Akan names

The Akan people of Ghana frequently name their children after the day of the week they were born and the order in which they were born. These "day names" have further meanings concerning the soul and character of the person. Middle names have considerably more variety and can refer to their birth order, twin status, or an ancestor's middle name.

This naming tradition is shared throughout West Africa and the African diaspora. During the 18th–19th centuries, enslaved people in the Caribbean from the region that is modern-day Ghana were referred to as Coromantees. Many of the leaders of enslaved people's rebellions had "day names" including Cuffy, Cuffee or Kofi, Cudjoe or Kojo, Quao or Quaw, and Quamina or Kwame/Kwamina.

Most Ghanaians have at least one name from this system, even if they also have an English or Christian name. Notable figures with day names include Ghana's first president Kwame Nkrumah and former United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan.

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 affixes (in Ashanti, kwa- or ko- for men and a- plus -a or -wa for women). For example, among the Fante, the prefixes are kwe-, kwa or ko for men and e-, arespectively. Akan d̩wo or jo(Fante) is pronounced something like English Joe, but there do appear to be two sets of names for those born on Monday.

Day names

Day born	Fante		Variants		Root	Assoc.[1]	Jamaican / Fante names[2]
Day born	Male name	Female name		Ndyuka	Root	Assoc.[1]	Jamaican / Fante names[2]
Sunday (Kwasiada)	Kwasi	Akosua, Esi	Awusi, Asi, Esi, Kwesi, Siisi, Akwasi, Kosi; Akasi, Akosi, Akosiwa, Kwasiba	Kwasi, Kwasiba	Asi	Universe	Quashie, Quasheba
Monday (Jowada)	Kwadwo	Adwoa	Kodjó, Kojo, Jojo, Cudjoe; Adjua, Ajwoba, Adwoba, Adjoa, Adjowa	Kodyo, Adyuba	Dwo	Peace	Cudjoe, Quajo, Adjoa, Ajuba, Juba
Tuesday (Benada)	Kwabena, Ebo	Abena	Komlá, Komlã, Komlan, Kabenla, Kobby, Ebo, Kobi, Kobina; Ablá, Ablã, Abenaa, Araba, Abrema	Abeni	Bene	Ocean	Quabena, Abena, Bena
Wednesday (Wukuada)	Kwaku, Yooku	Akua	Kukuuwa	Koku, Kokou, Kweku, Kaku, Kuuku; Akuba, Akú, Ekua	Kwaku, Akuba	Wukuo	Spider, Quaco, Aqua, Acooba, Cooba
Thursday (Yahwada)	Yaw	Yaa	Yao, Yawo, Yawu, Yawa, Ayawa, Kwaw; Baaba, Yaaba, Yaba, Aaba, Abina, Ekow, Kow	Yaw, Yaba	Ya	Earth	Quaw, Quao, Aba, Yaaba
Friday (Fiada)	Kofi	Efua	Fiifi, Yoofi; Afí, Afua, Afiba, Afia, Efua, Efe	Kofi, Afiba	Afi	Fertility	Cuffy, Cuffee, Afiba, Fiba
Saturday (Memeneda)	Kwame	Amba, Ama	Kwami, Kuw-ame, Kw-amena, Kw-amina, Komi; Ame, Ami, Amba, Ameyo	Kwami, Amba	Amene	God	Quame, Quamina, Ama

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. (The definition above must be a regional concept because in Cape Coast, heart of Fanti land, the elder twin is the one who comes out first, the second twin is considered the younger one. Therefore, The younger twin would be Kakra; the older twin would be Panyin.)

The word Panyin means older/elder. Kakra is short for Kakraba which means little/younger one. The definition/description below for the meaning of younger and an elder are backwards or vice versa.

Twin	Male name	Female name	Variants
Twin	Atá	Ataá	Atta
First born ("younger"[3] twin)	Ata Panyin	Ataá Panyin	Panyin
Second born ("elder" twin)	Ata kakra	Kakra, Kakraba
Born after twins	Tawia
Born after Tawia	Gaddo	Nyankómàgó

Birth-order names

There are also names based on the order of birth, the order born after twins, and the order born after remarriage.

Order	Male name	Female name
First born	Píèsíe
Second born	Mǎnu	Máanu
Third born	Meńsã́	Mánsã
Fourth born	Anan, Anané
Fifth born	Núm, Anúm
Sixth born	Esĩã́
Seventh born	Esuón	Nsṍwaa
Eighth born	Bótwe
Ninth born	Ákron, Nkróma	Nkróma Nkrũmãh
Tenth born	Badú	Badúwaa
Eleventh born	Dúkũ
Twelfth born	Dúnu
Thirteenth born	Adusa
Fourteenth born	Agyeman
Last born	Kaakyire

Special delivery

Children are also given names when delivered under special circumstances.

Circumstance	Male/Female name	Translation
on the field	Efum	"The field"
on the road	Ɔkwán	"The road"
in war	Bekṍe, Bedíàkṍ	"war time"
happy circumstances	Afriyie/Afiríyie	"good year"
one who loves	Adofo	"the special one from God, warrior"
great one	Agyenim	"the great one from God"
after long childlessness	Nyamékyε	"gift from God"
premature or sickly	Nyaméama	"what God has given (no man can take away)"
forceful	Kumi	"forcefulness"
after death of father	Antó	"it didn't meet him"
father refuses responsibility	Obím̀pέ	"nobody wants"
father refuses responsibility	Yεmpέw	"we don't want you"

Family names

Ashanti people given-names are concluded with a family name (surname) preceded by a given name.[4][5] The family name (surname) are always given after close relatives and sometimes friends.[4][5] Since Ashanti names are always given by the men, if a couple receives a son as their first born-baby then the son is named after the father of the husband and if the baby is a girl then she will be named after the mother of the husband.[4][5] As a result, if the man is called Osei Kofi and his wife gives birth to a girl as their first born, the girl may be called Yaa Dufie even if she was not born on Friday.[4][5] The reason is that the mother of the husband (Osei Kofi) is called Yaa Dufie.[4][5] The Ashanti people usually give these names so that the names of close relatives be maintained in the families to show the love for their families.[4][5]

In the olden days of Ashanti it was a disgrace if an Ashanti man was not able to name any child after his father and/or mother because that was the pride of every Ashanti household.[4][5] Most of the ethnic-Ashanti family name (surname) given to boys could also be given to girls just by adding the letters "aa".[4][5] Some Ashanti family names (surnames) can be given to both boys and girls without changing or adding anything.[4][5] However, there are other ethnic-Ashanti family name (surnames) that are exclusively male names, while others are exclusively female names.[4][5]

Ethnic-Ashanti family names (surnames)[4][5][6]

	#	Ethnic-Ashanti family name[4][5][6]			#	Ethnic-Ashanti family name[4][5][6]					#	Ethnic-Ashanti family name [4][5][6]
	1	Abeberese			84	Baafi					168	Mensah
	2\|Marfo	Abeyie			85	Baah					169	Mintah
	3	Aboagye			86	Bafuor					170	Misa
	4	Aboah			87	Baffoe					171	Mmorosa
	5	Aborah			88	Baako					172	Mpong
	6	Aborampah			89	Baidoo					173	Munuo
	7	Abrafi			90	Barwuah					174	Narh
	8	Abrefa			91	Banahene					175	Nduom
	9	Acheampong			92	Bediako					176	Nimo	Nimoh
	10	Achamfour			93	Bekoe					177	Nkansa	Nkansah
	11	Acquah			94	Bemah					178	Nkrumah
	12	Adade			95	Boadi					179	Nsiah
	13	Addai			96	Boadu					180	Nsonwah	Nsonwaa
	14	Addo			97	Boahen					181	Nsor
	15	Adiyiah			98	Boakye					182	Ntiamoa	Ntiamoah
	16	Adomah			99	Boamah					183	Ntim
	17	Adomako			100	Boampong					184	Ntow
	18	Adusei			101	Boasiako					185	Nuako
	19	Adwubi			102	Boateng					186	Nkruamah
	20	Afoakwah			103	Boatei					187	Nyamekye
	21	Afreh			104	Bonah					188	Nyantah
	22	Afram			105	Bonsu					189	Nyantakyi
	23	Afrane			106	Bonsra			Bonsrah		190	Nyarko
	24	Afrakoma	Afrakomah		107	Brempong					191	Obeng	Oteng
	25	Afrifa	Afirifa		108	Busia			Busiah		192	Obuor
	26	Afriyie			109	Cofie		Cuffee	Kofi		193	Oduro
	27	Afful			110	Crentsil					194	Ofori
	28	Ahinful			111	Daako			Darko		195	Ofosu
	29	Arkorful			112	Dankwah			Danquah		196	Ogyampah
	30	Agyapong			113	Danso					197	Ohemeng
	31	Agyare			114	Dapaa		Dapaah	Depay		198	Ohene
	32	Agyei			115	Diawuo					199	Okese
	33	Agyeman	Agyemang		116	Donkor		Donkoh	Dontoh		200	Okoromansah
	34	Aidoo			117	Domfe					201	Okyere
	35	Akenten	Akenteng		118	Dorkenoo					202	Omenah	Omenaa
	36	Akomeah			119	Duah					203	Opambuor
	37	Akomfrah			120	Dufie					204	Opare
	38	Akosah			121	Duodu					205	Opoku
	39	Akoto			122	Dwamena			Dwamenah		206	Oppong
	40	Akuamoah			123	Dwomoh					207	Opuni
	41	Akuffo			124	Ekuoba					208	Osafo
	42	Akrofi			125	Enninful					209	Osam
	43	Akyaw			126	Essien					210	Otuo
	44	Amakye			127	Farkyi					211	Osei
	45	Amamfo			128	Firikyi					212	Owoahene
	46	Amankona	Amankonah		129	Fofie					213	Owusu
	47	Amankwah			130	Fokuo					214	Oyiakwan
	48	Ameyaw			131	Fordjour					215	Paintsil
	49	Amissah			132	Forobuor					216	Pappoe
	50	Amoabeng			133	Fredua			Freduah		217	Peprah
	51	Amoah			134	Fremah					218	Pinaman
	52	Amoako			135	Frimpong		Frempon	Frempong		219	Poku
	53	Amoateng			136	Gyakari					220	Prempeh
	54	Amofah			137	Gyan		Djan	Djansi		221	Quainoo
	55	Ampadu			138	Gyamera			Gyamerah		222	Quansah
	56	Ampem			139	Gyamah			Gyaama		223	Safo	Sarfo
	57	Ampofo			140	Gyamfi					224	Sakyi
	58	Amponsah			141	Gyambibi					225	Sarkodie
	59	Amponsem			142	Gyasi					226	Sarpei	Yartei
	60	Andoh			143	Gyeabuor					227	Sarpon	Sarpong
	61	Ankobiah			144	Gyimah					228	Sasraku
	62	Ankomah			145	Inkoom					229	Siabuor
	63	Ankrah			146	Karikari					230	Siaw
147	Katakyie		231	Sika
65	Anokye		148	Kenu				232	Sikafuo
66	Ansah		149	Koduah				233	Sintim
67	Apori Antwi		150	Kokote				234	Siriboe
68	Apau		151	Konadu				235	Soadwa	Soadwah
69	Appiah		152	Koranten			Koranteng	236	Sowah
70	Asamoah		153	Korsah				237	Tagoe
71	Asante	Asantewaa	154	Kouassi				238	Takyi
72	Asare		155	Kufuor			Kuffour	239	Tandoh
73	Asenso		156	Kumankama				240	Tawiah
74	Ashia		157	Kusi			Kusiwaa	241	Tuffour
									Tutu
75	Asiamah		158	Kwaata				242	Twasam
76	Asiedu		159	Kwakye				243	Tweneboa	Tweneboah
77	Asomadu		160	Kwateng			Kwarteng	244	Twerefuo
77	Asomaning		161	Kwayie				245	Twum	Twumasi
79	Asubonteng		163	Kyekyeku				247	Wiafe	Wiredu
	Assumin	Assuming		Kyem
80	Ayeh		164	Kyereme				248	Yamoah
81	Ayensu		165	Kyerematen			Kyeremateng	249	Yankah
82	Ayew		166	Kyerewa			Kyerewaa	250	Yeboah
83	Awuah		167	Manso				251	Yiadom

References

Bartle, Philip F. W. (January 1978). "Forty Days: The Akan Calendar". Africa: Journal of the International African Institute. Edinburgh University Press. 48 (1): 80–84. doi:10.2307/1158712. JSTOR 1158712.
Neita, Lance, "So what's in a name?", Jamaica Observer, 30 August 2014.
For the Akan, the first-born twin is considered the younger, as the elder is thought to have stayed behind to help the younger out.
"List of Ashanti (Twi, Asante) Names". afropedea.org.
"The Sociolinguistic of Ashanti Personal Names" (PDF). njas.helsinki.fi (PDF).
"The Ashanti and their names". asanteman.freeservers.com. Archived from the original on 14 March 2014.

Additional references

J. E. Redden and N. Owusu (1963, 1995). Twi Basic Course. Foreign Service Institute (Hippocrene reprint).[1]ISBN 0-7818-0394-2
Florence Abena Dolphyne (1996). A Comprehensive Course in Twi (Asante) for the Non-Twi Learner. Accra: Ghana Universities Press. ISBN 9964302452
Akan Teleteaching course
Aukan Library (Ndyuka)