Given name & surname
Kofi
“born on a Friday”
Kofi is used as a given name and a surname. One African interpretation is “born on a Friday.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
One African interpretation is “born on a Friday.”
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is African.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1970. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Kofi through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,552
- 1,542 boys · 10 girls
- Most popular year
- 2004
- 55 babies
- 2025
- 36
- #3,279 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- +11%
- Rising
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 36 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,279 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 7.7% higher in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 55 in 2004. In 2025, Virginia had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (6). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 2,883 as a first name in 2020; 105 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Kofi’s family of names
Kofi has a conventional equivalent in the French form Koffi. Kofi has a related form in Kofea. Kofi has a related form in Kofee.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Kofi has relatives in 3 languages.
5 related names in 3 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 4
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Kofi
- Kofi Annan7th Secretary-General of the United Nations (1938-2018)
- Kofi KingstonGhanaian-American professional wrestlerborn 1981
- Kofi Abrefa BusiaPrime Minister of Ghana (1969-1972)1913–1978
- Kofi AwoonorGhanaian poet and author (1935-2013)
- Koffi SamaPrime Minister of Togoborn 1944
- Kofi AdjorloloGhanaian actor and producerborn 1956
- Kofi Arko NokoeGhanaian politicianborn 1983
- Kofi Okyere-AgyekumGhanaian politicianborn 1958
- Kofi SarkodieAmerican soccer playerborn 1991
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Kofi, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Kojo
“born on a Monday”
>99% boys
Kayin
“a long-awaited daughter” · “a long-awaited child”
88% boys · 12% girls
Kione
“one who has come from nowhere”
>99% boys
Kuron
“one who gives thanks”
>99% boys
Jahi
“a dignified man”
>99% boys
Dakarai
“filled with happiness”
>99% boys
Aman
“a trustworthy woman”
98% boys · 2% girls
Naki
“the firstborn daughter”
92% boys · 8% girls