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
or Kwame/Kwamina.Most
In the official orthography of the
Day names
Day born | Fante | Variants | Root | Assoc.[1] | Fante names[2]
| ||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Male name | Female name | Ndyuka | |||||
Sunday (Kwesida) |
Kwesi | Akosua,[3] Esi | Kwasi,[3] Siisi, Akwasi, Kosi; Akasi, Akosi, Akosiwa, Kwasiba, Awusi, Asi,[3] Ese[3] |
Kwasi, Kwasiba | Asi | Universe | Quashie, Quasheba |
Monday (Jowda) |
Kojo[3] | Adwoa[3] | Kodjó, Kojo, Kwadwo,[3] Jojo, Cudjoe; Adjua, Ajwoba, Adwoba, Adjoa, Adjowa, Ajao[3] |
Kodyo, Adyuba | Dwo | Peace | Cudjoe, Quajo, Adjoa, Ajuba, Juba |
Tuesday (Benada) |
Kwabena,[3] Ebo | Abena[3] | Komlá, Komlã, Komlan, Kabenla, Kobby, Ebo, Kobi, Kobina;[3] Ablá, Ablã, Abenaa, Araba,[3] Abrema |
Abeni | Bene | Ocean | Quabena, Abena, Bena |
Wednesday (Wukuda) |
Kweku, Yooku | Akua[3] | Kukuuwa, Kwaku[3] | Koku, Kokou, Kwaku, Abeiku, Kaku, Kuuku, Kwaku; Akuba, Akú, Ekua, Akuba |
Wukuo | Spider | Quaco, Aqua, Acooba, Cooba |
Thursday (Yahwada) |
Yaw | Yaa[3] | Yao,[3] Yawo, Yawu, Yawa, Ayawa, Kwaw, Ekow,[3] Kow; Yaa,[3] Yaaba, Yaba, Aaba, Abina |
Yaw, Yaba | Ya | Earth | Quaw, Quao, Aba, Yaaba |
Friday (Fida) |
Kofi[3] | Afua[3] |
Fiifi, Yoofi; Afí, Afiba, Afia,[3] Efua,[3] Efe |
Kofi, Afiba | Afi | Fertility | Cuffy, Cuffee, Afiba, Fiba |
Saturday (Memeneda) |
Kwame[3] | Amba, Ama[3] | Kwami, Kuw-ame, Kw-ame, Kwamena,[3] Kw-amina, Komi; Ame, Ami, Amba, Ameyo |
Kwami, Amba | Amene | God | Quame, Quamina, Ama |
Naming for twins
There are also special names for elder and younger twins.
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"[4] 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" |
Yεmpέw | "we don't want you" |
Family names
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.[5][6] Most of the ethnic-Ashanti family name (surname) given to boys could also be given to girls just by adding the letters "aa".[5][6] Some Ashanti family names (surnames) can be given to both boys and girls without changing or adding anything.[5][6] However, there are other ethnic-Ashanti family name (surnames) that are exclusively male names, while others are exclusively female names.[5][6]
|
References
- S2CID 143751434.
- ^ Neita, Lance, "So what's in a name?", Jamaica Observer, 29 August 2014.
- ^ ISBN 1-84162-030-0.
- ^ 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.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "List of Ashanti (Twi, Asante) Names". afropedea.org. Archived from the original on 2017-10-24. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n "The Sociolinguistic of Ashanti Personal Names" (PDF). njas.helsinki.fi (PDF). Archived from the original (PDF) on 2021-02-20. Retrieved 2016-03-02.
- ^ a b c d "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).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)
See also
- ^ "Sacramento Kings | The Official Site of the Sacramento Kings". Sacramento Kings. Retrieved 2019-06-15.