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Kwaku

Akan · First name · male · day name

Given to a boy born on Wednesday. Wednesday's day-spirit is associated with the trickster spider Ananse, the central figure of Akan folktales. Also spelled Kweku.

Source: Akan day-name system, cross-referenced across Wikipedia, Prairie View A&M University Library Guide, and UNC African Studies Center teaching materials

Other Akan first names

From aba ("has come") + bio ("again"): "has come again." Given to a child born after an older sibling died, understood as that child returned.

Given to a girl born on Tuesday, the female counterpart to Kwabena.

Given to a girl born on Monday, the female counterpart to Kwadwo. Also spelled Adjoa.

Given to a girl born on Friday, the female counterpart to Kofi. Also spelled Afia or Efua.

Given to a girl born on Sunday, the female counterpart to Kwasi. Sunday's day-spirit is associated with the universe as a whole.

Given to a girl born on Wednesday, the female counterpart to Kwaku.

Given to a girl born on Saturday, the female counterpart to Kwame.

The fourth-born child.

A male twin. The set is completed by Panyin (the elder) and Kakra (the younger).

A female twin (female form of Ata).

The younger of a pair of twins, from kakra ("small, junior"). Paired with Panyin.

Given to a boy born on Friday. Friday's day-spirit is associated with growth and fertility.

Given to a boy born on Tuesday. Tuesday's day-spirit is associated with the ocean. Also spelled Kobina.

Given to a boy born on Monday. Monday's day-spirit is associated with peace. Also spelled Kojo.

Given to a boy born on Saturday. Saturday's day-spirit is associated with the Supreme Being. Ghana's first president, Kwame Nkrumah, was born on a Saturday.

Given to a boy born on Sunday. In Akan day-name tradition, each day of the week carries its own spiritual character; Sunday's is associated with the universe as a whole. Also spelled Kwesi.

The second-born daughter. Male form: Manu.

The third-born daughter. Male form: Mensa.

The second-born son. Female form: Maanu.

The third-born son. Female form: Mansa. This is the origin of the surname Mensah.

The ninth-born child (also Akron). Best known as the surname of Kwame Nkrumah — Kwame for a Saturday birth, Nkrumah for being the ninth child.

From Nyame ("God") + kyɛ ("to give, a gift"): "gift from God." Given to a child born after a long wait or prolonged childlessness.

The elder of a pair of twins, from panyin ("senior, elder"). Paired with Kakra.

The first-born child. Literally "erupting from an anthill," from pie ("burst out of a place") + sie ("anthill").

The child born immediately after a set of twins.

Given to a girl born on Thursday, the female counterpart to Yaw.

Given to a boy born on Thursday. Thursday's day-spirit is associated with the earth. Also spelled Yao or Ekow.

More day names, from other cultures

Given to a boy born on Tuesday, in the Ga day-name system.

Given to a boy born on Friday, in the Ga day-name system.

Balarabe · Hausa

Born on a Wednesday, from the Hausa Laraba ("Wednesday").

Danasabe · Hausa

From dan ("son of") + Asabar ("Saturday"): a boy born on a Saturday.

From nwa ("child") + Eke (the first of the four Igbo market days): "child of Eke" — a boy born on Eke day.

From oko ("young man, boy") + Afọ (the third Igbo market day): "a boy born on Afọ." Also Nwafor. One of the most common Igbo surnames today, from this naming.

Hamisi · Swahili

Born on a Thursday (Alhamisi), from Arabic al-khamis, "the fifth". Also spelled Khamisi.

Juma · Swahili

Born on a Friday (Ijumaa), the day of congregational prayer — from Arabic jumu'a. One of the most common Swahili male names.

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