NAMING AMOMG THE AKAN PEOPLE 5
Running head: NAMING AMONG THE AKAN PEOPLE 1
Naming Among the Akan People
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Akan people of West Africa form one of the largest groups of people in the region. They dominate the Ivory Coast and Ghana. Historians trace the origin of the Akan people to the Sahel and the Savannah. Twi Fante is their main language, and the main Twi speaking communities include Akuapuem, Asante, and Akyems people. Besides, most of the Akan people maintain the Christian religion even though they are surrounded by other religions like Islam. The Akan mainly engage in trading activities, and this made them one of the wealthiest people in the region. The political organization of the Akan people entails a council of clan elders, who lead different extended families (Deikumah, Konadu, & Kwafo, 2015). Alike, property and power remain under the control of the matrilineal system. Thus critical decisions are often made within a political unit. For instance, land disputes are solved within the matrilineal system. On the contrary, the Akans forbid marriage within the system. The Akan preserved many of their traditions, but naming ceremonies stands out as one of the most significant events in this community.
Naming among the Akan people is an essential procedure, as they believe that each person has a purpose and an identity. The ceremony takes place during the eight day after birth. The days of the week form a basis in which the Akan name their children. For instance, a child born on a Saturday is named as Kwame (Agyekum, 2006). The week after birth is believed to be important for a child, as it marks the beginning of the time in which a child stays on earth, which they refer to as Asase Yaa. During this period, the child remains as a stranger to the rest of the community, but the members still wish the child a long life. The mother continues to tender the child until the preparation for the naming ceremony begins.
During the naming ceremony, the mother’s family provides a drink that is poured on each doorstep. The libation is done by an individual, who announces the ceremony. The naming of a child is done uniquely, as the father uses water and gin to advice the child to remain truthful at all times. The child is given a first name, while he/she takes the father’s name as his/her surname. The naming process also entails a consultation of special spirits, which the Akan people believe that they provide guidance during such moments. If the child is a girl, she is placed on a mat while naked, and a broom is put in her hand (Manoukian, 2017). The procedure symbolizes her role in her special role as a woman in the household. In a case that the child is a boy, a cutlass is placed in his hand to symbolize the role of a man in providing for his family. Children can be named according to the season, or an event that occurred during birth and the order and position of birth.
Order
Name: Male/Female
First born
Piesie
2nd
Manu/Maanu
3rd
Mensa/Mansa
4th
Num/Anum
7th
Ason/Nsowaa
8th
Botwe
9th
Akrom/Nkroma
10th
Badu/baduwaa
11th
Duku
12th
Dunu
Last Born
Kaakyire
Moreover, a child could be named according to the event of birth. For instance, a child born on the road is named Kwan, while one born during a war is named Bekoe for ml and Bediako for a female. Anto is a name for a child born after the father’s death, and Obimpe is a name for a child, whose father refused to take responsibility. Akan people love farming and a child born during this period is named as Afuom. A naming ceremony is one of the important events among the Akan people.
References
Deikumah, J. P., Konadu, V. A., & Kwafo, R. (2015). Bird naming systems by Akan people in Ghana follow scientific nomenclature with potentials for conservation monitoring. Journal of ethnobiology and ethnomedicine, 11(1), 75.
Agyekum, K. (2006). The sociolinguistic of Akan personal names. Nordic Journal of African Studies, 15(2), 206-235.
Manoukian, M. (2017). Akan and Ga-Adangme Peoples: Western Africa Part I. Routledge.