Kwadwo

Kwadwo/Kwadjo/Kojo
GenderMale
Origin
Word/nameAkan people
Meaningborn on a Monday
Region of origin Ashanti
Empire of Ashanti
Other names
Related namesKojo, Kwadjo, Cudjoe, Kodwo

Kwadwo/Kwadjo/Kojo (Kwadwo in Ghana) is an Akan masculine given name originating from the Akan people, meaning born on a Monday.[1] As an Akan given name, with the Akans being a large ethnic group consisting of various tribes such as the Fante, Asante, Akuapem among others, Kwadwo/Kwadjo is sometimes written as "Kojo", Kwadwo or Kwadjo and is also used less frequently as a family name (see Akan name).[2] People born on particular days are supposed to exhibit the characteristics or attributes and philosophy, associated with the days.[3] Kwadwo has the appellation Okoto or Asera meaning peace. Thus, males named Kwodwo tend to be peaceful.[4][5][3]

Origin and Meaning of Kwadwo

In the Akan culture, day names are known to be derived from deities. Kwadwo originated from Koyayuda and the Lord of Life Firmament deity of the day Monday.[1][5] Males named Kwadwo tend to be nurturing and achieve a balance between strength and compassion.[3]

Male variants of Kwadwo

Day names in Ghana vary in spelling among the various Akan subgroups. The name is spelt Kwadwo by the Akuapem and Ashanti subgroups while the Fante subgroup spell it as Kwadjo, Kodwo, Cudjoe, Jojo or Kojo.[2]

Female version of Kwadwo

In the Akan culture and other local cultures in Ghana, day names come in pairs for males and females. The variant of the name used for a female child born on Monday is Adwoa.[1][4][3]

Notable people with the name Kwadwo

Most Ghanaian children have their cultural day names in combination with their English or Christian names. Some notable people with such names are:

References

  1. ^ a b c "The Sociolinguistic of Akan Personal Names". ResearchGate. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  2. ^ a b Kamunya, Mercy (2018-10-19). "Akan names and their meanings". Yen.com.gh - Ghana news. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  3. ^ a b c d Konadu, Kwasi (2012). "The Calendrical Factor in Akan History". International Journal of African Historical Studies. 45: 217–246.
  4. ^ a b "'Day born names' in Dagbani, Ewe and Fante". GhanaWeb. 2019-11-09. Retrieved 2021-04-06.
  5. ^ a b "The Akan Day Names and Their Embedded Ancient Symbolism". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 2021-04-06.