GHANAIAN Traditional Names

 This blog will explore traditional names in Ghana, West Africa. . Both the Akan-speaking peoples and some Ewe tribes have  similar naming patterns. 

Traditionally among the Akans, names are assigned to children , depending on the day they were born, and their gender. Only male and female genders are recognized. 

If the child is baptized as a Christian, he or she will be given a Christian name. Catholics usually add a confirmation name. Finally, the child will add the last or surname to the mix.. For example Kofi David Amoabeng. Or Kofi Samuel David AMOABENG, if the child has been confirmed as a Catholic. 

With this protocol in mind, one can easily categorize traditional Akan names as follows:

Day of Birth                                 Gender

                                                      Male.                    Female 

Monday.                                        Kwadwo.               Adwoa

Tuesday                                         Kwabena                Abena

 Wednesday.                                  Kwaku                    Akua

Thursday                                      Yaw                          Yaa 

Friday                                            Kofi                         Afua

Saturday                                       Kwame                        Amma

Sunday.                                          Kwasi./Akwasi                   Akosua

It is a very simple system. Not complicated at all. With this system, one can tell that a person bearing  a name like the above is from Ghana, in West Africa. 

Foe example, I have just researched the biography of Dr. Kwasi Kwarteng, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer in the cabinet of the Liz Truss, the former Prime Minister of the UK. Though Dr. Kwarteng is a British citizen, who was born in London and educated at Eton and Cambridge University, it is quite obvious that his ancestral and family origin is Ghanaian,  That is the beauty of our naming system , and we should be proud of it.

Some African-Americans, who are Afrocentric-oriented,  now follow our naming system. They have added  the traditional Ghanaian names to their last names. For example, Kwame Kirkpatrick and Kwame Toure, formerly known as Storkley  Carmichael.

It is not necessary to anglicized these names. I have seen Quacu for Kwaku, Quame for Kwame, and Quarshie for Kwasi. Let us keep these names simple, pure and authentic.

Appellations: Some of the names come with appellations. Usually, Kwadwo is paired up with Okoto- like my uncle’s name Kwadwo Okoto AMOABENG.

The Fante people, who live in the Cape Coast area, use Kwesi  and Kweku instead of Kwasi and Kwaku. It is interesting to note that one of the famous Fante scholars was  The Reverend Philip QUAQUE (1741-1816)

According to Wikipedia he was the first African to be ordained as a minister by the Church of England.

This is a summary of his life and achievements.

1741: he was born in Cape Coast, Ghana.

Education: Oxford University, MA in Theology.

1765 : Ordained a priest in the Church of England.

Affiliated with the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel

Contribution/major achievements: Advanced early Christian and missionary work and schooling in the Gold Coast.

Died in 1816 and was buried at the Cape Coast Castle.

Conclusion: Now, when you come across a Name like Dr. Kofi Awoonor, or Kofi Annan, the  former Secretary- General of the United Nations Organization, you will know that they come from Ghana, in West Africa.

Thank you reading my blog. Please  feel free to post any comments to this piece on traditional names from Ghana.

P