List of Mayflower Passengers

Composition of the Company

The passenger roster is known from contemporary lists and later compilations. Traditionally reported figures state there were 102 passengers aboard, plus a crew. The group comprised men, women, and children; family households; single men; indentured servants; and craftsmen. Historians often distinguish between the Leiden Separatists—who had migrated via the Netherlands—and the so-called "Strangers," who joined for economic opportunity or adventure.

Notable Passengers

Several individuals became prominent in the colony’s early years and in later historical accounts. Among them were leaders and organizers, civic founders, and skilled settlers. Names that commonly appear in lists of passengers include:

• William Bradford (later governor)
• John Carver (first governor)
• Myles Standish (military leader)
• William Brewster (religious elder)
• Edward Winslow (early diplomat)
• Priscilla Mullins and John Alden (well-known settlers)

Mayflower Compact and Early Records

Shortly after landing, a number of the adult male passengers signed the Mayflower Compact, an early agreement for self-governance that became symbolic of colonial cooperation. The Compact and other documents preserved lists and agreements that scholars use to reconstruct an authoritative passenger roster. Those records also show high mortality during the colony’s first winter and subsequent efforts to recruit and resupply.

Legacy and Uses of the List

The passenger list has long been of interest to genealogists, historians, and the public. It informs studies of migration, settlement patterns, legal traditions, and family histories in early New England. It is also the basis for commemorations and for understanding how a small, mixed group established a surviving English settlement on North American soil.