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“African Last Name” Spin Off- Mandé Last Name, Meaning and History

wanderluste

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@Lady2023 @kid idiot

Last name : Gassama, also spelled Kassama in anglophone countries
Origin : Soninike
Found in : Senegal, Mali, Guinee, Mauritania, Gambia, Cote D'ivoire, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau

History :

There 2 sub groups of Gassama

Gasssama of Ourafo :
The people who bear this name descend from the kings of the Berber kingdom of Ourafo which was set up after the fall of the Ghana Empire in Assaba and Mauritanian Guidimakha.

These Gassama may come from the admixture between the Fulani and the Malinke. Their dynasty which reigned over the kingdom of Ourafo (Guidimakha and Assaba).

Before the Mali Empire, the Gassama of Ourafo successively inhabited the country of Boron and Madina-Sacko, then the area of Tambacounda, Tomora and Diakon, Méguétan, Baraouéli, Bakhounou and then Diafounou.

Gassama - Diaby (Jiaby) clans :
Gassama-Diaby or Diaby-Gassama, are in fact Diaby who lived, before the Wagadou, in the Aourou zone, north of the city of Kayes. They will then live in Tagant, Wouli in the land of Kédougou. It is their alliance with the Gassama of Ourafo which gave them the name Gassama-Diaby.

Famous Gassama

Mamadou Gassama also known as "Spider Man" because he saved a toddler hanging on the balcony in the viral video back in 2018

View attachment 3765040
Thanks for sharing the history. In SL, we don’t have a population of Soninke so one would associate Gassama with Mandingo origin not knowing the true history. They’re all Mande’s and Mandingo is a more prominent tribe, so I assume that’s why we group it that way. Also, we spell it “Jabbie” instead of Diaby.
 

kid idiot

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@Lady2023 @kid idiot

Last name : Gassama, also spelled Kassama in anglophone countries
Origin : Soninike
Found in : Senegal, Mali, Guinee, Mauritania, Gambia, Cote D'ivoire, Sierra Leone, Guinea Bissau

History :

There 2 sub groups of Gassama

Gasssama of Ourafo :
The people who bear this name descend from the kings of the Berber kingdom of Ourafo which was set up after the fall of the Ghana Empire in Assaba and Mauritanian Guidimakha.

These Gassama may come from the admixture between the Fulani and the Malinke. Their dynasty which reigned over the kingdom of Ourafo (Guidimakha and Assaba).

Before the Mali Empire, the Gassama of Ourafo successively inhabited the country of Boron and Madina-Sacko, then the area of Tambacounda, Tomora and Diakon, Méguétan, Baraouéli, Bakhounou and then Diafounou.

Gassama - Diaby (Jiaby) clans :
Gassama-Diaby or Diaby-Gassama, are in fact Diaby who lived, before the Wagadou, in the Aourou zone, north of the city of Kayes. They will then live in Tagant, Wouli in the land of Kédougou. It is their alliance with the Gassama of Ourafo which gave them the name Gassama-Diaby.

Famous Gassama

Mamadou Gassama also known as "Spider Man" because he saved a toddler hanging on the balcony in the viral video back in 2018

View attachment 3765040
oh WOW....i did not know any of this at all...So does this mean soninkes in general are of malinke and fulani admixture or is it just the gassamas?
thanks so much for this information!
 

bebelala

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oh WOW....i did not know any of this at all...So does this mean soninkes in general are of malinke and fulani admixture or is it just the gassamas?
thanks so much for this information!

Soninkes came before Malinkes. In other words, Malinkes are a spin off groups of the Soninke people but became a much more prominent group thanks to the Empire of Mali days. Fulanis are a non mande group.

Based on the information, this group of Gassama may be a mixture of Fulani-Soninke
 

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Diallo is a Fulani name from north of Senegal. Fulanis in Guinea migrated from Senegal to Guinea later. People with the name Diallo in Mauritania come from Senegal not the other way around, moreover this name is rare in Mauritania. Diallo is mostly found in Senegal, Guinea Conakry and Mali. Guinea Bissau and Gambia have the name Diallo as well.

Here are other names from Senegal that can be found in West Africa today: Sow, Ka, Ba, Bah, Diao, Dia there are more but these are the ones that come to mind at the moment. They are spelled differently in Anglophone countries. A famous man with the name Diallo from Senegal is Ayuba Sulaiman Diallo.
View attachment 3766265
What about AYUBA ? What are the origins of that name?
 

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What about AYUBA ? What are the origins of that name?
Ayuba is in reality the name of Prophet Ayyub (alayhi salam) like the name Sulaiman which is also a prophets name. Fulani embraced Islam early. His true name was in fact Ayyub son of Sulaiman Diallo. In Anglophone countries the name Ayuba or Ayyuba is frequent.
Soninkes came before Malinkes. In other words, Malinkes are a spin off groups of the Soninke people but became a much more prominent group thanks to the Empire of Mali days. Fulanis are a non mande group.

Based on the information, this group of Gassama may be a mixture of Fulani-Soninke
Soninke and Fulani have always lived together indeed.
 
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Koroba 7005

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Originally, the surname Traoré is written Tarawele, it is difficult to give it an exact etymology but several theory circulates on the meaning of the name. The first theory (the best known) indicates that Tarawele means "will call him". This theory holds its meaning thanks to the scholar Solomana Kanté who presents in one of these books a warrior by the name of Touraman Koroba (Old Touraman) who was a great warrior before the advent of Soundiata, he had defended and protected the Manden a lot. .
After his retirement, the country was attacked by a powerful enemy army which was on the verge of defeating Manden's army, it was said that it was necessary to call the old Touraman to come and lend a hand to the army, otherwise the the enemy will triumph. This is how old Touraman got up and saddled his horse to go and fight the enemy and he managed to save the Manden. Some decade after the victory the djelis (griots) of Manden began to praise the descendants of Touraman Koroba by saying "aw Bemba Tara wèlé ka kélé ban" (they called your ancestor to defeat the enemy army). Touraman is also the ancestor of the two Tarawele brothers who killed the Do Forest buffalo called: Dan Massa Wulani and Dan Massa Wulamba.
The little brother, Dan Massa Wulamba also bore the first name of Touraman the Elder.
The big brother, Dan Massa Wulani took the surname Diabaté.
Another theory (less known) indicates that before having the name Tarawele, the clan was called Trawoulé. Tra means heat and Woulé means red, all of which is pronounced Trawoulé which designates a tough guy.
My last name is Koroba I'm from Saudi Arabia but originally from Mali as my father told me, I've Been looking about my last name for months but couldn't grasp anything until I saw this page, so If you don't mind can you till me more about my last name Koroba because you seem to know much about history and the most thing I want to know is, if there are a kind of a community or a trabe called Koroba in these days in Mali?.
 

wanderluste

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My last name is Koroba I'm from Saudi Arabia but originally from Mali as my father told me, I've Been looking about my last name for months but couldn't grasp anything until I saw this page, so If you don't mind can you till me more about my last name Koroba because you seem to know much about history and the most thing I want to know is, if there are a kind of a community or a trabe called Koroba in these days in Mali?.
I feel like your surname derives from “Koroma” which is common throughout several West African countries.
 

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My last name is Koroba I'm from Saudi Arabia but originally from Mali as my father told me, I've Been looking about my last name for months but couldn't grasp anything until I saw this page, so If you don't mind can you till me more about my last name Koroba because you seem to know much about history and the most thing I want to know is, if there are a kind of a community or a trabe called Koroba in these days in Mali?.
Koroba in Bambara literally mean older big person. Koro = old/older, ba = big. It usually refers to older sister/brother. Sometimes, you just say this is my Koro, like this is my elder sis or bro. A good 50% of the time, this Koro is not even related to you.

I have not seen Koroba as a last name in Mali tho but I could be wrong.

How many generations has your family been in Saudi ?
It is possible that the last name has been switched? Will you know the region in Mali your ancestors are from ?
I feel like your surname derives from “Koroma” which is common throughout several West African countries.
I was wondering the same thing. I believe Koroma is more prevalent in places like Sierra Leone. I think it’s Mende origin. They have ties to the Mali empire.
 
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Koroba 7005

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Koroba in Bambara literally mean older big person. Koro = old/older, ba = big. It usually refers to older sister/brother. Sometimes, you just say this is my Koro, like this is my elder sis or bro. A good 50% of the time, this Koro is not even related to you.

I have not seen Koroba as a last name in Mali tho but I could be wrong.

How many generations has your family been in Saudi ?
It is possible that the last name has been switched? Will you know the region in Mali your ancestors are from ?

I was wondering the same thing. I believe Koroma is more prevalent in places like Sierra Leone. I think it’s Mende origin. They have ties to the Mali

Koroba in Bambara literally mean older big person. Koro = old/older, ba = big. It usually refers to older sister/brother. Sometimes, you just say this is my Koro, like this is my elder sis or bro. A good 50% of the time, this Koro is not even related to you.

I have not seen Koroba as a last name in Mali tho but I could be wrong.

How many generations has your family been in Saudi ?
It is possible that the last name has been switched? Will you know the region in Mali your ancestors are from ?

I was wondering the same thing. I believe Koroma is more prevalent in places like Sierra Leone. I think it’s Mende origin. They have ties to the Mali empire.
I'm a bit disappointed to know that my last name is not even popular after all even though when I look up in the map I see some places called Koroba... or DialKoroba I thought it may be related to my last name.

We are in the third generation now, my grandfather traveled from Mali to Saudi almost a 100 year ago, my father, uncles aunts burn here then we came so we are the third generation.

My father doesn't know about family's current region in Mali, that's what he told me lately but he mentioned " Kilagou or Kelago but he said that he's not sure about it.
 

wanderluste

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Koroba in Bambara literally mean older big person. Koro = old/older, ba = big. It usually refers to older sister/brother. Sometimes, you just say this is my Koro, like this is my elder sis or bro. A good 50% of the time, this Koro is not even related to you.

I have not seen Koroba as a last name in Mali tho but I could be wrong.

How many generations has your family been in Saudi ?
It is possible that the last name has been switched? Will you know the region in Mali your ancestors are from ?

I was wondering the same thing. I believe Koroma is more prevalent in places like Sierra Leone. I think it’s Mende origin. They have ties to the Mali empire.

Yes, Koroma is common in Sierra Leone amongst most tribes not just Mendes. I know some Francophone countries spell it somewhere along the lines of “Kourouma”, so I thought maybe it had been corrupted over time into “Koroba” (just theorizing!).
 

Koroba 7005

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This is an informative and discussion thread about last name in Mandé society that spread from Gambia, Senegal, Mauritania, Mali, Burkina Faso, Sierra Leone, Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, and beyond


As for myself, I am Bambara from Mali, so I’ll focus on names and history that’s more familiar to me but feel free to add more info from your country, ethnic group or knowledge


First, let’s start with some important facts on Mandé culture and people


As many already know, the Mandé founded 3 major empires in West Africa : Ghana Empire, Mali Empire, and the Songhai Empire


Mandé people are primary Muslims and played a significant role in the history of the religion in the region. Islam came from the Soninké Nobles/Kings during the Ghana Empire. The Bambara people didn’t convert until the jihad against in French in the 19th century. There are some Christian/Catholic Mandé in the region and some who follow pre-Islamic belief, but I think it depends from groups to groups and from regions as well.


So, what’s the difference between Mandé, Mandingue/Mandingo/ Mandinka/Malinke, Bambara, Soninke, Jula/Dyula ?


Mandé is the umbrella term that groups all the branches of Mandé groups which includes but not limited to the Mandinka/Malinké, Soninké, Bambara, Susu, Jula/Dyula, Kassonké, Mende and so on.


Mandinka/Malinke/Mandingo are the significant group of Mandé and are dominant in Mali, North Cote D’Ivoire, Guinea, with some significant numbers in Senegal and Gambia.

The most significant Mandinka ever existed is probably Soundjata Keita, the founder of the Empire of Mali and the grand uncle of Mansa Musa ( his actual name is Kanku Musa, "mansa" means king).

Common Mandinka last names in Mali : Keita, Kanté, Koné, Konaté


Soninké/Sarakolé are dominant in the Kaye region of Mali, with some populations in Senegal, Gambia and Mauritania. In Mali, we call them Maraka, but some of them don’t like it and rather be called Soninké.

Common Soninke last names are : Gassama, Wagué, Soumaré, Tounkara, Doucouré, Soueré, Sylla, Bathily, Fadiga, Fofona, Camara/Kamara, Diaby/Jaby, Diawara/Jawara, Cissé/Sesay and so on.


Jula/Dyula means merchants in Malinké and are a sub group of Mandé. The term Jula/Dyula is often used in Cote D'Ivoire.


Bambara broke off from the main Mandinka and created their own kingdom because they didn’t want to convert to Islam. They created their own culture and kingdoms from everyone else. Bambara are dominant in Mali, with some population in Burkina Faso.

Common Bambara names: Traoré/Trawaly, Coulibaly, Diarra, Boiré, Dembelé, Bamba, Katile


The Importance of Last Names in Mande society

Last names are very important in our culture. It defines your caste (which some people still follow), your ethnicity and family history. The history of last names is actually common knowledge in Mali and plays a big part on how we interact with one and other.


Mandé Mory” Marabout Class.


Marabout back in the day meant someone who was wise, a teacher, an educator, and someone that was very spiritual and had knowledge in herbs and religion. The meaning changed over time. In 2020, the term marabout is interchangeable with witch doctor but there was a time when marabouts were religious guides that had Islamic knowledge and thought it to the locals.


Marabout last names : Toure/Turay ,Sylla,Cisse/Sessay, Kaba, Dramé.

Those names have Soninke origins. Quite a few Cissé and even Touré in Mali are Fulanis. I'll some Fulani names later.


“Djely”,"Jaly" Griots.
A big part of Mandé culture is oral traditions and Djelys' role is to perverse the tradition. They specialized in Mandé history, family history, music/singing/instruments, good speech and praising. They come to ceremonies like weddings and baptism on behalf of their Diatigui (the ones they “work” for.). They are also used to resolve conflicts.

Examples of griots last names : Kouyaté, Diabiate, Kante, Soumano, Kamisoko


Sinanangouya/Sanankouya :

It’s an “alliance” or call “cousinage” in French, where clans in the Mandinka society can help, joke/tease with one and other based on last names but also on ethnic groups. It was created under the rule of Soundjata Keita to appease clans and ethnic tensions. For examples, Coulibaly’s and Keita’s can tease with each other and none of them can be offended. The only rule under Sinangouya is that groups can’t shed blood or physically hurt each other.
Hi, after i asked my mother which is ( Hawsa originally from Niger) about Koroba which is my last name! She told me that ( koroba ) is not the real last name of you and your father and his family! i was really shocked of what she sayed because i been researching for months about our history and our tribe that we belong to as ( koroba ) even my father admitted to me that my last name is Koroba but he was lying to me after all lol, so she told me that our real last name is Kombeago and you originally from Mali but she doesn't know what kombigo or kombeago stands for neither my father do or Well i know he doesn't want me to know the truth for some reason And thats why i came back here maybe i can grab some information out of your knowledge about that last name.
 

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Hi, after i asked my mother which is ( Hawsa originally from Niger) about Koroba which is my last name! She told me that ( koroba ) is not the real last name of you and your father and his family! i was really shocked of what she sayed because i been researching for months about our history and our tribe that we belong to as ( koroba ) even my father admitted to me that my last name is Koroba but he was lying to me after all lol, so she told me that our real last name is Kombeago and you originally from Mali but she doesn't know what kombigo or kombeago stands for neither my father do or Well i know he doesn't want me to know the truth for some reason And thats why i came back here maybe i can grab some information out of your knowledge about that last name.
I figured that Koroba was not a last name from Mali. But Kombeago that’s even more more unheard of. Is that possible that that’s Koulibaly/Coulibaly ? Did you know the région or city of your father’s family? North ? South ? East ? West ? Outside Arabic, what dialect does your father’s family speak ? Have you been able to maintain any culture from Mali ? For example? Food, clothing, habits, cultural practices ?
 

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I figured that Koroba was not a last name from Mali. But Kombeago that’s even more more unheard of. Is that possible that that’s Koulibaly/Coulibaly ? Did you know the région or city of your father’s family? North ? South ? East ? West ? Outside Arabic, what dialect does your father’s family speak ? Have you been able to maintain any culture from Mali ? For example? Food, clothing, habits, cultural practices ?
I read your reply a while ago but i said to myself i need to respond when i have enough informations about what you ask for like ( food, clothing.. ins) but unfortunately i got nothing of that, even from my uncle who knows our people in Mali, he even admitted to me that our last name is Koroba not Kilago, and thats made me even lost in this circumstance, he told me "i talked to our people in Mali and they sayed that Koroba was the capital city of Mali empire before the European occupation on west Africa, but i dont even believe all of that because i read about mali empire and didn't see anything related to Koroba nor the name Koroba itself so i thought my uncle was lying to me too, i dont know if i have to give up on researching about my last name because my family either lying to me or they dont know anything about our last name.

During my research i found out there are a city called Dialkoroba in Mali so i thought it may be related to our last name! And i remember something about an old fighter in Mali empire "called turamankoroba but i cant find any informations about it in the internet.
 

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I read your reply a while ago but i said to myself i need to respond when i have enough informations about what you ask for like ( food, clothing.. ins) but unfortunately i got nothing of that, even from my uncle who knows our people in Mali, he even admitted to me that our last name is Koroba not Kilago, and thats made me even lost in this circumstance, he told me "i talked to our people in Mali and they sayed that Koroba was the capital city of Mali empire before the European occupation on west Africa, but i dont even believe all of that because i read about mali empire and didn't see anything related to Koroba nor the name Koroba itself so i thought my uncle was lying to me too, i dont know if i have to give up on researching about my last name because my family either lying to me or they dont know anything about our last name.

During my research i found out there are a city called Dialkoroba in Mali so i thought it may be related to our last name! And i remember something about an old fighter in Mali empire "called turamankoroba but i cant find any informations about it in the internet.
It’s very likely that the last name was changed after the arrival to Saudi A.

You said that your uncle knows folks in Mali. What do you know about them ?
 

Koroba 7005

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It’s very likely that the last name was changed after the arrival to Saudi A.

You said that your uncle knows folks in Mali. What do you know about them ?
Yes they said that the name Koroba was
It’s very likely that the last name was changed after the arrival to Saudi A.

You said that your uncle knows folks in Mali. What do you know about them ?
Yes, he know our cousins in Mali and he asked them about our last name "Koroba" they answered "Koroba was the name of the capital city of Mali empire hundred years ago before the European occupation.

That all what he told me but can i ask you about Dialakoroba? Its a village or a city in the southern of Mali, that name clearly has the word Koroba on it.
 

Koroba 7005

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It’s very likely that the last name was changed after the arrival to Saudi A.

You said that your uncle knows folks in Mali. What do you know about them ?
And there is also an old Malian singer call Fanta Damba Koroba she is really famous i think, do u know her? There are some relations to the name Koroba in Mali, there are also a woman called Mariam Koroba in the M
It’s very likely that the last name was changed after the arrival to Saudi A.

You said that your uncle knows folks in Mali. What do you know about them ?
There is an old Malian singer called Fanta Damba Koroba, she used to be very famous, do you know her?
 

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In Suriname, the enslaved Africans only received a last name upon emancipation or manumission. The name "Mande" was also given as a last name for a group of enslaved people, see the link. There was for example a Soliman Mande.
So you mean that Africans were not using last names before slavery? Even tho there are many African tribes now known by their last name "which is their tribe name" and haven't gone to be enslaved!!! Or what do u mean exactly?
 

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And there is also an old Malian singer call Fanta Damba Koroba she is really famous i think, do u know her? There are some relations to the name Koroba in Mali, there are also a woman called Mariam Koroba in the M

There is an old Malian singer called Fanta Damba Koroba, she used to be very famous, do you know her?
My apologies for the super long replie. Yes I have come across this singer but she’s from another era. If I come across another person in Mali with this last name I will let you know inshallah.
 

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So you mean that Africans were not using last names before slavery? Even tho there are many African tribes now known by their last name "which is their tribe name" and haven't gone to be enslaved!!! Or what do u mean exactly?
Sorry, I'm just seeing this post.

I'm saying that the Africans who were enslaved in the Dutch colonies, with Suriname being one of them, were usually stripped off every piece of identity. During slavery they were usually only known by a first, usually European name.

It was only upon manumission, or when slavery was abolished that formerly enslaved people received a last name. That last name was usually also European or derived from a European name. However, in the link I posted, there was what could be considered an exception. There was a group of people who were (probably) named after their African ethnicity. That's something to be celebrated.
 

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Sorry, I'm just seeing this post.

I'm saying that the Africans who were enslaved in the Dutch colonies, with Suriname being one of them, were usually stripped off every piece of identity. During slavery they were usually only known by a first, usually European name.

It was only upon manumission, or when slavery was abolished that formerly enslaved people received a last name. That last name was usually also European or derived from a European name. However, in the link I posted, there was what could be considered an exception. There was a group of people who were (probably) named after their African ethnicity. That's something to be celebrated.
I can see alot of realitive names to my last name Koroba such as a village called DialaKoroba in Bamako Mali, an old singer called Fanta Damba Koroba and an old malian Warrior Called Touraman Koroba so i dont think my last name was changed by running thro dutch colonies.
 

Koroba 7005

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My apologies for the super long replie. Yes I have come across this singer but she’s from another era. If I come across another person in Mali with this last name I will let you know inshallah.
I apologize too as i thought that I reached a blocked end of knowing my last name origin but i changed my mind and i want to keep researching about it so yes please i will be hoping to receive any news from you and i will try to check the website daily for any new notifications.
 

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