The original name for Barbados in the Pre-Columbian era was Ichirouganaim, according to accounts by descendants of the indigenous Arawakan-speaking tribes in other regional areas, with possible translations including "Red land with white teeth" or "Redstone island with teeth outside (reefs)" or simply "Teeth".

Long before British colonization in 1627, the indigenous Arawak and Carib (Kalinago) people referred to the island as "Ichirouganaim," which is thought to mean "Red land with white teeth" or "Red land with white rocks," possibly describing the island's coral reefs and soil. The name "Barbados" itself was coined by Portuguese and Spanish explorers in the early 16th century. It translates to "Bearded Ones," a name sparked by either the lush "bearded" aerial roots of the island’s native fig trees or the physical appearance of the indigenous men. During the centuries of British rule, the island earned the nickname "Little England" because it remained under a single empire longer than almost any other Caribbean territory, maintaining a distinct cultural and legal resemblance to the United Kingdom that persists in its architecture, cricket culture, and legal system in 2026.

Excellent question! Barbados has had several names throughout its history, given by its indigenous inhabitants and European explorers.

The most notable former name is:

“Los Barbados” or “Las Barbadas” – This is the name given by the Portuguese explorer Pedro a Campos in 1536. It means “The Bearded Ones” in Portuguese and Spanish. The name referred to the island’s fig trees, specifically the long, hanging aerial roots of the bearded fig tree (Ficus citrifolia), which resembled beards to the explorers. This is the direct origin of the modern name “Barbados.”

However, before European contact, the island had indigenous names:

• “Ichirouganaim” – This is the name believed to have been used by the Arawak (Taíno) people, who inhabited the island before the Caribs. Its exact meaning is debated but is often interpreted in a poetic sense as “red land with white teeth” (referring to the coral reefs around the island) or “redstone island with teeth outside.”
• “Ka-iri” or “Ichi-rouganaim” – Names used by the Carib (Kalinago) people, who displaced the Arawak. The meaning is similar.

Important Note: There is a persistent myth that Barbados was once called “Little England.” This was never an official name. It was a nickname that arose in the 17th and 18th centuries due to the island’s very strong cultural, administrative, and agricultural ties to England (it was a loyal British colony for over 300 years). The landscape, with its parish churches and rolling hills, was also said to resemble England.

Summary:

• Pre-European: Ichirouganaim (Arawak/Taíno name).
• 1536: Portuguese explorer Pedro a Campos names it