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Kwame as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Kwame

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The baby name Kwame is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KWAH-may (IPA: /ˈkwɑː.meɪ/).

Kwame is Akan in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Akan
Pronunciation: KWAH-may (IPA: /ˈkwɑː.meɪ/)

What is the meaning of the name Kwame ?

The baby name Kwame is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced KWAH-may (IPA: /ˈkwɑː.meɪ/).

Kwame is Akan in Origin.

Kwame is a masculine Akan name from Ghana and neighboring Akan-speaking communities, given to boys born on Saturday as part of the traditional day-naming system (kradin). In Twi and Fante culture, such names express identity and spiritual connection to the day of birth; the female counterpart is Ama. Kwame has been used for centuries among the Ashanti, Fante, and related Akan groups, and it often appears as both given name and surname in West Africa.

The name spread in visibility in the 20th century through figures like Ghana’s first president, Kwame Nkrumah, which encouraged wider Pan‑African and diaspora adoption. Common variants reflect regional orthography: Fante forms Kwamena or Kwamina, and the Baoulé/Ivorian spelling Kouamé; Francophone contexts sometimes write Kwamé. Anglicized spellings without diacritics prevail internationally. Despite modern global use, Kwame retains its core meaning - “Saturday-born” - anchoring it to Akan heritage and a living calendar-based naming tradition.

Kwame has the following similar or variant Names

Kwame – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
GH 0 #10 789 5,396
GH Boys 0 #14 3,660 8,138
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
CY Boys 0 #131 1 3,473
BW Boys 0 #152 3 4,685
MT Boys 0 #171 9 4,064
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
GH Girls 0 #231 100 6,973
IR 0 #231 1 4,221
NA Boys 0 #247 7 6,830
JM Boys 0 #248 25 6,876
AO Boys 0 #249 1 5,568
GR Boys 0 #267 7 6,912
NG 0 #272 1 5,926
JM Girls 0 #278 1 7,507
JP Boys 0 #288 10 7,909
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
CZ Boys 0 #305 1 6,530
Canada Boys 2022 #306 5 2,557
CN Boys 0 #309 11 9,639
DK Boys 0 #309 17 7,401
LY 0 #334 216 12,703
QA Girls 0 #343 1 15,378
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
France Boys 2006 #407 5 2,720
Finland Boys 0 #417 11 2,041
ZA 0 #438 10 14,421
SD Boys 0 #465 2 10,523
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
CR Boys 0 #506 5 10,188
RU Boys 0 #522 5 12,621
PS Boys 0 #560 2 10,655
KW Girls 0 #561 1 19,177
IR Boys 0 #564 2 10,162
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
CM Boys 0 #574 2 12,054
BH 0 #580 8 17,937
IL Boys 0 #622 4 10,983
QA Boys 0 #657 51 18,093
Finland Boys 2026 #673 10 3,552
LB 0 #687 4 13,263
CL Boys 0 #700 1 13,390
KW Boys 0 #751 19 18,755
BR Boys 0 #784 2 12,213
NG Girls 0 #824 3 15,093
NL Boys 0 #843 109 5,873
United States Boys 2024 #857 36 7,044
Spain Boys 0 #864 67 5,610
NG Boys 0 #882 70 16,906
OM Boys 0 #918 1 17,948
Germany Boys 0 #920 33 5,697
EG Boys 0 #923 3 15,035
BR Girls 0 #992 1 12,708
EG Girls 0 #1,009 1 14,742
IT Boys 0 #1,016 468 10,046
ZA Boys 0 #1,030 149 25,619
MX Boys 0 #1,033 1 16,355
AE Boys 0 #1,048 45 22,615
MY Boys 0 #1,182 1 25,439
MA 0 #1,195 5 20,986
TR 0 #1,201 11 19,440
ZA Girls 0 #1,231 6 25,928
DZ 0 #1,234 1 20,130
IT Girls 0 #1,432 15 9,415
SA Boys 0 #1,583 32 28,008

Kwame is popular in 48 countries — most recent births per country:

United States
Canada
France
AE
AO

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People also ask about Kwame

Kwame is predominantly a boy's name.
Kwame is a 2 syllable name, pronounced KWAH-may (IPA: /ˈkwɑː.meɪ/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Kwamé, Quame and Kwami.
Yes — Kwame ranked #306 in Canada in 2022, and appears in official birth registries across 4 countries.
Kwame ranks highest in Canada (#306 in 2022).
Kwame's popularity is declining. It moved from #853 in 2014 to #857 in 2024 in United States.