In Ghana, children are often named based on the days of the week that they are born. This name is typically given in a traditional naming ceremony that marks their passage into the tribe and allows them a place to call ‘home.’
Semester at Sea students were given the unique opportunity to take part in a naming ceremony recently in the village of Torgorme. The ceremony marked each student’s time with the tribe, and village elders watched as students received their African and tribal names, offering them the chance to return and live in Torgorme at any point in their lives.
What’s your African name?
First, find out the day of the week you were born here and then find your name in the list below:
For Females
Monday: Adjoa
Tuesday: Abena
Wednesday: Akua
Thursday: Yaa
Friday: Afua
Saturday: Ama
Sunday: Akosua
For Males
Monday: Kojo
Tuesday: Kwabena
Wednesday: Kwaku
Thursday: Yaw
Friday: Kofi
Saturday: Kwame
Sunday: Kwesi
The students who participated in the naming ceremony were given both a name for the day of the week in which they were born, as well as a tribal name.
For example: I was born on a Wednesday, so my name became Akua Akorfa (Akorfa meaning comfort). Now, we can’t give you a tribal name–for that you’ll need to visit the Torgorme village with Semester at Sea–but we are curious to know…what’s your Ghanaian name?
