Akan Girl Names
Akan female names come from the Akan languages, chiefly Twi and Fante, spoken in Ghana and parts of Côte d’Ivoire. A core feature is the day-of-week system with distinct feminine forms: Akosua (Sunday), Adwoa (Monday), Abena (Tuesday), Akua (Wednesday), Afua/Afia (Friday), and Ama (Saturday). Female forms often end in -a, -oa, or -ua, and dialectal spelling differences are common (for example, Adjoa/Adwoa, Afia/Afua).
Today, many Akan girls receive a day-name alongside an English or Christian given name, and the day-name may appear as a first or middle name. Frequently used examples include Abena, Adwoa, Akosua, Akua, Afua, Afia, Ama, Adjoa, Afi, and Amma.
Showing 50
of 60 names
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ama | Female born on Saturday (Akan day name) | Akan | Girl | 204 #1 | |
| Afia | Born on Friday | Akan | Girl | 198 #2 | |
| Abena | Female born on Tuesday | Akan | Girl | 103 #3 | |
| Amma | Mother (in Dravidian languages); in Akan/Twi, a female day name meaning 'born on Saturday'. | Akan, Malayalam, Tamil, Twi | Girl | 92 #4 | |
| Akua | Born on Wednesday (Akan day name for females) | Akan | Girl | 76 #5 | |
| Akosua | Born on Sunday (Akan day name for girls) | Akan | Girl | 58 #6 | |
| Adwoa | Girl born on Monday (Akan day name) | Akan | Girl | 48 #7 | |
| Ashonti | Derived from the Ashanti people/region of Ghana; commonly understood as 'from the Ashanti' and linked to the Akan word 'Asante' ('thank you'). | African American, Akan | Girl | 18 #8 | |
| Akissi | Born on Sunday | Akan | Girl | 4 #9 | |
| Abenah | Born on Tuesday (Akan day name) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Abene | Born on Tuesday (female day name) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Abina | Likely a variant of the Akan name Abena, meaning "born on Tuesday"; in other contexts it can be treated as a feminine form related to names with the Semitic element "Ab-" (father). | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Abinah | Possibly derived from Hebrew 'binah' meaning 'understanding', or a variant of Akan 'Abena' meaning 'born on Tuesday'. | Akan, Hebrew | Girl | — | |
| Adjo | Girl born on Monday (Akan day name) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Adjoa | Born on Monday | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Adwo | Born on Monday (Akan day name) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Adwoah | Born on Monday (female day name) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Adwoh | Born on a Monday | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Adwomaa | Girl born on Monday (Akan day name) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Adwowa | Born on Monday (female day name) | Akan, Twi | Girl | — | |
| Adwoyaa | Born on Monday; traditionally associated with calmness and peace. | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Affiah | Arabic: "health, well-being"; Akan (Twi): "born on Friday" | Akan, Arabic | Girl | — | |
| Afi | Born on Friday (female day name) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Afiah | From Arabic ʿāfiyah meaning 'health, well-being, safety'; in Akan (Afia) it can mean 'born on Friday'. | Akan, Arabic | Girl | — | |
| Afua | Born on Friday (Friday-born) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Afuwa | Born on a Friday (female) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Afyia | Born on Friday (Friday-born) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Ajoa | Female born on Monday; associated with 'peace' | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Akosuah | Female born on Sunday | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Akoua | Born on Wednesday (female) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Akuah | Female born on Wednesday | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Amah | Akan: 'born on Saturday'. Hebrew: 'maidservant' or 'cubit/measure'. In Chinese/SE Asian usage: 'nanny' or 'wet nurse'. | Akan, Chinese, Hebrew | Girl | — | |
| Ashanta | Associated with the Ashanti people (Ghana); alternatively linked to Sanskrit element 'shanta' meaning 'peaceful'. | Akan, Indian, Sanskrit | Girl | — | |
| Ashantee | From the Asante (Ashanti) people of Ghana; broadly 'of the Asante' and sometimes interpreted as 'because of war' or 'warlike'. | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Ashantey | From the Ashanti (Asante) people of Ghana; related to the Akan word 'Asante' ('thank you') | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Ashantia | Derived from the Ashanti people or region of Ghana - essentially 'of/from the Ashanti'. | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Ashantie | Derived from the Ashanti (Asante) people/kingdom of Ghana; 'from the Ashanti' or 'belonging to Ashanti'. | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Bianquah | Likely 'white' or 'fair' (derived from Italian 'Bianca') | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Bisa | Varies by origin: in Akan/Twi, 'bisa' = 'to ask, request'; in Indonesian/Malay, 'bisa' = 'can, able' (note: in Indonesian the word can also mean 'poison' in other contexts); in South Slavic contexts 'Bisa' is used as a short form of Bisera, which means 'pearl'. | Akan, Indonesian, Malay | Girl | — | |
| eesi | Possible diminutive of Esther ('star') or of Eelis/Elias ('My God is Yahweh'); in Akan (Esi) means 'born on Sunday'. | Akan, English, Finnish | Girl | — | |
| Efea | Likely a feminine form related to Efe/Efia: meanings reported include 'born on Friday' (Akan Efia/Effia) or 'wealth' (Urhobo Efe). It may also be a modern invented name without a single traditional etymology. | Akan, Turkish | Girl | — | |
| Effia | Born on Friday | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Efia | Born on Friday | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Efiah | Born on Friday | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Efya | Female born on Friday | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Efyah | Born on Friday | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Ekua | Wednesday-born (female) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Ekuah | Born on Wednesday (female) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Ekuwa | Born on Wednesday (Akan day name) | Akan | Girl | — | |
| Ekwa | Born on Wednesday (Akan day name for girls) | Akan | Girl | — |
Akan Girls name popularity over time
Aggregated births across United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany for every Akan-origin name in our dataset.
60
Names in this origin
7
With data in 2024
90
Births 2024
104
Peak year 2003