literature

Akan Names

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Literature Text

Adofo              Brave warrior
Adom               Man
Agyei               Divine Messenger
Akyem             Nation
Amanhene       Paramount Chief
Ampah             Trust
Anansi             Spider
Asantehene     King of all Ashanti
Ashanti            Warlike

Baouli              The child is dead

Donkor             Humble
Fante                The half that left
Gyasi                Wonderful
Kenten             Basket
Kumi                 Forceful
Minkah             Justice

Nyamekye        Gift from the sky god
Nyameeama    What the sky god has given
Nyentoma        Woven cloth
Nzima               Complete

Obimpe            Unwanted
Okomfo            Priest
Onini                Python
Osebo              Leopard

Petia                I love you

EVENT NAMES
Afiryie              Born in a good year
Afuom              Born in the fields
Anto                Born after the father's death
Bekoe              Born during a war
Bediako           Born during a war
Okwan            Born on the road


BIRTH ORDER NAMES
Ankoma          Last child
Kontar            Only child

Baako             First born
Piesie             First born

Manu              Second born

Mensa            Third born
Kunto             Third born
Mensa            Third born

Anan               Fourth born

Anun               Fifth born
Enu                 Fifth born
Num                Fifth born

Nsia                 Sixth born

Ason               Seventh born
Nsonowa        Seventh born

Awotwe          Eighth  born
Awotwi           Eighth  born
Botwe             Eighth born

Akrun              Ninth born
Badu               Tenth born

Dubaku           Eleventh born
Duku                Eleventh born

Adeben           Twelfth born
Dunu               Twelfth born

Adusa             Thirteenth born
Agyeman        Fourteenth born


TWIN NAMES
Ata Panin       Twin born first
Ata Kumaa     Twin born second
Tawia             First born after twins
Gaddo            Second born after twins


DAY NAMES
Esi                   Born on Sunday
Kwasi              Born on Sunday

Kojo                Born on Monday
Kwadwo         Born on Monday

Adowa             Born on Tuesday
Kwabena         Born on Tuesday

Ekua                Born on Wednesday
Kwaku             Born on Wednesday
Kweku             Born on Wednesday

Yaw                 Born on Thursday

Efua                 Born on Friday
Kofi                  Born on Friday

Kwame           Born on Saturday
The Name Fiend is back!
And I have with me a bunch of Akan names!

Notes
The Akan are a large ethnic/linguistic group of western Africa.
The areas with the largest Akan populations are Ghana and Cote d'Ivoire.

The Akan are made up of many different different groups:
Abron
Afutu
Akuapem
Akyem
Anyi
Ashanti (One of the most famous)
Baoule
Brong
Fante
Kwahu
Nzema

Throughout their history the Akan build many different nations and kingdoms:
The Akyem Abuaka State
The Akyem Bosome State
The Akyem Kotoku State
The Baoule State
The Bono State
The Denkyyria State
The Empire of Ashanti
The Fante Confederacy

The Akan are known for their art, especially for their famous woven Kente cloth and their skill at iron crafting

The Akan are also known for their folklore.
Stories of Anansi the Spider are particularly famous.
Stories dealing with Anansi are called the Anansesem(Spider stories)

The Akan are very found of naming children for the days on which they were born,
the order in which they were born, or the circumstances of their births

An interesting fact about twins: the Akan consider the twin born second
to be the true Firstborn, because he or she waited patiently for their sibling to come out first!
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Comments4
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goldenpurpled's avatar
I am Ghanaian and I want to point out you forgot some. Like for a girl, if she is born on Saturday she is Ama. Thursday female is Yaa. Thank you for putting this up