White Caymanians

White Caymanians

Total population
est. 17,450 (2022) 21.4% of the Cayman Islands population
Regions with significant populations
George Town, West Bay, Savannah
Languages
English • Cayman Islands English • Jamaican Patois
Religion
Primarily Christianity
Related ethnic groups
English, Irish, Scottish, American, Jamaican, Canadian

White Caymanians refers to citizens of the Cayman Islands with European ancestry. This may also refer to immigrants, primarily from Europe, and those of European descent from Jamaica, Canada, the United States and South Africa who have obtained Caymanian citizenship, becoming a first generation Caymanian. White Caymanians constitute 21.4% of the Cayman Islands population, which is the third largest ethnic group in the territory. Many will trace their ancestry back to early English and Scottish settlers, with many Caymanian families today having Scottish surnames such as “Bodden” and “Mclaughlin”.

European emigrants from England, Holland, Spain, and France had settled in the Cayman Islands. Spanish refugees from the Spanish Inquisition had also settled in the Cayman Islands.

History

Christopher Columbus sighted the Cayman Islands in May 1503. Due to swamp and marshland, the unbearable abundance of mosquitoes, and the lack of arable land, the islands were left uninhabited for quite some time. The first recorded settlements dated from 1661 onward, with many families, notably with the surname “Bodden” settling permanently. It is assumed these were European soldiers who deserted from Oliver Cromwell’s army in Jamaica.

The first census of the islands took place in 1802, showing a population of only 933, of which 545 were slaves and 388 were European (mainly English and Scottish) slave owners. Following the abolition of slavery in 1833, Caymanian society seemed to compliantly integrate, with black and white communities mixing, resulting in a majority mixed race population. During the late 20th century, as the Cayman Islands’ economy boomed, immigration to the islands increased heavily, with many being of European ancestry from countries such as the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. A substantial number started families with Caymanians and settled in the islands permanently, as well as others staying long enough to obtain citizenship.