Below are a sample of the names of African slaves and free persons that once lived, worked and eventually died in Colonial Newport. Many Newport Africans would retain their African names and identities, passing them on to their children and grandchildren. (Click on underlined words for examples)
Common African names in
Newport included Cuffe, Cudjo , Mimbo, Nubia, Quamino, Quamine, Sambo,
Yamma, & Quarco.
As part of West African
"Day Naming" tradition we find many Africans names within the
Colonial Newport community including:
| Cuffe (Kofi) - For boys born on Friday |
| Cudjo (Kojo)- For boys born on Monday |
| Quarco /Quarker (Kwaku) -For boys born on Wednesday |
| Quash (Kwasi) - For boys born on Sunday |
| Quamino (Kwame) - For boys born on Saturday |
Enslaved and later free
Africans would also be given names from Greek
Mythology and European
Royalty including Prince, Cato, Scipio, Pompey, Hercules and
Duchess.
Geography
was also used for descriptive names such as, Newport, Bristol, Rhode Island,
Cape Coast, and Africa.
A Sample
of Africans In Newport
Cuffee
Gibbs
Sango (Jack) Carr
Sambo Wanton
Quash Mowatt
Portsmouth
Cheeseborough
Violet Hammond (Female)
Quarko Malbone
Salmar Nubia (Jack Mason)
Marsa Sambo
Cambridge Bull
Cudjo Varnum
Bacchus Overing
Quash Dunbar
Prince Updike
Arthur Tikey (Flagg)
Cato Bannister
Violet Thurston (Female)
Dinah Wigneron (Female)
Violet Brown (Female)
Cudjo Lopez
Elizabeth Stevens (Female)
Philias Stevens (Female)
Newport Redwood
Prince Thurston
Bristol Yama
Caesar Lyndon
Boston Vose (Female)
Duchess Quamino (Female)
Patience Mowatt (Female)
Cuff Sexias
Pompey Rogers
Judith Rodriquez Rivera (Female)
Mingo Malbone
Occramar Marycoo (Newport Gardner)
Zingo Stevens (Pompe)
Pomp Levi (Levy)
Pompey Brinley
Hannibal Collins
Quarco Honeyman (Jack Sisson)
Neptune Sisson
Orbour Collins (Female)
Mimbo Oliver (Female)
A significant number of surviving markers of 18th and 19th century African women bear the name Violet. i
Violet is the state flower of Rhode Island
No white women bear
the name Violet in the
1790 federal census of Newport.
Violet
Carr
Violet Hammond
Violet Scott
Violet Thurston
Violet Searing
Violet Brown
Violet Sisson
Violet Quamino
Violet Stevens
Violet
Brown
Violet Peabody
Violet James
Violet Robinson
Violet Thurston
“It is not what you are called, but what you answer to”
- African Proverb