Yaw as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Yaw

What is the meaning of the name Yaw ?

The baby name Yaw is a Male name , 1 syllables long and is pronounced /jɑw/ (approx. "YAHW" or like "yow" — one syllable).

Yaw is Akan in Origin.

Yaw is a male given name from the Akan languages of Ghana, especially Twi and Fante, bestowed on boys born on Thursday. It belongs to the Akan day‑naming system (kradin), in which each weekday is tied to a spiritual principle and a personal name; the female counterpart for Thursday is Yaa. In Akan pronunciation it sounds like “Yao,” and this pronunciation has led to the common variant spelling Yao (unrelated to the Chinese name Yao).

Attested for centuries among Ashanti and Fante speakers, Yaw remains widely used in Ghana and adjacent parts of Côte d’Ivoire, and it appears in the West African diaspora as both a given name and a patronymic surname (e.g., Yawson, “son of Yaw”). The name’s meaning is straightforward - “Thursday-born” - yet it also signals identity within Akan cultural heritage and the enduring practice of linking birth circumstances to personal names.