African, with small steppe (4.5%), western rainforest forager (1.8%), Anatolian Neolithic (1.4%) and Mbuti-related (1.2%) shares: a much higher African share than in the African American average (73.4% West African). The closest modern averages are Senegambian, Fulani from Gambia and Guinea (0.028 and 0.0292), Soninke and Serer. That does not point to Senegambian origins: records show that most Africans brought to Jamaica came from the Gold Coast and the Bight of Biafra, and these groups simply share with Jamaicans a small West Eurasian-related share. The closest ancient groups are people with a West African profile from Catoctin Furnace in Maryland (0.0377) and liberated Africans buried on Saint Helena.
- Largest ancient components in our model: West African 91.2%, Steppe herders (Yamnaya) 4.5%, Western rainforest foragers (BiAka) 1.8%
- Closest modern population in our data: Fulani (Gambia A), distance 0.0280
- Closest ancient group in our data: USA Maryland Early-Late Modern Catoctin Furnace (West African Profile), distance 0.0377
Where does Jamaican DNA sit on the genetic map of the world? To answer, we take the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the Jamaican individuals sampled in Jamaica, listed in the G25 sheet as "Afro-Jamaican" and compare them with deep ancestral reference populations, with other modern groups and with ancient genomes. It is one of 335 populations in our atlas.
Ancient make-up of the Jamaican average
The ancient make-up of the Jamaican average is led by West African (91.2%), followed by Steppe herders (Yamnaya) (4.5%) and Western rainforest foragers (BiAka) (1.8%). The West African component reflects ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. With well over half of the total, this single source dominates the profile.
Smaller traces of Steppe herders (Yamnaya), Western rainforest foragers (BiAka), Anatolian Neolithic farmers and Central African rainforest foragers (Mbuti) (under 5% each) also appear. At that level they can reflect real minor ancestry, but also simple model noise, so they should not be over-read. The model fits well (fit distance 0.010), so these proportions are a reasonable summary. This population was modelled with a global set of reference populations (ancient genomes, plus modern stand-ins where no suitable ancient genome exists), because West Eurasian sources alone cannot describe it.
Karukera – Caribbean Creole Ancestry Report
Closest modern populations to Jamaican
Genetically, the Jamaican average sits nearest to Fulani (Gambia A) at 0.028, Fulani (Guinea A) at 0.029 and Soninke (Gambia) at 0.030. On our scale, a distance of 0.028 counts as close. By the tenth closest (Malinke (Mali)) the distance grows to 0.038, a common pattern for a population that shares ancestry with its neighbours while keeping a profile of its own.
| # | Population | Distance | Closeness |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fulani (Gambia A) | 0.0280 | Close |
| 2 | Fulani (Guinea A) | 0.0292 | Close |
| 3 | Soninke (Gambia) | 0.0302 | Close |
| 4 | Afro-Barbadian | 0.0345 | Close |
| 5 | Serer (Gambia) | 0.0348 | Close |
| 6 | Mandinka (Senegal) | 0.0355 | Close |
| 7 | Mandenka | 0.0364 | Close |
| 8 | Gambian | 0.0370 | Close |
| 9 | Wolof | 0.0375 | Close |
| 10 | Malinke (Mali) | 0.0380 | Close |
Distances are Euclidean distances between averaged G25 coordinates. On our scale, below 0.025 is very close, below 0.050 close, below 0.080 moderate, and beyond that distant.
Closest ancient populations to Jamaican
If we search ancient DNA for the best match to Jamaican, USA Maryland Early-Late Modern Catoctin Furnace (West African Profile) (Modern era, c. 1500-1950 AD) comes first, at 0.038, with Saint Helena Late Modern Rupert's Valley (West/Central African Profile) next. That is a close match: much of the modern profile was already present then, while later movements of people added further layers. A close ancient match is not proof of direct descent: it means those individuals carried a similar overall mix of ancestry.
| # | Ancient sample or group | Period | Distance |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | USA Maryland Early-Late Modern Catoctin Furnace (West African Profile) | Modern era, c. 1500-1950 AD | 0.0377 |
| 2 | Saint Helena Late Modern Rupert's Valley (West/Central African Profile) | Late Modern, c. 1800-1950 AD | 0.0508 |
| 3 | Mexico Early Modern Mexico City (West African Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0536 |
| 4 | USA Maryland Early-Late Modern Catoctin Furnace (Central/Southern African Bantu Profile) | Modern era, c. 1500-1950 AD | 0.0580 |
| 5 | USA Delaware Early Modern Avery's Rest (West/Central African Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0596 |
| 6 | Saint Martin Early Modern (West African Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0637 |
| 7 | Saint Helena Late Modern Rupert's Valley (Central/Southern African Bantu Profile) | Late Modern, c. 1800-1950 AD | 0.0671 |
| 8 | USA Delaware Early Modern Avery's Rest (Mixed SSA Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0685 |
| 9 | Mexico Early Modern Mexico City (Central/Southern African Bantu Profile) | Early Modern, c. 1500-1800 AD | 0.0695 |
| 10 | Democratic Republic of the Congo Kindoki 230BP | c. 1700 AD | 0.0703 |
Compare yourself with Jamaican
Paste your G25 coordinates (scaled, one line, with or without a name in front) and we compute your genetic distance to the Jamaican average and to its closest neighbours, right in your browser. Nothing is uploaded or stored.
| # | Population | Your distance | Closeness |
|---|
This list only covers Jamaican and its neighbours. To find out which of our reports actually fits your DNA, run the free Report Finder: it runs the same fit test that every report uses before an order.
No G25 coordinates yet? Get a free simulated G25 from your raw DNA file, or order G25 coordinates.
About these numbers
A word of caution: these figures describe the average of the Jamaican individuals who were sampled, not every person who identifies as Jamaican. Individuals vary around that average, and identity is about history, language and family, not about a genetic score. Read this page as a map of deep ancestry, not as a definition.
Method: averaged G25 coordinates, Euclidean distances to other modern and ancient averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations (data generated 2026-10-01). Read the full method.
Go deeper than the average
This page describes the Jamaican average. Your own DNA has its own story: Karukera – Caribbean Creole Ancestry Report (15€) models your genome against the ancient sources and modern communities of the region, era by era, in a personal PDF report.
A report built for people of mixed Creole Caribbean ancestry: your combined Taíno/indigenous, West/Central African, and European-colonial roots, given roughly equal weight rather than centering one layer, across 8 communities (Haitian...
More populations from Americas
Frequently asked questions
What is the ancient genetic make-up of Jamaican?
Modelled with deep ancestral reference populations, the Jamaican average is about 91.2% West African, 4.5% Steppe herders (Yamnaya) and 1.8% Western rainforest foragers (BiAka). These proportions are model estimates for a group average, not exact values for any one person.
Which populations are genetically closest to Jamaican?
In the G25 data, the closest modern populations to the Jamaican average are Fulani (Gambia A), Fulani (Guinea A) and Soninke (Gambia). The closest ancient matches are USA Maryland Early-Late Modern Catoctin Furnace (West African Profile), Saint Helena Late Modern Rupert's Valley (West/Central African Profile) and Mexico Early Modern Mexico City (West African Profile).
Can a DNA test tell me if I am Jamaican?
No DNA test can confirm an ethnicity or a nationality. What DNA can show is how similar your genome is to the sampled Jamaican average and to its neighbours. If you have G25 coordinates, paste them in the comparison box on this page to check that for free.
Which ExploreYourDNA report suits Jamaican ancestry?
Karukera – Caribbean Creole Ancestry Report is the report built for this heritage, and its reference panel fits the Jamaican average closely. Your own DNA may differ from the average, so the free Report Finder checks every report against your file before you buy.
Where does the data on this page come from?
From the averaged Global25 (G25) coordinates of the sampled individuals: genetic distances to other modern and ancient population averages, and a non-negative least-squares model against deep ancestral reference populations. The full method is described at https://www.exploreyourdna.com/populations#method.