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Anglicized Akan name found as both a first and surname in African-American culture From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Cuffee, Cuffey, or Coffey is a first name and surname recorded in African-American culture, believed to be derived from the Akan language name Kofi, meaning "born on a Friday". This was noted as one of the most common male names of West African origin which was retained by some American slaves.[1]
Cuffee Cuffey Coffey | |
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Current region | United States and Jamaica |
Etymology | Kofi (born on Friday) |
Place of origin | Ashanti Empire of Ashanti |
The name was used in the United States as a derogatory term to refer to Black people.[2] For example, Jefferson Davis, then a US Senator from Mississippi who later became the President of the Confederate States, said that the discussion of slavery in the Dred Scott v. Sandford case was merely a question of "whether Cuffee should be kept in his normal condition or not."[3]
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