Akan name
Encyclopedia
The Akan people
of Ghana
and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born.
This tradition is shared throughout West Africa
due to Akan Influence, from Benin/Dahomey
(Fon) and Togo
(Ewe), to the Ga
, to other West Africans and throughout the African diaspora
. For example, in Jamaica
the following day names have been recorded: Monday, Cudjoe; Tuesday, Cubbenah; Wednesday, Quaco; Thursday, Quao; Friday, Cuffee; Saturday, Quamin; Sunday, Quashee. English
translations of these names were used in the United States
during the nineteenth century; Robinson Crusoe
's Friday may be conceptually related.
Most Ghanaians have at least one name from this system. Ghana
's first president, Kwame Nkrumah
, was so named for being born on a Saturday (Kwame) and being the ninth born (Nkrumah). Also, the seventh Secretary-General
of the United Nations
, Kofi Atta Annan
, was so named for being born on a Friday (Kofi) as part of a twin (Atta).
In the official orthography of the Twi
language, the Ashanti versions of these names as spoken in Kumasi
are as follows. The diacritics on á a̍ à represent high, mid, and low tone (tone does not need to be marked on every vowel), while the diacritic on a̩ is used for vowel harmony and can be ignored. (Diacritics are frequently dropped in any case.) Variants of the names are used in other languages, or may represent different transliteration
schemes. The variants mostly consist of different affix
es (in Ashanti, kwa- or ko- for men and a- plus -a or -wa for women). For example, among the Fante, the prefixes are kwe- and e-, respectively. Akan d̩wo is pronounced something like English Joe, but there do appear to be two sets of names for those born on Tuesday.
Akan people
The Akan people are an ethnic group found predominately in Ghana and The Ivory Coast. Akans are the majority in both of these countries and overall have a population of over 20 million people.The Akan speak Kwa languages-Origin and ethnogenesis:...
of Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
and the Ivory Coast frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born.
This tradition is shared throughout West Africa
West Africa
West Africa or Western Africa is the westernmost region of the African continent. Geopolitically, the UN definition of Western Africa includes the following 16 countries and an area of approximately 5 million square km:-Flags of West Africa:...
due to Akan Influence, from Benin/Dahomey
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
(Fon) and Togo
Togo
Togo, officially the Togolese Republic , is a country in West Africa bordered by Ghana to the west, Benin to the east and Burkina Faso to the north. It extends south to the Gulf of Guinea, on which the capital Lomé is located. Togo covers an area of approximately with a population of approximately...
(Ewe), to the Ga
Ga people
The Ga-Adangbe are an ethnic group in the West African nation of Ghana. It is part of the Dangme ethnic group. The Ga people are grouped as part of theGa–Dangme ethnolinguistic group. They speak Kwa languages...
, to other West Africans and throughout the African diaspora
African diaspora
The African diaspora was the movement of Africans and their descendants to places throughout the world—predominantly to the Americas also to Europe, the Middle East and other places around the globe...
. For example, in Jamaica
Jamaica
Jamaica is an island nation of the Greater Antilles, in length, up to in width and 10,990 square kilometres in area. It is situated in the Caribbean Sea, about south of Cuba, and west of Hispaniola, the island harbouring the nation-states Haiti and the Dominican Republic...
the following day names have been recorded: Monday, Cudjoe; Tuesday, Cubbenah; Wednesday, Quaco; Thursday, Quao; Friday, Cuffee; Saturday, Quamin; Sunday, Quashee. English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
translations of these names were used in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
during the nineteenth century; Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe
Robinson Crusoe is a novel by Daniel Defoe that was first published in 1719. Epistolary, confessional, and didactic in form, the book is a fictional autobiography of the title character—a castaway who spends 28 years on a remote tropical island near Trinidad, encountering cannibals, captives, and...
's Friday may be conceptually related.
Most Ghanaians have at least one name from this system. Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
's first president, Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah
Kwame Nkrumah was the leader of Ghana and its predecessor state, the Gold Coast, from 1952 to 1966. Overseeing the nation's independence from British colonial rule in 1957, Nkrumah was the first President of Ghana and the first Prime Minister of Ghana...
, was so named for being born on a Saturday (Kwame) and being the ninth born (Nkrumah). Also, the seventh Secretary-General
Secretary-General
-International intergovernmental organizations:-International nongovernmental organizations:-Sports governing bodies:...
of the United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, Kofi Atta Annan
Kofi Annan
Kofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
, was so named for being born on a Friday (Kofi) as part of a twin (Atta).
In the official orthography of the Twi
Twi
Asante, or Ashanti, is one of three literary dialects of the Akan language of southern Ghana, and the prestige dialect of that language. It is spoken in and around Kumasi, the capital of the former Ashanti Empire and current subnational Asante Kingdom within Ghana.Along with the Akuapem dialect,...
language, the Ashanti versions of these names as spoken in Kumasi
Kumasi
Kumasi is a city in southern central Ghana's Ashanti region. It is located near Lake Bosomtwe, in the Rain Forest Region about northwest of Accra. Kumasi is approximately north of the Equator and north of the Gulf of Guinea...
are as follows. The diacritics on á a̍ à represent high, mid, and low tone (tone does not need to be marked on every vowel), while the diacritic on a̩ is used for vowel harmony and can be ignored. (Diacritics are frequently dropped in any case.) Variants of the names are used in other languages, or may represent different transliteration
Transliteration
Transliteration is a subset of the science of hermeneutics. It is a form of translation, and is the practice of converting a text from one script into another...
schemes. The variants mostly consist of different affix
Affix
An affix is a morpheme that is attached to a word stem to form a new word. Affixes may be derivational, like English -ness and pre-, or inflectional, like English plural -s and past tense -ed. They are bound morphemes by definition; prefixes and suffixes may be separable affixes...
es (in Ashanti, kwa- or ko- for men and a- plus -a or -wa for women). For example, among the Fante, the prefixes are kwe- and e-, respectively. Akan d̩wo is pronounced something like English Joe, but there do appear to be two sets of names for those born on Tuesday.
Day names
| Day born | |___ | |Variants | |Root | |Assoc. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Male name | Female name | Ndyuka Ndyuka Ndyuka , also called Aukan, Okanisi, Ndyuka tongo, Aukaans, Businenge Tongo, Eastern Maroon Creole, or Nenge is a creole language of Suriname, spoken by the Ndyuka people. Most of the 25 to 30 thousand speakers live in the interior of the country, which is a part of the country covered with... |
||||
| Monday ([Ɛ]dwóada) |
Kwadwó | Adwoa | Kodjó, Kojo, Jojo; Adjua, Ajwoba, Adjoa |
Kodyo, Adyuba | Dwo | Peace |
| Tuesday ([Ɛ]bénada) |
Kwabená | Abenaa, Abénaa | Komlá, Komlã, Komlan, Kobby, Ebo, Kobi Kobina; Ablá, Ablã, Abena, Abrema |
Kwamina, Abeni | Bene | Ocean |
| Wednesday (Wukúada) |
Kwakú | Akua, Akúá, Akuba | Koku, Kokou, Kweku, kaku, Kuuku; Akú, Ekua |
Kwaku, Akuba | Wukuo | Spider Anansi Anansi the trickster is a spider, and is one of the most important characters of West African and Caribbean folklore.He is also known as Ananse, Kwaku Ananse, and Anancy; and in the Southern United States he has evolved into Aunt Nancy. He is a spider, but often acts and appears as a man... |
| Thursday (Yáwóada) |
Yaw | Yaa | Yao, Yaba, Yawo, Ekow, Kow, Kwaw; Araba, Ayawa, Baaba, Yaaba, Aba |
Yaw, Yaba | Ya | Earth |
| Friday ([E]fíada) |
Kofí | Afia | Koffi, Fiifi, Yoofi; Afí, Afua, Efia, Efua |
Kofi, Afiba | Afi | Fertility |
| Saturday (Méméneda) |
Kwámè, Kwǎmè, | Ám̀ma, Ámmá | Ato, Kwami, Kuwame, Komi; Ame, Ama, Amba, Ameyo |
Kwami, Amba | Mene | God |
| Sunday (Kwasíada) |
Akwasí | Akosua | Kwesi, Siisi, Akwasi, Kosi; Akosi, Akosiwa, Así, Esi, Kwasiba. |
Kwasi, Kwasiba | Asi | Universe |
Twin names
There are also special names for elder and younger twins. The second twin to be born is considered the elder as they were mature enough to help their sibling out first.| Twin | Male name | Female name | Variants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Twin | Atá | Ataá | Atta |
| First born ("younger" twin) | Atá Pánin | Ataá Pánin | Panyin |
| Second born ("elder" twin) | Atá Kúmaa | Ataá Kúmaa | Akwetee (m), Atsú, Kaakra, Kakraba, Kakira |
| Born after twins | Táwia | ||
| Born after Tawia | Gaddo | Nyankómàgó | |
Birth-order names
There are also names based on the order born, the order born after twins, and the order born after remarriage.| Order | Male name | Female name | Variants |
|---|---|---|---|
| First born | Píèsíe | Berko (m), Arko (m), Dede (f), Dedei (f), Abaka, Kande (f)? | |
| Second born | Mǎnu | Máanu | Evelia (f) |
| Third born | Meńsã́ | Mánsã | Mensah, Mansah |
| Fourth born | Anan, Anané | Annan | |
| Fifth born | Núm, Anúm | ||
| Sixth born | Nsĩã́ | Essien | |
| Seventh born | Asón | Nsṍwaa | Esson, Ansong |
| Eight born | Bótwe | Awotwe, Awotwie | |
| Ninth born | Ákron, Nkróma | Nkróma | Akun, Ackon, Nkrumah |
| Tenth born | Badú | Badúwaa | Bedu |
| Eleventh born | Dúkũ | ||
| Twelfth born | Dúnu | ||
| Last born | Kaakyire | ||
| First with a new husband |
|||
Special delivery
Children are also given names when delivered under special circumstances.| Circumstance | Male/Female name | Translation |
|---|---|---|
| on the field | Afúom | "on the farm" |
| on the road | Ɔkwán | "the road" |
| in war | Bekṍe, Bedíàkṍ | "war time" |
| happy circumstances | Afiríyie | "good year" |
| after death of father | Antó | "it didn't meet him" |
| after long childlessness | Nyamékyε | "gift from God" |
| premature or sickly | Nyaméama | "what God has given (no man can take away)" |
| father refuses responsibility |
Obím̀pέ | "nobody wants" |
| Yεmpέw | "we don't want you" |
- One who loves -Adofo
- Ethnic -Hauhouot(owo)
- Forceful -Kumi
Additional references
- J.E. Redden and N. Owusu (1963, 1995). Twi Basic Course. Foreign Service Institute (Hippocrene reprint). ISBN 0-7818-0394-2
- Florence Abena Dolphyne (1996). A comprehensive course in Twi (Asante) for the Non-Twi learner. Ghana Universities Press, Accra. ISBN 9964302452
- Akan Teleteaching course
- Aukan Library (Ndyuka)