{{Short description|Male given name among the Akan and Ewe}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}} {{Infobox given name | name = Kwaku | image= | imagesize= | caption= | pronunciation= | gender = Male | meaning = born on a Wednesday | region = Akan people, Ewe people, Ghana | origin = Akan people, Ewe people | related names = * Kwadwo (Monday) * Kwabena (Tuesday) * Kwaku (Wednesday) * Yaw (Thursday) * Kofi (Friday) * Kwame (Saturday) * Akwasi (Sunday) | footnotes = | wikt= }} [[File:Kwakoe statue, Paramaribo.JPG|thumb|''Kwaku'' statue in Paramaribo, representing a freed slave whose chains are cut.]] '''Kwaku''' (Kweku, Kuuku, Korku, Kɔku, Kouakou), is an Akan given name for male children born on Wednesday to the Akan and Ewe ethnic groups. Akan birthday names are associated with appellations that give an indication of the character of people born on such days.<ref name=":0">{{Cite journal|last=Konadu|first=Kwasi|date=2012|title=The Calendrical Factor in Akan History|journal=International Journal of African Historical Studies|volume=45|pages=217–246}}</ref> Typical appellations for Kwaku are Atobi, Daaku or Bonsam meaning stubborn.<ref name=":0" />
== Origin and meaning of Kwaku == In the Akan culture, day names are known to be derived from deities. Kwaku originated from Wukuada and the Lord of Life's Sky (heavenly) Host deity of the day Wednesday.<ref name=":2">{{Cite web|title=The Sociolinguistic of Akan Personal Names|url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239815297|access-date=2021-04-06|date=January 2006|first=Kofi Kofi|last=Agyekum|website=ResearchGate|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Akan Day Names and Their Embedded Ancient Symbolism|first=Vanessa|last=Danso|url=https://www.modernghana.com/lifestyle/8691/the-akan-day-names-and-their-embedded-ancient-symb.html|access-date=2021-04-06|website=Modern Ghana|language=en}}</ref> Males named Kwaku can be mean-spirited and tenacious.<ref name=":2" /><ref name=":0" />
== Male variants of Kwaku == Day names in Ghana vary in spelling among the various Akan subgroups. The name is spelled Kwaku by the Akuapem, Akyem, Bono, Akwamu and Ashanti subgroups while the Fante subgroup spell it as Kweku.<ref name=":3">{{Cite web|date=2019-11-09|title='Day born names' in Dagbani, Ewe and Fante|url=https://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/NewsArchive/Day-born-names-in-Dagbani-Ewe-and-Fante-797733|access-date=2021-04-06|website=GhanaWeb|language=en}}</ref><ref name=":0" />
==Female version of Kwaku== 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 Wednesday is Akua.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":2" /><ref name=":3" />
== Notable people with the name Kwaku == Most Ghanaian children have their cultural day names in combination with their English or Christian names. Some notable people with such names are:
* Kwaku Boateng (born 1995), Canadian high-jumper<ref name=":4">{{Cite web|title=Kwaku: Name Meaning, Popularity, and Similar Names|url=https://nameberry.com/|access-date=2021-04-06|website=Nameberry|language=en-US}}</ref> * (Francis) Kwaku Sakyi Addo, Ghanaian radio journalist<ref name=":4" /> * Kwaku Alston American photographer<ref name=":4" /> * Kwaku Manu (born 1984), Ghanaian actor * Kwaku Sintim Misa (born 1956), Ghanaian actor<ref name=":4" /> * Kwaku Duah (d. 1867), eighth king of the Ashanti Kingdom<ref name=":4" /> *Kwaku Karikari (born 2002), Ghanaian footballer * (Anthony) Rebop Kwaku Baah (1944–1983), Ghanaian percussionist * Kwaku, Antiguan and Barbudan national hero
==See also== * ''Ketikoti''
==References== {{Reflist}}
Category:Akan given names Category:Masculine given names Category:African masculine given names Category:Wednesday Category:Given names