In West Africa, newborns are given special names depending on the day they are born. Diverse ethnicities have variants and meanings as a symbol of cultural integrity and ancestral affiliation. The naming system of the Akan people is as distinct as that which elders in Togo (the Ewe people), the Ga people, Benin (the Fon people), and the African diaspora pass on to toddlers.The Akan people use the Kwa language group’s system of timekeeping, which is based on a six-day week (‘nnanson‘), with the seventh day inclusive. Most Ghanaians have at least one name from this system. Ghana‘s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, was born on a Saturday, while the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Atta Annan, was so named for being born on a Friday. The 25-year-old popular Ghanaian-British fashion model Adwoa Caitlin Maria Aboah is Monday-born.
| Day of the week | Female | Male | Association |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sunday | Akosua | Kwasi | Universe |
| Monday | Adwoa | Kwadwo | Peace |
| Tuesday | Abenaa | Kabena | Ocean |
| Wednesday | Akua | Kwaku | Spider |
| Thursday | Yaa | Yaw | Earth |
| Friday | Afua | Kofi | Fertility |
| Saturday | Ama | Kwame | God |