It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Some foreigners are known to have been buried in Ga-styled coffins.[13]. Rather, it consists of hundreds of different ethnic influences and tribes who speak their own dialects and their own languages, having different cultural backgrounds. That Nii or Naa in our names is a reverence given to the elderly because our names emanate from our Great Great Grandfathers. 3. 35. Today, figural coffins are made in several workshops in Togo and Greater Accra. Religious name (either Christian or Muslim), UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (Kofi = male for born on a Friday), Ghanas First President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (Kwame = male for born on a Saturday), Writer Ama Ata Aidoo (Ama = female name for born on Saturday and Ata shows that she is a twin). Your IP: Yes, baked beans. The area is centered at approximately 2 W. longitude and 5 N. latitude. The Culture Of Ghana - WorldAtlas Ghanaian Surnames 200+ Most Common Last Names in Ghana The Ghanaian Tradition of Day Names and Everything You Need to Know History also plays a part in this. The most widely spoken local languages are, Ga, Dagomba, Akan and Ewe. Ga- names are used more often as masculine names. Adedainkpo in Accra is an old Ga community dating back to before the 1800s. Tsotsoo is the name given to every forth female child from the Ga community. The Amu Dako names are of the Otublohum quarter of Ga Mashie. They may have merged with the Ewe migrants at . Ghana has been inhabited for at least several thousand years, however, little is known about its early inhabitants. The meaning of Ghanaian names is beautiful. List of Ewe names for baby boys and girls and their meaning This is also a time for male rites of passage, when young men are introduced to warfare. AKOSUA means descent. They often symbolise the dead people's professions, the purpose being to help them continue with their earthly profession in the afterlife. The Ghanaian Tradition of Day Names and Everything You Need to Know About it, Image source - https://www.frazerconsultants.com/2018/11/carpenters-in-ghana-make-customized-caskets/, Enter your email to receive news and updates on the latest African narratives, Start typing to see results or hit ESC to close, Umemulo, the beautiful Zulu ceremony which signals a girl is ready for marriage, Meet the Hadza people of Tanzania and why they do not worry about shelter or food, Niksat: the Ethiopian tattoo tradition past and present, South Africa safaris for first-timers: 8 things to know before you book, Seven interesting facts you didnt know about Eritrea. Ghanaian Baby Names Ghanaian names are the names used in Ghana, West Africa. This is needed as the coffin is only a portion of the total funeral cost that will be incurred. In addition, they are each adorned with custom-made glass beads, colorful loincloths, and various forms of woven headgear. Oral traditions state the Ga came from the region of Lake Chad and reached their destination in the 16th century. It is an expression of the numerous thoughts and the endless conversations I have with the community I have nurtured in my head. Search 30 million given names. African Day Name Generator - ThisWorldMusic This is because the word Friday is a combination of two words in Aka which are Fi (meaning home) and Da (meaning day). The major languages spoken are Twi, Fante, Ga, Hausa, Dagbani, Ewe and Nzema. The 29-year-old popular Ghanaian-British fashion model Adwoa Caitlin Maria Aboah is Monday-born. These girl names were at the apex of their popularity in 2006 (ADOPTION OF 0.71%) and are now much less common (ADOPTION 0.35%, DOWN 50.7%), with names such as Gabriela becoming somewhat outmoded.Gama (TOP 6%) and Garr (6%) are popular Ga- last names. Like most other names, the Kpakpa name is a borrowed name from papa, an Akan word for good and strong. King Jerry. The action you just performed triggered the security solution. Originally this wasnt a name belonging to the family. If you want to impress a local, learn your day name because Ghanaians love it when you introduce yourself with your actual name, followed by your day name. Kwa is used as a form of time keeping. These names can be derived from circumstances surrounding the birth of a child, the parents faith, pronouncements made about the child, and many other reasons. Ghanaians amongst themselves also do that but as a way to joke around or give each other nicknames. The Ga people celebrate the Homowo festival, which literally means "hooting at hunger". One who came purposely to engage in war. Year of Return: 7 traditional Ghanaian outfits you should try if you Ghanaian baby names are frequently given after the day of the week the baby was born and the order in which the baby was born. Ajoba (Ghanaian origin) means "one who is born on Monday". 117 Ghana Baby Names With Meanings | Momjunction Home Baby Names 117 Ghana Baby Names With Meanings By shikha thakur, MBA Mar 1, 2023 Illustration: MomJunction Design Team When a baby is born in Ghana, a lot of thinking goes into the naming, just like in cultures all around the world. The name implies a pioneering spirit. There are several actions that could trigger this block including submitting a certain word or phrase, a SQL command or malformed data. Other forms of traditional naming include middle names, which can refer to order of birth as part of the caste of siblings, twin status, or could be an inherited maiden name. In this system a huge tract of land is acquired by a group of people but represented by a prominent member of the group, the group were usually members of an extended family; the land is subdivided among them according to the amount each has paid, and each individual thereafter has complete control of his own section. The name for boys born on a Sunday is Kwasi. Their calendar has 7 days in a week and Sunday is considered the first day of the week (It is believed in Akan that God created the world in 6 days and rested on the 7th day). The Greatest Ghanaian Women So whenever you hear a female ga girl called Ashami it means she is the sixth female child. Fetish names. Dangme is the language that is most used in the Greater Accra Plains. TOP 10 Tribes In Ghana With Most Beautiful Women - YouTube [8], Linguistically, the Ga-Dangbe speak the Kwa languages Ga and Dangme and are a patrilineal people. .. 6. This was an early and innovative form of capitalism where an elaborate system of property ownership was established and subsequently shared. One who never experienced hardship, Acheompong. Caitrona. Nii Funny. Any/all written content and images displayed are provided by the blogger/author, appear herein as submitted by the blogger/author and are unedited by Opera News. Take for example Ghanas first president, Kwame Nkrumah, who 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. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}53516N 00559W / 5.5877N 0.0996W / 5.5877; -0.0996. What day of the week were you born? A postgraduate in Human Resources from Jawaharlal Nehru Technological University, she likes understanding An angel sent from heaven to spread peace and love, Old Welsh - White; Fair; Blessed; Holy; Smooth; Soft; A variant spelling is Jenifer, Hebrew - God Beholds; Foresight; God's Gift; God's Grace; A variant form is Jessi. So Nortey has an appellation of Shometse even if hes young, so when he grows and he has a daughter, he calls her Naa Shorme because the first Shorme was born somewhere in 1618 so she was our grandmother. Just like any tribe here in Ghana has some perculiar name they give to their newly born babies so as the Gas. Africa's naming traditions: Nine ways to name your child 11 Ghanaian Musicians Making The Ga People Very Proud With Their Crafts Some of these changes came about by their interactions with other ethnic groups, such as the Akans, whereas others came through commerce. Scottish last names have diverse origins that are distinguishable among the surnames. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. It is a prevalent name in all tribes in Ghana. In Ghana, the most common names throughout the different tribes centre either on the day a child was born or using tribal names that are more unique in flavour. 184.168.121.153 Here is a list of the names: Nyankomago - The second child after twins . Vote for Your Favourite Ghanaian Women 1 Akosua Busia (Actress) 9 4 Birthdate: December 30, 1966 Sun Sign: Capricorn Birthplace: Ghana 2 Jackie Appiah (Actress) 8 4 Birthdate: December 5, 1983 Sun Sign: Sagittarius Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada 3 Yaa Asantewaa (Queens Mother) 98 11 Birthdate: 1840 AD Birthplace: Besease So whenever you hear a female child called Kaa it means she is the third female child of her parents. Watch the full program here: Copyright 1994 - 2023 GhanaWeb. 100+ Ghanaian Names And Last Names, With Meanings | Kidadl So when you hear of any female Ga girl called Atswei it means , she is the first born of her parents. ART 10 Top Ghanaian Photographers To Know. It includes places like Labadi , Osu , Teshie, Nungua, Korle Gonno, Chorkor etc. The use of these fantasy coffins is explained by the religious beliefs of the Ga people regarding their afterlife. Even Jamaica has it! Photo: @moneyandstamp. Short and adorable nicknames for your little one or close ones named Hannah. The Ankrah family currently has its seat in the Gbese quarter of the Ga Mashie. Chief Priest of Osu Nadu/ Klottey, Wor-Lumor Nuumo Noi Sekanku Kpenuku II, who gave more insight into this, on GhanaWeb TVs People and Places show explained that as Levitical people, it is customary, that every child born is given a name in accordance with the Levitical nomenclature. Pigments: A series Exploring the Art of Body-Painting in Africa. Kwa is used as a form of time keeping. Page 1 - Find Ghanaian Baby Names in NEW Database of 10,000+ baby names, boy & girl names, Traditional, Cute, Nature names, Unique and Rare. Despite the ritual being designated for older teenaged girls, it is not uncommon for young pre-adolescent and even toddler aged girls to take part.[10]. Tribes in Ghana | Ghana Insider Such beautiful Ghana girl names are suitable for a sweet-tempered child. Ansan /Akmfm. Dangme is exclusively closer to the original GaDangme languages than the Ga language.[6]. 2. The Ga and Dangbe people are grouped respectively as part of the GaDangme ethnolinguistic group. She also specializes in baby names. Heres your need-to-know guide. [7] The Ga people were originally farmers, but today fishing and trading in imported goods are the principal occupations. Ghana is home to a population of 28,102,471 individuals. View. These names arent only found in Ghana as some of these tribes spill over to other west African countries. Thema Pronounced: The-mah Meaning: Queen Best For: Female 5. Succession to most offices held by women and inheritance of women's property are by matrilineal descent. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Enter your email address to subscribe to this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email. Popular coffinmakers are, for example, Cedi and Eric Adjetey Anang of Kane Kwei Carpentry Workshop, Paa Joe, Daniel Mensah and Kudjoe Affutu. ^ "Ghana - 2010 Population and Housing Census" (PDF). Its varying colors and bold print renders it versatile and confident. Ghanian Female Names and Their Meanings Akan Names and Their Meanings 1. Fofo is the name given to every fifth female child . [5] Only people with the appropriate status are allowed to be buried in these types of coffins. Before a child is born, if the father is Nortey, and she is female, we know that that females name is Shorme. Thats why we have Nii and Naa., he expounded. We are typical Levitical people so before you are even born, you have your name already, so we have a nomenclature., he said. In his study of Ghanaian personal names, Adjah [3] indicates that, Ewe, Akan, and Ga children are named according to the day on which they are born. These are mainly in the Manya Krobo and Yilo Krobo Districts of the Eastern Region. The Ashante are part of the Akan tribes who speak various dialects of Twi. So for easy identification one must be called Atswei-foi, so that anyone who hears it will know the man already has a first female child already. . The Abora Fantes settled in Ga settlements from Moree, a Fante settlement.[[1]]. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. Annan (the fourth, male) / Anane (the fourth, female). The Gas are referred to as people coming from the Greater Accra region in Ghana. B Danquah created his myth linking the Akan to the ancient Ghana empire. Therefore, names like Ama, Amate, Amakai, Amatei, Amalai, Amakwei, Amalei, Boi, Laryea are male names and Amele, Ahine, Amokor, Amateokor, Amakai, Amatekai, Amatso, Amatetso are female names associated with the Ama/ Amarh family name" [ [4] ]. Furthermore, the Akan have names for the order in which children are born. Essentially, it is an appellation used for every child born, in reverence to their fore-parents who first bore the names they are given today. Popular Ghana Girl Names, Most Popular Ghana Girl Names Meaning You can also learn a few slang words to impress and surprise your fellow Ghanaians. Get to know Africa by Country. The Akan people use the Kwa language groups system of timekeeping, which is based on a six-day week (nnanson), with the seventh day inclusive. Women, however, mostly get flattering nicknames like Lul (diamond), Macanay (sweet), Cod Weyne (rich voiced), Dahable (golden) and Indho Daraleey (gazelle eyes). Adding, We have our traditional names, Nortey, Naaku, Ashorkor, Shorme, so we fall in that line, that is the Naadu Levitical names.
Ga-Adangbe people - Wikipedia Each Ga town has a number of different cults and many gods, and there are a number of annual town festivals.[7]. Choose the best name for your child . Kra names. 200+ Dagbon Names & Meaning And Child Naming In Dagomba Custom by GreenViews | May 11, 2022 | Ghana | 0 comments. The history behind 'Nii' and 'Naa' in Ga names - GhanaWeb They mainly live in the Greater Accra region. This name means strong-willed and determined. 2010. With five albums to his credit including the recent 'Wind of Revival' album, Joe continues to realize great successes in putting Ghana gospel on the world . The Irish and Scottish form of Katherine is a unique choice and has a very pretty ring to it. September Month Inspired Baby Names: 10 Interesting Facts You Should Know, Baby Names, Horoscope Traits & Qualities of Babies Born in June Month, Names, Horoscope, Traits & Qualities of Babies Born in April Month, Horoscope Traits, Qualities, and Facts about Babies Born in March : Babynamescube.com, Horoscope Traits, Qualities and Facts about Babies Born in February, January Baby Names: Top 50 Names Boys and Girls Born in January, 5 Interesting Facts about December Born Baby Names | Christmas Baby Names. 5 Ghanaian female artists to watch | Music In Africa However, the naming ceremony is not where the day name is given, its where their actual name is given. Over time, the Akan have defined seven names per gender, each referring to a day of the week. Although the Kojo name is not of a Ga descent, its founder Wetse Kojo was an enslaved person who became a wealthy trader. The Dangme people occupy the coastal area of Ghana from Kpone to Ada, on the Volta River and South Atlantic Ocean along the Gulf of Guinea and inland along the Volta River. We take you into this culture and show you as well your Ghanaian name! . To complicate matters, the ancient These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. According to Wikipedia, It is the fourth most common surname in Ghana. And what if they are twins? Hebrew - Wished for child; Sea of bitterness; To Swell; A variant form of Marilyn; As Mary; Hebrew - Sea of Bitternes; Rebelliousness; Wished for child; To swell; A variant form of Mary, From the Irish word 'treasach', meaning fighter, higher, more powerful or superior. The West African nation of Ghana has a culture that is a blend of the cultures of the various ethnic groups residing in the country. The different names of the immortal Lord Hanuman reflect his glory and power. Ankrah,2016, https://blakkpepper.com/2016/12/a-look-at-the-ga-mantse-gbese-stool-family-lines/, [2]N.O.Quartey,2003,https://www.naaoyooquartey.com/ganyobinaa/2013/09/what-you-didnt-know-about-ga-names-and.html, [3] Ga naming system, ghanaweb,2021, https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/tribes/ga_names.php, [4] Ga naming system, ghanaweb,2021, https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/tribes/ga_names.php, [5] K.D. Akwele is a Girl name, meaning Creativity, curiosity, charm, friendliness in Ghana origin. Agbenyega: Life's greatest (g) Agbenyefia: King's life (b) Agbemav: Eternal life (u) Agbemafle: Life cannot be bought (b) Agbemabiase: The origin of life is not known (b) Agbeli: There is life (u) Agbeko: If only there were life (b) Agbe: Life (g) Afua: Given life on a Friday (g) Afryea: Born during happy times (g) Afelete: Established home (g) Awusi Pronounced: Ah-woo-see Meaning: Born on a Sunday Best For: Female 3. Many people in Africa have several. They commemorate the creation of the sun, the moon and the stars. If you had the chance to meet a few Ghanaians, you may have noticed that they have more than one name. (Dawhenya royal family name: Darpoh), Under their great leader King Ayi Kushi (Cush) (1483-1519) they were led from the east in several states before reaching their destination in Accra. Kpakpa/ Kwate Same goes for Akuorkor. The celebration reaches its climax with a durbar of chiefs, a colourful procession of the Chiefs in palanquins with their retinue. Surname Prominent name personalities: UN Secretary General Kofi Annan ("Kofi" = male for "born on a Friday") Ghana's First President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah ("Kwame" = male for "born on a Saturday") Writer Ama Ata Aidoo ("Ama" = female name for "born on Saturday" and "Ata" shows that she is a twin) Like this: Loading. titled Adukwei. InAshantihomes, Sunday-born males and females are named Kwasi or Kwesi and Akosua respectively (meaning associated with the universe); Monday-born are Kwadwo or Kojo, Adjoa orAdwoa(meaning associated with peace); Tuesday-born are Kwabena or Kobi, Abena (meaning associated with the ocean); Wednesday-born Kwaku or Kweku, Akua (meaning associated with spider/Ananse); Thursday-born Yaw, Yaa ( meaning associated with the earth); Friday-born Kofi, Afia or Afua (meaning associated with fertility); and Saturday-born Kwame, Ama (meaning associated with God).