Edited by Azizi Powell
This pancocojams post presents information about Mandé ethnic groups as well as information about the Vai, a southern Mandé ethnic group.
This post also presents information about the last name "Fahnbulleh".
The Addendum to this post lists some notable people with the last name "Fahbulleh".
The content of this post is presented for historical and onomastic purposes.
All copyrights remain with their owners.
Thanks to all those who are quoted in this post.
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PANCOCOJAMS EDITOR'S NOTE
This comment was added to a June 2021 pancocojams post entitled "Mandé Last Name, Meaning and History" (Comments About Certain West African Last Names From A 2020 Lipstick Alley Discussion Thread)" https://pancocojams.blogspot.com/2021/06/mande-last-name-meaning-and-history.html
Unknown, August 17, 2021 at 6:43 PM
"Any common/rare lastnames among the Vai people in Liberia and Sierra Leone? I know that Fahnbulleh is a common name.
-snip-
Here's one of my response to this query:
Hello Unknown. Thanks for your questions.
-snip-
That pancocojams post quotes selected comments from of a seven page Lipstick Alley discussion thread about Mande last names.: https://www.lipstickalley.com/threads/%E2%80%9Cafrican-last-name%E2%80%9D-spin-off-mand%C3%A9-last-name-meaning-and-history.3945451/
That online discussion began in Sept 2020 and includes a comment (#52) about Soninke (Wangara) last names in the Ivory Coast. That comment also includes some information of the migratory history of certain other southern Mande ethnic groups and some cultural similarities with northern Mande people. Some of those ethnic groups mentioned (Kpelle, Loma, Via, and Dan), are listed in the pancocojams comment from Unknown. However, that Lipstick Alley comment doesn't include any examples of those ethnic group's last names. It should also be noted that that Lipstick Alley discussion includes several comments about some non-Mande last names, but most of those last names are from Ghana or from Nigeria.
That August 17, 2021 pancocojams query motivated me to search online for information about the Vai ethnic group as well as information about the Fahnbulleh last name.
This August 21, 2021 pancocojams post presents some of the information that I found as a result of those searches.
Unfortunately, to date, I haven't found any information about or examples of last names for those other Liberian ethnic groups that Unknown asked about.
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE MANDE ETHNIC GROUPS
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mand%C3%A9_peoples
"Mandé peoples are speakers of Mande languages. Various
Mandé groups are found in every country in mainland West Africa. The Mandé
languages are divided into two primary groups: East Mandé and West Mandé.
The Mandinka or Malinke people, a western branch of the Mandé, are credited with the founding of the largest ancient West African empires. Other large Mandé groups include the Soninke, Susu, Bambara, and Dyula. Smaller groups include the Ligbi, Vai, and Bissa.
[…]
Islam has played a central role in identifying the Mandé as
a supranational ethnic group that transcended individual tribal
affiliations[citation needed]. Mandé influence historically spread far beyond
immediate areas to other neighboring Muslim West Africans groups who inhabited
the sahel and savanna. The Mandé conducted increased trade down the River Niger
or overland, and achieved military conquest with the expansion of the Ghana
Empire, Mali Empire, and Kaabu and Wassoulou states.
The non-Mande-speaking Fula, Songhai, Wolof, Hausa, and Voltaic peoples maintain varying degrees of close alignment with the Mandé worldview, clothing and other cultural artefacts (a shared written script, architecture, cuisine, and social norms).”…
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INFORMATION ABOUT THE VAI PEOPLE
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vai_people
"The Vai are a Manden ethnic group that live mostly in
Liberia, with a small minority living in south-eastern Sierra Leone. …
History
The earliest written documentation of the Vai is
by Dutch merchants sometime in the first half of the seventeenth century,
denoting a political group near Cape Mount. The Vai likely settled there as
part of the Mane invasions from the Mali Empire in the middle of the sixteenth
century and, according to Vai oral tradition were led by the brothers Fábule
and Kīatámba in conquering the land down to the coast. [4]”…
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INFORMATION ABOUT "THE FAHNBULLEH" LAST NAME
These excerpts are given in no particular order and are numbered for referencing purposes only.)
Excerpt #1:
From https://forebears.io/surnames/fahnbulleh
"Fahnbulleh Surname
The meaning of this surname is not listed.
38,148th Most Common surname in the World
Approximately 13,798 people bear this surname
Most Prevelent in : Liberia
Highest Density in: Liberia"
-snip-
Both https://forebears.io/liberia/surnames
****
Excerpt #2
From
https://www.internationalafricaninstitute.org/downloads/books/lettersfromliberia.pdf "Letters From Liberia" edited by J. D.Y. Peel (2016)
"Introduction
“John (or JDYP, as he often signed himself) wrote regularly to his family and friends during visits to be with his partner, and subsequently wife, Anne Ogbigbo, on her UN posting as Human Rights officer in the Grand Cape Mount region of Liberia.
A communication addressed personally would arrive with a dated attachment headed ‘Letter from Liberia’. All eight of these ‘Letters’, which friends came to anticipate keenly, have been collected to coincide with a meeting to celebrate John’s life at SOAS, University of London, on 25 June 2016.
Intended as semi-public documents, blending personal news with current events, the letters are vivid reminders of John’s engaged and engaging curiosity, zest for life, and sympathy for human foibles everywhere, and notably in West Africa.... A good audience brought out his performative side, so we are sure he would have been happy if the ‘Letters’ he wrote to share his experiences can now be shared more widely and more permanently.
[....]
[page 17]
"January 2011
...Yesterday we visited a large village called Diah, a
couple of hours drive away, at the invitation of a friend of Anne’s called Haja
Fahnbulleh who lives there. Haja is a tall woman in her late 40s,
darkcomplexioned, with a sweet face but quite a piercing gaze, very puissant.
Originally trained as a nurse, she used to work as a field officer for the
Ministry of Gender & Development – which was how Anne got to know her – and
recently was appointed District Commissioner of Tewor. To belong to Fahnbulleh
clan in Tewor is like being a MacDonald in Skye or a MacRae in Wester
Ross."...
-snip-
From https://www.soas.ac.uk/about/ "SOAS University of London is the world's leading institution
for the study of Asia, Africa and the Middle East."
-snip-
Letters From Liberia's Acknowledgement notes that "John’s widow, Anne Ogbigbo, gave permission for publication and
helped in numerous respects to bring it to fruition".
-snip-
A photograph of Anne is included in this book. Anne is a Black woman and, presumably, John was also Black.
John's last name isn't given in this book, but (as is often the case with African people) he didn't have the same last name as his wife as suggested by this comment from page 12 of that book "(It’s always struck me as
curious that the Yoruba word for hornbill, ogbigbo, is also Anne’s surname.).
****
Excerpt #3
{Pancocojams Editor's Note: This online page is quoted "as is". I've made no attempt to authenticate what is written.]
From http://fahnbullehfreeman.org/about-us/family-history/
"FAHNBULLEH/FREEMAN FAMILY HISTORY
Origins
The Fahnbulleh/ Freeman Family is part of the Vai Tribe (meaning bold or fearless) and belong to the Malinka Group. History recalls that this group came from the Kingdom of Mali in the Sudan during the death of Mansa Oule and Mansa Moussa. That period saw a vacuum in leadership and our great-great ancestor rose to fill that leadership vacuum. As a leader of immense prowess, he set out to challenge and conquer new frontiers while in search of the Atlantic Ocean for ocean salt. This was around the Thirteenth Century.
Sudan – Atlantic Coast Migration
As an adventurous warrior from Sudan, his adventure took him across the Sahara Desert. He later boasted of large followers including his many kin, servants, and captives. He was a trailblazer and left his footprints as a mark of a distinguished warrior at every new frontier he conquered. He reached Liberia around 1326, though what is known today as Lofa County. He settled briefly among the Loma Tribe and won their loyalty. He was called Vai-ambulai (Vah means father among the Lomas and Mandingos).
He later set out for his destination – the Atlantic Coast – through Grand Cape Mount County. He settled in Garwula Chiefdom and soon challenged the authority of the Gola chiefs and Da-zoes. He was crowned and celebrated as a chief and Da-zoe. He then established his guard post at a village called Banford and subsequently founded the town of Mani as a transit in the Chiefdom of Tombay. He later migrated toward the southwest and established the first Fahnbulleh town of Gbesseh.
Seven Prominent Sons
History recalls that it was in that town that seven prominent sons of his were born and each one moved and established his own town. This is why we have the seven original Fahnbulleh towns. They had children and those children also moved and established their own towns.
Origin of Fahnbulleh Family Name
Historically, the name Fahnbulleh has taken different meanings. It is believed that the name derived from the Lomas. Vah-ambulai means father Ambulai. When he settled among the Golas, he was called Fa-Ambulai. The name later became Fahn-bulleh among the Vais; meaning the children of Fahn or literally translated, the children from Fahn’s belleh.
Fahnbulleh-Freeman Connection
The Fahnbulleh/Freeman connection is tied to the influence
of western culture and the attempt to destroy the African culture and heritage;
the slave masters gave us the western name “Freeman”. As members of the royal
Fahnbulleh, our ancestors refused to sell any members of their royal family as
slaves, even though they were engaged in slavery and bought slaves to serve the
royal family. In later years, after pondering the human degradation, they engaged
in Human Emancipation, bought slaves and set them free. In view of the
foregoing, the slave masters gave our family the name “Free-Men” which came to
be known as Freeman."
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ADDENDUM: SOME NOTABLE PEOPLE WITH THE SURNAME NAME "FAHNBULLEH"
Excerpt #1
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fahnbulleh
"Fahnbulleh is a surname of Liberian origin.[1]
Fatima Massaquoi-Fahnbulleh (1912–1978), Liberian educator
Gamal Fahnbulleh, British broadcast journalist and
television presenter
Henry Boimah Fahnbulleh (born 1949), Liberian politician and
diplomat
Miatta Fahnbulleh (disambiguation), several people"
****
Excerpt #2
From https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth_Perry
"Ruth Sando Fahnbulleh Perry (July 16, 1939 – January 8,
2017) was a Liberian politician. She served as the interim Chairman of the
Council of State of Liberia from 3 September 1996 until 2 August 1997,
following the First Liberian Civil War.[3] After eleven international peace
attempts between 1990 and 1995 to end the civil war in Liberia, the attempts
appeared to succeed. The interim Council of State consisted of a civilian
chairman, as well as members of warring factions: Charles Taylor, United
Liberation Movement of Liberia for Democracy-K leader Alhaji Kromah, Liberia
Peace Council leader George Boley, and two other civilians.
Perry was known for being the first female president of Liberia and of contemporary Africa as a whole.[3] Liberia also has the distinction of electing Ellen Johnson Sirleaf as the first elected female African leader in modern times.[4]
Early life
Perry was born July 16, 1939, in a rural area of Grand Cape
Mount County, Liberia, the daughter of Marjon and AlHaji Semila Fahnbulleh. She
was a Muslim of Vai ethnic ancestry. As a child, Perry participated in the
Sande society, a traditional school and secret society for females, and
attended regular classes. Her parents later enrolled her in a Roman Catholic
school for girls in Monrovia run by missionary nuns. Perry graduated from the
Teachers College of the University of Liberia. She worked as an elementary
school teacher in Grand Cape Mount County.[5]
She married McDonald Perry, a judge and legislator and they had seven children. After her children were grown, Perry worked in the Monrovia office of Chase Manhattan Bank in 1971 and taught at a Sande school as an elder.[5]
Interim Head of State: 1996–97
On August 17, 1996, after 17 years of conflict and 7 years
of war, the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) representatives
negotiated a cease-fire between Liberia's warring factions and announced that
Perry would replace Wilton Sankawulo as Chairman of the Council of State in an
interim government. Reportedly all four warlords in the Liberian conflict had
agreed to the peace agreement with Perry as interim leader,[5] after her return
from a brief exile in Staten Island, New York.[8]
Later life and death
After stepping down, Perry moved between Liberia and the US.
In 2004, she was an African President-in-Residence at the African Presidential
Archives and Research Center at Boston University.[9] Perry died on January 8,
2017 at the age of 77.[10]"
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Excerpt #3
Miatta Fahnbulleh: Educating The Next Generation (Liberia)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jE2Rr9VmkVQ&ab_channel=CulturesofResistanceFilms
Cultures of Resistance Films, Aug 10, 2011
Miatta Fahnbulleh grew up in Liberia with aspirations to be a singer, in spite of social conventions that restricted women from performing in clubs and dance halls. She went abroad to Kenya, the U.S., and England before she returned home in the early 1980s. While continuing to perform as a vocalist, she also began advocating for women's rights. Moreover, the civil wars that plagued her country for a decade and a half beginning in the late 1980s left in her a deep concern for young people who knew only violence. As she explains, "Singing on a stage for an hour or two is not enough; you get the applause and everybody says your wonderful and then I come back to my world and I have to step out on the street everyday." In 2005 Fahnbulleh founded Obaa's Girls Education Outreach (OGEO), a school that offers more than 180 scholarships to girls whom she hopes will become Liberia's next generation of leaders. In this short film, Cultures of Resistance explores Fahnbulleh's dual role as a singer and a socially conscious citizen, and we talk with her about her hopes for a generation that is struggling to move out of the shadow of war.
Excerpt #4
From
"Joseph Fahnbulleh (born 11 September 2001) is a American-born Liberian
sprinter.[1]
Early and personal life
Born in Hopkins, Minnesota, to Liberian parents, Fahnbulleh
attended Hopkins High School.[2]
Career
...After declaring for Liberia and being named in their team for the 2020 Summer Olympics in Tokyo,[4] Fahnbulleh was given the honor of being the flag bearer for his nation in the opening ceremony.[5] The journey to Tokyo for the Olympics was the first time Fahnbulleh had ever been outside of the United States.[6]
He made it through to the 200m final at the Olympics with a time of 19.99 seconds in his semi-final, setting a new Liberian national record.[7] He finished in fifth place in the final, again setting a new national record with a time of 19.98 seconds.[8]"
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