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GEORGETOWN, GUYANA — From Persaud and Singh to Williams, Khan, Thomas and Joseph, Guyana’s most common surnames offer a fascinating snapshot of one of the Caribbean and South America’s most culturally diverse societies.

Surname data compiled by Forebears places Persaud at number one in Guyana, with an estimated 21,855 bearers in its dataset, followed closely by Singh with 20,153. Williams ranks third, Khan fourth and Thomas fifth.

And the list tells a much bigger story.

Guyana’s population was shaped over centuries by Indigenous peoples, European colonisation, African enslavement, Indian indentureship, Portuguese migration, Chinese migration and movement from other Caribbean territories. That complicated history can still be seen in family names throughout Georgetown, Berbice, Essequibo, Demerara and communities across the country.

Names such as Persaud, Singh, Narine, Rampersaud, Lall, Samaroo, Ramnarine, Mohabir, Kissoon, Basdeo, Mangal and Deonarine reflect Guyana’s deep Indo-Guyanese heritage.

Khan, Mohamed, Ali, Ally, Alli, Baksh and Hussain also highlight generations of families whose ancestry is connected to the Indian subcontinent and its diverse religious and cultural traditions.

At the same time, surnames including Williams, Thomas, Joseph, Henry, James, Smith, Wilson, Daniels, George, Benjamin, Lewis, Johnson and Edwards demonstrate the enormous historical influence of British colonial society and the naming traditions that became deeply established among Afro-Guyanese and other communities.

Portuguese-Guyanese heritage also remains visible through names including Rodrigues, Gomes and Fernandes.

That mixture makes Guyana unusual. A single national surname list brings together names with roots stretching across Africa, Europe, India, the wider Caribbean and beyond.

THE 100 MOST COMMON SURNAMES IN GUYANA

Based on the Forebears ranking, the leading surnames are:

1. Persaud
2. Singh
3. Williams
4. Khan
5. Thomas
6. Joseph
7. Henry
8. James
9. Mohamed
10. Smith
11. Wilson
12. Daniels
13. Fraser
14. Peters
15. Narine
16. George
17. Benjamin
18. Lewis
19. Johnson
20. John
21. Adams
22. Bacchus
23. Ali
24. Edwards
25. Roberts
26. Charles
27. Jones
28. Griffith
29. Rampersaud
30. Paul
31. David
32. King
33. Simon
34. Lall
35. Samaroo
36. Ally
37. Clarke
38. Fredericks
39. Rodrigues
40. Abrams
41. Campbell
42. Harris
43. Francis
44. Moore
45. Alli
46. Ramnarine
47. Mohabir
48. Baksh
49. Grant
50. Thompson
51. Samuels
52. Austin
53. Phillips
54. Gomes
55. Richards
56. Browne
57. Jacobs
58. Mohan
59. Mahadeo
60. Gordon
61. Prince
62. Douglas
63. Hussain
64. Isaacs
65. Harry
66. Ross
67. Semple
68. Benn
69. Blair
70. Kissoon
71. Basdeo
72. McKenzie
73. Alexander
74. Moses
75. Mangal
76. Ram
77. Gonsalves
78. McDonald
79. Cummings
80. Garraway
81. Marks
82. Alleyne
83. Forde
84. Anderson
85. Fernandes
86. Hinds
87. Allen
88. Sampson
89. Duncan
90. Melville
91. Latchman
92. Holder
93. Andrews
94. France
95. Nelson
96. Murray
97. Deonarine
98. Ramnauth
99. Glasgow
100. McPherson

The figures should be understood as surname-database estimates rather than a new official Guyana census ranking. Forebears identifies thousands of different surnames in Guyana, while another 2026 surname compilation similarly places Persaud, Singh, Williams, Khan and Thomas at the top, although its estimated totals differ slightly.

What stands out most is not simply which name finishes first.

It is the diversity.

Guyana’s surnames read almost like chapters from the country’s history — migration, colonialism, faith, family, adaptation and generations of people building a distinctly Guyanese identity.

Different origins. One nation.

And behind every surname is another Guyanese family story waiting to be told.