Find out how popular the first name Kofi has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Popularity of Kofi by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Kofi is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 99% of people named Kofi being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 39 male babies and 5 female babies born with the name Kofi.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 5 baby girls were named Kofi in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

The history of the first name Kofi

The given name Kofi originates from the Akan language spoken by the Akan people of Ghana and the Ivory Coast. It dates back several centuries and is derived from the Akan word "kɔfrɪ" which means "born on Friday."

In the traditional Akan culture, a person's name is often assigned based on the day of the week they were born. Kofi is one of the male names given to children born on Friday. The corresponding female name for Friday births is Afua.

One of the earliest recorded references to the name Kofi can be found in the Akan oral traditions and folklore. It is believed to have been in use for several centuries before the arrival of European colonizers in West Africa.

Throughout history, there have been notable individuals who bore the name Kofi. One of the most famous was Kofi Annan, the Ghanaian diplomat and the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1997 to 2006. He was born on April 8, 1938, and passed away on August 18, 2018.

Another notable Kofi was Kofi Abrefa Busia, a Ghanaian teacher, politician, and Prime Minister of Ghana from 1969 to 1972. He was born on July 11, 1913, and died on August 28, 1978.

In the world of sports, Kofi Annan Boateng was a Ghanaian professional footballer who played as a midfielder for several clubs in Europe, including Nottingham Forest and Hertha BSC. He was born on December 3, 1968, and is still alive.

Kofi Kingston, whose real name is Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah, is a Ghanaian-American professional wrestler currently signed with WWE. He was born on August 14, 1981, and has been a prominent figure in the wrestling industry for over a decade.

Kofi Abrefa Ofori-Attah was a Ghanaian politician and diplomat who served as the Minister of Education and Culture from 1976 to 1979. He was born on November 24, 1921, and passed away on August 2, 1992.

These examples illustrate the long-standing cultural significance and widespread use of the name Kofi among the Akan people and beyond, spanning various fields such as politics, diplomacy, sports, and entertainment.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Kofi was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Kofi, please contact us.

Reference this page

We spend a lot of resources downloading, cleaning, merging, and formatting the data that is shown on the site.

If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!