Twi names belong to the Akan naming system of Ghana and often follow clear structural patterns. The best known are day names assigned by day of the week: male forms such as Kwadwo/Kojo (Monday), Kwabena (Tuesday), Kwaku (Wednesday), Yaw, Kofi, Kwame, and Kwasi; and female counterparts Adwoa, Abena, Akua, Yaa, Afua/Efua, Ama, and Akosua. Prefix patterns are common, with Kw- frequent in male day names and A- in female forms. Other traditional categories include birth-order and twin names such as Piesie (firstborn), Panyin/Kakra (elder/younger twin), and Atta (twin).
Linguistically, Twi names favor simple CV syllables and make frequent use of digraphs such as kw, ky, gy, tw, and dw; tone is not marked in writing. Orthography may include ɛ and ɔ, though many modern spellings omit these characters. Surnames often reflect matrilineal clan and lineage (abusua) or stool titles, with common family names like Osei, Owusu, Ofori, and Opoku. In contemporary use, Twi speakers frequently pair Akan given names with English or Christian names.
| Name | Meaning | Origins | Gender | Popularity (last 10y) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Amma | Mother (in Dravidian languages); in Akan/Twi, a female day name meaning 'born on Saturday'. | Akan, Malayalam, Tamil, Twi | Girl | 92 #1 | |
| Gyasi | Often rendered as 'wonder' or 'wonderful child' (a name expressing amazement/esteem) | Akan, Twi | Boy | 36 #2 | |
| Adeben | Probably related to Yoruba 'Ade' meaning 'crown/royalty' - roughly 'royal child' or 'crown's child' (meaning of '-ben' is uncertain) | Twi | Unisex | — | |
| Adinam | Uncertain; may derive from Hebrew 'Adina' meaning 'delicate, gentle', or have a different, language-specific meaning in West African languages | Twi | Girl | — | |
| Adwowa | Born on Monday (female day name) | Akan, Twi | Girl | — | |
| Afriyie | Born on Friday | Akan, Twi | Unisex | — | |
| Akuffo | A Ghanaian Akan family/surname; exact literal meaning is uncertain and appears to be patronymic/lineage-based. | Akan, Twi | Unisex | — | |
| Gyamfuah | Likely an Akan/Fante name or family/clan name; possibly related to the Friday-born name Afua or to the Gyamfi family name. Exact literal meaning is uncertain. | Akan, Twi | Girl | — | |
| Kasah | Unclear; possibly related to Akan 'kasa' ('to speak') or otherwise of uncertain meaning | Twi | Unisex | — | |
| Kwebena | Male born on Tuesday | Akan, Twi | Boy | — | |
| Kweku-Adoboli | Kweku - male born on Wednesday; Adoboli - a Ghanaian family/surname of Akan/Ga origin. | Akan, Twi | Boy | — | |
| Kweku-Adomako | Compound Akan name: Kweku = male born on Wednesday; Adomako = Akan family/surname (lineage name). | Akan, Twi | Boy | — | |
| Kweku-Adu-Gyamfi | Kweku = male born on Wednesday; Adu-Gyamfi = compound Akan family/surname (Adu and Gyamfi are Ashanti/Akan lineage names) | Akan, Twi | Boy | — | |
| Kweku-Asare | Kweku = 'born on Wednesday' (male); Asare = Akan family name/surname often associated with 'warrior' or 'hunter'. | Akan, Twi | Boy | — | |
| Kweku-Duah | Compound name: 'Kweku' = Akan day name for a boy born on Wednesday; 'Duah' = Akan family/surname. | Akan, Twi | Boy | — | |
| Kweku-Frimpong | Kweku: male born on Wednesday (Akan day name). Frimpong: an Akan surname often associated with strength, triumph, or a warrior lineage. | Akan, Twi | Boy | — | |
| Odelattah | Uncertain. Likely a compound name: 'Attah/Atta' commonly means 'twin' or functions as an honorific in parts of West Africa; 'Ode/Odel' meaning depends on the specific language or family usage. Full meaning requires local/family context. | Twi | Unisex | — | |
| Posoah | Unknown or not well-documented. No reliable etymology found; any suggested meanings are speculative. | Twi | Unisex | — |
Aggregated births across United States, United Kingdom, France, Germany for every Twi-origin name in our dataset.
