Nicknames. Name your baby after an African God or Goddess and wish them prosperity and wisdom for life. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. . Also, in the Eastern Region and Volta Region of Ghana, about 15% of lands belong to the Dangme People. It goes on and on and on. Young Boy discusses encounters with Ga-Adangbes - (Spoken in Ga). There are many ethnic groups in Ghana, West Africa. January Baby Names: Top 50 Names Boys and Girls Born in January 5 Interesting Facts about December Born Baby Names | Christmas Baby Names This naming after the days of the week has a much deeper meaning, because the day on which a person was born has about the similar significance as in the western hemisphere the assignment to a sign of the zodiac. 6. As their name; there are the Ga people and the Adangbe people. The name for boys born on a Sunday is Kwasi. Ghana Festivals National Holidays Presidents and Head of State of Ghana President of Ghana Busia and Edward Akufo Addo President of Ghana - Jerry Rawlings President of Ghana - (Formals) - Hilla Limann President of Ghana Nana Addo President of Ghana John Kufuor President of Ghana Atta Mills Heres your need-to-know guide. Such names which refer to filthy or nasty things are believed to prevent such children from dying. The family name of this people starts with a man and his wife; with the Ama or Amarh line. Music of the Ga-Dangbe people also include [Klama], [Kpatsa] and the Dipo dance all of the Krobo people. To re-enact these historic events, the warriors dress in traditional battle dress and stage a mock battle. The Ga people celebrate the Homowo festival, which literally means "hooting at hunger". Ethnicity, Language, and Religion in Ghana. Shikha is a writer-turned-editor at MomJunction, with over seven years of experience in the field of content. Monday - Kojo (male), Adjoa (female) Tuesday - Kwabena (male), Abena (female) Wednesday - Kwaku (male), Akua (female) Thursday - Yaw (male), Yaa (female) Friday - Kofi (male), Afua (female) With it, at least the first names are complete. Aban According to this ethnic group, the names are based on the day of the week the child was born. So Nortey has an appellation of Shometse even if hes young, so when he grows and he has a daughter, he calls her Naa Shorme because the first Shorme was born somewhere in 1618 so she was our grandmother. The naming system of the Akan people is as distinct as that which elders in Togo (the Ewe people), the Ga people, Benin (the Fon people), and the African diaspora pass on to toddlers. Explore the most common surnames in Ghana. This is expensive for local families considering that it is not unusual to meet people with an income of only $50 a month. Ghana Girl Names Click on alphabet for Ghana Baby Girl Names & Meaning. These day names have further meanings concerning the soul and character of the person. In this article, I look into the backgrounds, changes, corruptions and evolutions of some names associated with the Ga ethnic group of Accra. It is not unusual for a single coffin to cost $600. Any/all written content and images displayed are provided by the blogger/author, appear herein as submitted by the blogger/author and are unedited by Opera News. These are names given to two set of female twins. Just like any tribe here in Ghana has some perculiar name they give to their newly born babies so as the Gas. The names come in pairs for male and female children. Ghana is a multiethnic country rich in natural resources and is one of the most stable and democratic countries in West Africa. JOE METTLE. Traditional names in Ghana vary by ethnic group. Watch the full program here: Copyright 1994 - 2023 GhanaWeb. Cuts are made on the faces of such children. This is needed as the coffin is only a portion of the total funeral cost that will be incurred. We are typical Levitical people so before you are even born, you have your name already, so we have a nomenclature., he said. King Jerry has a very hot banger that's so popular in all the Ga Communities. Usually handmade, the slippers are quite heavy since it is . It is one of the most common Akan surnames. Certain shapes, such as a sword or chair coffin, represent royal or priestly insignia with a magical and religious function. Therefore, names like Ama, Amate, Amakai, Amatei, Amalai, Amakwei, Amalei, Boi, Laryea are male names and Amele, Ahine, Amokor, Amateokor, Amakai, Amatekai, Amatso, Amatetso are female names associated with the Ama/ Amarh family name" [ [4] ]. YAO & YAA: both mean Lord-of-Life Reproduction.. Azaa: Dubious Babylon: England Boga: A Ghanaian living abroad, this word originated from the word Hamburger after residents of Hamburg, many of who are of Ghanaian origin. So for easy identification one must be called Atswei-foi, so that anyone who hears it will know the man already has a first female child already. (See Naming customs of the Dagomba people.). The 29-year-old popular Ghanaian-British fashion model Adwoa Caitlin Maria Aboah is Monday-born. They often symbolise the dead people's professions, the purpose being to help them continue with their earthly profession in the afterlife. Coffins are usually crafted to reflect an essence of the deceased in forms such as a character trait, an occupation, or a symbol of one's standing in the community. Page 1 - Find Ghanaian Baby Names in NEW Database of 10,000+ baby names, boy & girl names, Traditional, Cute, Nature names, Unique and Rare. Succession to most offices held by women and inheritance of women's property are by matrilineal descent. At the durbar, greetings are exchanged between the chiefs, libations are poured and declarations of allegiance are made. Tsu - Reddish Yumu - Dark ua - Tall Wayo - Small So if the first wife had a girl and the second wife had a girl, depending on the characterises of the child you would name them Dede - Tsu and Dede- yumu 2. Get to know Africa by Country. However, the different Ghanaian ethnic groups largely share one common belief: the naming of their children. The festival also coincides with the harvest cycle, when these special customs and ceremonies are performed. See Also:Thank You in Swahili, Zulu, And 50 Other African Languages. They consist of Ga-Mashie and Gaspeaker, who migrated from Akwapim, Anecho in Togo, Akwamu. A deeper look into the different cultures of the African continent, its food, people, music, art, language and more. The Ashante are part of the Akan tribes who speak various dialects of Twi. Scottish last names have diverse origins that are distinguishable among the surnames. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Click to reveal I want to tell you some of the Ga names that every female newly born baby can named: Atswei or Naa Atswei is a name given to every first born female child. 8. The 29-year-old popular Ghanaian-British fashion model Adwoa Caitlin Maria Aboah is Monday-born. Caitrona. At some point in Ghana's history, it was decided that the traditional salad in Ghana would consist of lettuce, tomato, onion, boiled eggs, tuna and baked beans. I hope you have enjoyed and learnt something new.. Take our weekly Africa Quiz and test your knowledge on Africa and its culture, countries, tribes, history and so much more. English is the official language of Ghana. These cookies do not store any personal information. African History according to its culture, chieftaincy, politics, democracy and so forth. By the 12th century, the gold trade started to boom in Bono (Bonoman) state in what is today southern . You can also learn a few slang words to impress and surprise your fellow Ghanaians. Government of Ghana. The Abora Fantes settled in Ga settlements from Moree, a Fante settlement.[[1]]. Coordinates: .mw-parser-output .geo-default,.mw-parser-output .geo-dms,.mw-parser-output .geo-dec{display:inline}.mw-parser-output .geo-nondefault,.mw-parser-output .geo-multi-punct{display:none}.mw-parser-output .longitude,.mw-parser-output .latitude{white-space:nowrap}53516N 00559W / 5.5877N 0.0996W / 5.5877; -0.0996. Onyame is often thought to be female and associated with the Moon. . Popular baby names complete with meanings, origins and Meet Dr. Esther Mahlangu one of South Africas most famous artists. One who never experienced hardship, Acheompong. Annan (the fourth, male) / Anane (the fourth, female). Adding, "We have our traditional names, Nortey, Naaku, Ashorkor, Shorme, so we fall in that line, that is the Naadu Levitical names." "Before a child is born, if the father is Nortey, and she. Some of these changes came about by their interactions with other ethnic groups, such as the Akans, whereas others came through commerce. Kojo or Kodwo is the name of an Alata quarter stool holder of the Osu settlement. Awusi Pronounced: Ah-woo-see Meaning: Born on a Sunday Best For: Female 3. It is the home of many famous boxing "clubs" and gymnasiums. Opera News furthermore does not condone the use of our platform for the purposes encouraging/endorsing hate speech, violation of human rights and/or utterances of a defamatory nature. Only people with the appropriate status are allowed to be buried in these types of coffins. Find the latest, most popular, unique & cute nicknames and names for Baby Boys, Girls, Boyfriends, Girlfriends, Husband, and Wife from a list of 100000+ nicknames and baby names ideas at FinderWheel.com. Some of the other sources I have used for this article are Kweku Darko Ankrahs article on A Look at the Ga Mantse and Gbese Stool Family Lines, Ga Naming Pattern on Ghanaweb and What You Didn't Know About Ga Names And Their Sabla by Naa Oyoo Quartey; Like other ethnic groups in Ghana, newborn Ga babies are given names with peculiar patterns and meanings, which may include the day of birth. Most of them name their newly born children depending on the day of the week on which the child had been born. Frequently, children are given a "day name" which corresponds to the day in the week when they were born. B Danquah created his myth linking the Akan to the ancient Ghana empire. In the old bygone era, it was said that a Ga man would die for his name [[6]], but presently, it looks as though newer Ga generations have forgotten the houses that bore and bred their forefathers. Many coffin shapes also evoke proverbs, which are interpreted in different ways by the Ga. Design coffins have been used since around the 1950s, especially in rural Ga groups with traditional beliefs, and have now become an integral part of Ga burial culture. ART 10 Top Ghanaian Photographers To Know. The Ghanaian culture cannot be considered a uniform one. What you may not know is that there is a well-established history behind this concept. 34. It is a common saying, that all Gas are either Nii (for the males) or Naa (for the females). Female names can also be influenced by the days of the week, just like male names. There are also many annual festivals. It is worn to compliment the Ntoma outfit by both men and women. We take you into this culture and show you as well your Ghanaian name! After Atswei comes Ayokor. With five albums to his credit including the recent 'Wind of Revival' album, Joe continues to realize great successes in putting Ghana gospel on the world . The Ga-Adangbe or Ga Adangme people are usually grouped as part of the Ga-Dangme ethnolinguistic groups of Ghana, Benin, and Togo. Boga: A Ghanaian living abroad, this word originated from the word Hamburger after residents of Hamburg, many of who are of Ghanaian origin. Pigments: A series Exploring the Art of Body-Painting in Africa. Vote for Your Favourite Ghanaian Women 1 Akosua Busia (Actress) 9 4 Birthdate: December 30, 1966 Sun Sign: Capricorn Birthplace: Ghana 2 Jackie Appiah (Actress) 8 4 Birthdate: December 5, 1983 Sun Sign: Sagittarius Birthplace: Toronto, Ontario, Canada 3 Yaa Asantewaa (Queens Mother) 98 11 Birthdate: 1840 AD Birthplace: Besease By this time, the umbilical cord of the child should have fallen off. Before a child is born, if the father is Nortey, and she is female, we know that that females name is Shorme. The Irish and Scottish form of Katherine is a unique choice and has a very pretty ring to it. Middle names have considerably more variety and can refer to their birth order, twin status, or an ancestor's middle name. The day naming system is a very old tradition used by the Akan people and even by other west African countries such as Benin and Togo. Take for example Ghanas first president, Kwame Nkrumah, who was born on a Saturday, while the seventh Secretary-General of the United Nations, Kofi Atta Annan, was so named for being born on a Friday. Pick from beautiful girls' Ghanaian baby names like Ashante and Abena, or choose from boys' Ghanaian baby names like Kwame and Kodzo. Here, too, the name logic has a solution: In this case, the first name At(t)a is simply assigned. 184.168.121.153 Originally this wasnt a name belonging to the family. Names. However, the major tribes in Ghana are Akan and Ewe which form about 60% of the population. InAshantihomes, Sunday-born males and females are named Kwasi or Kwesi and Akosua respectively (meaning associated with the universe); Monday-born are Kwadwo or Kojo, Adjoa orAdwoa(meaning associated with peace); Tuesday-born are Kwabena or Kobi, Abena (meaning associated with the ocean); Wednesday-born Kwaku or Kweku, Akua (meaning associated with spider/Ananse); Thursday-born Yaw, Yaa ( meaning associated with the earth); Friday-born Kofi, Afia or Afua (meaning associated with fertility); and Saturday-born Kwame, Ama (meaning associated with God). The following are names derived from the ethnic Dangme and common among the Ningos Nartey, Tetteh, Kwei, Kweinor, Kwetey, Narteh, Narh, Dugbatey, Teye, Martey, Addo, Siaw, Saki, Amanor, Djangba. After Atswei comes Ayokor. Such beautiful Ghana girl names are suitable for a sweet-tempered child. Babylon: England. What day of the week were you born? One of their traditional music and dance styles (albeit a fairly modern one) is kpanlogo, a modernized traditional dance and music form developed around 1960. It is mainly a food festival which celebrates the passing of that terrible period in the history of the Ga people. They are many a times you will hear Atswei- foi, meaning , small Atswei or Atswei junior, what then it means is that, there is a probability the man has a first child already name who is also Atswei , so when he marries again and gets another baby girly with the new wife , that child will also be Atswei . Rather, it consists of hundreds of different ethnic influences and tribes who speak their own dialects and their own languages, having different cultural backgrounds. List [ edit] Kosi/Akwasi/Kwasi/Kwesi/Sisi a boy born on Sunday Akosua/Esi/Asi a girl born on Sunday Religious name (either Christian or Muslim), UN Secretary General Kofi Annan (Kofi = male for born on a Friday), Ghanas First President Dr. Kwame Nkrumah (Kwame = male for born on a Saturday), Writer Ama Ata Aidoo (Ama = female name for born on Saturday and Ata shows that she is a twin). Your IP: It is a prevalent name in all tribes in Ghana. About 70% of the Greater Accra Regional Land is owned by the Dangmes located in Dangme East and Dangme West Districts of Ghana. The song, produced by Nii Quaye, is performed in her local Ga dialect, was recorded ahead of the 2019 edition of the Homowo festival . Can be kept as a day name. In addition, they are each adorned with custom-made glass beads, colorful loincloths, and various forms of woven headgear. 2011 - 2023 MomJunction Private Limited. If that grandmothers name is given to you, you have to revere the name. Mensah is the most common Ghanian surname with one in 55 people having the name. The naming of a child by Dagombas in Northern Ghana usually happens on the 8th day after birth. Please include what you were doing when this page came up and the Cloudflare Ray ID found at the bottom of this page. Forebears knows about 60,657 unique surnames in Ghana and there are 445 people per name. Thema Pronounced: The-mah Meaning: Queen Best For: Female 5. Despite the ritual being designated for older teenaged girls, it is not uncommon for young pre-adolescent and even toddler aged girls to take part.[10]. These are aligned to the ethnic Ga as well: Lomotey, Tetteh, Ankrah, Tetteyfio, Laryea, Ayitey, Okai, Bortey, Quaye, Quaynor, Ashong, Kotei, Sowah, Odoi, Ablor, Adjetey, Dodoo, Darku and Quartey. Day names. Kwabena (male) Abena (female) The day on which land was made to appear. The coffins can be anything wanted by relatives of the deceased from a pencil to an elephant. One who came purposely to engage in war. Each town had a stool, which served as the central object of Ga ritual and war magic. Ghana is home to a population of 28,102,471 individuals. Kra names. Oral traditions state the Ga came from the region of Lake Chad and reached their destination in the 16th century. Most of the Ghanaian Female names listed above are often paired with these surnames. Chale: Friend (Ga term). The Ga ethnic group is divided into settlements which are further divided into quarters which Ga people call akutso (singular) and akutsei (plural) [[2]]. Notable fighters include former WBC champion, David Kotei aka DK Poison, Alfred Kotey, Joshua "The Hitter" Clottey, and former WBA Welterweight champion boxer Ike "Bazooka" Quartey, and former multi-weight class champion Azumah "Zoom Zoom" Nelson aka Prof.[9], For the Shai and Krobo people, the Dipo is the formal rite of passage. KOFI & AFUA: both mean Lord of Life Home and commemorate the creation of the first home in the Garden of Eden and the institution of marriage. Its varying colors and bold print renders it versatile and confident. Thats why we have Nii and Naa., he expounded. Therefore, special coffins are often crafted by highly skilled carpenters since this tradition spread in the 1950s. Basically, the Ga-Adangbe people live across the plains of Accra. These include purification ceremonies. Dangme is exclusively closer to the original GaDangme languages than the Ga language.[6]. This name means strong-willed and determined. Yacub Addy, Obo Addy, and Mustapha Tettey Addy are Ga drummers who have achieved international fame. Lastly, Ghanaians do love it when someone has the same day name as them its a fun commonality and a great conversation starter and one of the best ways to immerse fully in the Ghanaian lifestyle! Its about giving newborn babies a special name based on the day of the week they are born. [8], The Ga-Dangme are organized into clans based on patrilineal descent; the clans are subdivided into localized patrilineages, the basic units of the Ga-Dangme historical, political, cultural tribal group. Same goes for Akuorkor. This is what is known as "Nyuu lubu". Accra became the most prominent Ga-Dangme towns and is now the heartbeat and capital of Ghana. View. This pretty name means "cheerful" or "lively" in Italian and makes a beautiful option for a little girl. [7] The Ga people were originally farmers, but today fishing and trading in imported goods are the principal occupations. These are names given to two set of female twins. Even Jamaica has it! Ansan stands for Guinea Fowl, the bird which is obviously displayed in a color-blocking pattern on the fabric. Of course thats not all. So when you hear a female Ga girl called AKWELEY it means she is a twin. 35. Enter your birthdate and gender below to read and hear your day name in Ashanti Twi, a dialect of Akan and the most widely spoken language in Ghana: birthdate: JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepoctNovDec gender: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z Ghana Baby Names & Meaning Names Gender Numerology Audio Save Name Comment Aba Ababuo Abam Abba Abeeku Abeeku Abena Abla Addae Addae Adeben Adika Adika Adjoa Adofo Adom Adowa Adusa Adwoa Afafa Afi Afia Afryea Afua Agyei These names are more common to the female child than the male child. The Wor-Lumor, told host, Naa Oyoe Quartey, that their great grandparents who fought to establish the Osu lineage had names which have been passed on for several generations. Below are some common Ga names and their origins and evolution over time. Their original homeland is in Goshen city, Egypt. So whenever you hear a female child called Kaa it means she is the third female child of her parents. Surnames. They may have merged with the Ewe migrants at . The Akan, culturally and linguistically related tribes in West Africa, do the same as other African and Jamaican ethnic groups: Name their children after the respective day they were born. Euphemisms are very common, especially about events connected . These names include: Days of the week in English Dabisa (Days . The Nunu, Nunoo and Anum names can be traced to the Abola akutso of the Ga Mashie settlement, which can, in turn, be traced to the Abora Fantes. Chief Priest of Osu Nadu/ Klottey, Wor-Lumor Nuumo Noi Sekanku Kpenuku II, Meet Bright Hodzor; the man who paints the Jubilee House People & Places, 'I am an SHS graduate but I teach people from the university' - The Celebrity Painter, People & Places: Amazing discoveries on Ghanas only canopy walkway with a waterfall view, Next on People & Places: Touring this magical canopy walkway in Ghana, Residents of Juapong threaten to block train passage if overpass is not built. Kpakpa/ Kwate G a- baby names and what they mean, with 36 results. It means noble or honorable. Ababio Originating from Ghana, this name means 'kid that keeps coming'. Apparently, this family were smiths by trade and had an excellent reputation.
Colin Kaepernick Father Biological, 3d Wooden Puzzle Patterns, Articles G