He came from a big family

An intriguing detail about John Paul Jones is that he was the fifth of seven children when he was born in Kirkbean, Scotland, in 1747. He was originally known as John Paul before changing his name. On July 6, 1747, John Paul Jones was born in a tiny house in Arbigland, Scotland, going by the name John Paul. Jones discovered his calling at sea at the age of 13, receiving an apprenticeship with the British Merchant Marine while his father, John Paul Sr., worked as a gardener. His father, the son of John Paul and Elizabeth Wright, was born in Leith on January 27, 1700. At New Abbey, he wed Jean Duff on November 29, 1733. He worked in Arbigland as a gardener. On October 24, 1767, at Arbigland, he passed away.

His mother, Jean Duff, is probably related to one of the Duff family that were then residing in the Kirkbean or New Abbey region. The Kirkbean Registers do not begin until 1714, and the New Abbey Old Parish Registers do not contain a record of her baptism. There are three potential choices for her father, and she would have been born around 1710.