# Kwame

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> Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame
> Source revision: 1350993062
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{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2021}}
{{Infobox given name
| name = Kwame
| image=
| imagesize=
| caption=
| pronunciation=
| gender = Male
| meaning = born on a Saturday
| region = [Akan people](/source/Akan_people)
| origin = [Akan people](/source/Akan_people)
| related names =
* [Kwadwo](/source/Kwadwo) (Monday)
* [Kwabena](/source/Kwabena) (Tuesday)
* [Kwaku](/source/Kwaku) (Wednesday)
* [Yaw](/source/Yaw_(name)) (Thursday)
* [Kofi](/source/Kofi_(disambiguation)) (Friday)
* Kwame (Saturday)
* [Akwasi](/source/Akwasi) (Sunday)
| footnotes =
|wikt=
}}

'''Kwame''' is an Akan masculine given name among the [Akan people](/source/Akan_people) (such as the [Akuapem](/source/Akuapem_people), [Ashanti](/source/Ashanti_people), [Akyem](/source/Akyem), [Bono](/source/Bono_people) and [Fante](/source/Fante_people)) in [Ghana](/source/Ghana) which is given to a boy born on [Saturday](/source/Saturday).<ref>{{Cite web |title=The sociolinguistic of Akan personal names |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239815297 |website=Researchgate |page=214}}</ref> Traditionally in Ghana, a child would receive their Akan [day name](/source/Akan_names) during their [Outdooring](/source/Outdooring), eight days after birth.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=The Sociolinguistic of Akan Personal Names |url=https://www.researchgate.net/publication/239815297 |access-date=2021-04-06 |language=en}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{Cite web |last=Kamunya |first=Mercy |date=2018-10-19|title=Akan names and their meanings |url=https://yen.com.gh/115080-akan-names-meanings.html |access-date=2021-04-06 |publisher=Yen.com.gh - Ghana news |language=en}}</ref> 

According to Akan tradition, people born on particular days exhibit certain characteristics or attributes.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /> Kwame has the appellation "Atoapoma" or "Oteanankannuro" meaning "combat ready".<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

The day naming tradition in Ghana extends to folk characters such as [Anansi](/source/Anansi) and deities. Traditional Akan religion states that God created himself on Saturday and is therefore also named "Kwame".<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Arko-Achemfuor |first1=Akwesi |title=Naming of children and meaning of names among the Akan of Ghana: defining identities |journal=Southern African Journal for Folklore Studies |date=Oct 18, 2018 |volume=28 |issue=1 |page=7 |doi=10.25159/1016-8427/4294 |s2cid=158371631 |url=https://journals.co.za/doi/pdf/10.25159/1016-8427/4294 |access-date=22 May 2021|url-access=subscription }}</ref>

== Origin and meaning of Kwame ==
In the Akan [culture](/source/culture), day names are derived from deities.{{cn|date=November 2025}} Kwame originated from Koyame and the Akan day name God.<ref name=":0" /><ref>{{Cite web|title=The Akan Day Names and Their Embedded Ancient Symbolism|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> The name Kwame means extremes in fortune, health and spirituality; versatile, idealistic and intuitive.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Kwame. What Does My Name Mean? Find Out!|url=http://www.sevenreflections.com/name/kwame/|access-date=2021-04-06|website=Seven Reflections|language=en}}</ref> Males named Kwame are reputed to be talented and good problem solvers.<ref name=":2">{{Cite journal|last=Last Name|first=First Name|year=2020|title=Title|url=http://dx.doi.org/10.21303/978-617-7319-30-5|doi=10.21303/978-617-7319-30-5|s2cid=242646110 |url-access=subscription}}</ref>

== Male variants of Kwame ==
Variant spellings include '''Kwamé''', '''Kouamé''', '''Kwami''', '''Kwamena''', and '''Kwamina''', according to the various Akan subgroups.<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=":1" /> It is spelt Kwame by the [Akuapem](/source/Akuapem_dialect), [Akyem](/source/Akyem), [Bono](/source/Bono_people) and [Ashanti](/source/Ashanti_Region) subgroups, while the [Fante](/source/Fante_people) subgroup spell it as Kwamena or Kwamina.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":3" />

== Female version of Kwame ==
In the Akan culture and other local cultures in Ghana, day names come in pairs for [males](/source/Male) and [females](/source/Female).<ref name=":0" /> The variant of the name used for a female child born on Saturday is [Ama](/source/Ama_(given_name)).<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" />

== Notable people with the name ==
The most well-known bearer of the name was [Kwame Nkrumah](/source/Kwame_Nkrumah), President of Ghana and a founder of Pan-Africanism – mainly due to whom the name spread also to non-Ghanaians.

People with this name include:
*[Kwamé](/source/Kwam%C3%A9), American rapper
*[Thatboykwame](/source/Thatboykwame) (previously as Kwame; born 1997), Australian rapper
*[Kwame Alexander](/source/Kwame_Alexander) (born 1968), American writer
*[Kwame Ampadu](/source/Kwame_Ampadu) (born 1970), Irish footballer
*[Kwame Anthony Appiah](/source/Kwame_Anthony_Appiah) (born 1954), English-American philosopher
*[Kwame Awuah](/source/Kwame_Awuah) (born 1995), Canadian soccer player
*[Kwame Brown](/source/Kwame_Brown) (born 1982), American former basketball player
*[Kwame R. Brown](/source/Kwame_R._Brown) (born 1970), American politician
*[Kwame Dawes](/source/Kwame_Dawes) (born 1962), Ghanaian poet
*[Kwame Evans Jr.](/source/Kwame_Evans_Jr.) (born 2004), American basketball player
*[Kwame Harris](/source/Kwame_Harris) (born 1982), American football player
*[Kwame Holman](/source/Kwame_Holman), American TV producer
*[Kwame Kenyatta](/source/Kwame_Kenyatta) (1956–2019), American politician
*[Kwame Kilpatrick](/source/Kwame_Kilpatrick) (born 1970), American politician
*[Kwame Kizito](/source/Kwame_Kizito) (born 1996), Ghanaian footballer
*[Kwame Nkrumah](/source/Kwame_Nkrumah) (1909–1972), Ghanaian politician
*[Kwame Onwuachi](/source/Kwame_Onwuachi) (born 1989), American chef
*[Kwame Raoul](/source/Kwame_Raoul) (born 1964), American politician
*[Kwame Somburu](/source/Paul_Boutelle) (1934–2016), American socialist political activist
*[Kwame Tucker](/source/Kwame_Tucker), Bermudian cricketer
*[Kwame Ture](/source/Stokely_Carmichael) (1941–1998), American civil rights activist
*[Kwame Vaughn](/source/Kwame_Vaughn) (born 1990), American basketball player
*[Kwamena Bartels](/source/Kwamena_Bartels) (born 1947), Ghanaian politician
*[Kwamena Ahwoi](/source/Kwamena_Ahwoi) (born 1951), Ghanaian academic and politician
*[Kwamina Ropapa Mensah](/source/Ropapa_Mensah) (born 1997), Ghanaian footballer
*[Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah](/source/Nana_Kwame_Adjei-Brenyah) (born 1991), American author
*[Osei Kwame Panyin](/source/Osei_Kwame_Panyin), ruler of the Ashanti Empire (1777–1801)
*[Paul Kwame Nkegbe](/source/Paul_Kwame_Nkegbe) (born 1934), Ghanaian politician and military officer
*[Zohran Kwame Mamdani](/source/Zohran_Kwame_Mamdani) (born 1991), American politician
== References ==
{{reflist}}

==Fictional character==
* [Kwame (Captain Planet)](/source/Kwame_(Captain_Planet)), a fictional character in the animated television series ''Captain Planet and the Planeteers''
* Kwame, a fictional character in British television series [I May Destroy You](/source/I_May_Destroy_You).

==See also==
*{{Intitle|Kwame}}

{{given name}}
Category:Given names
Category:Ashanti given names
Category:Akan given names
Category:Masculine given names
Category:Saturday
Category:African masculine given names

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Kwame](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kwame?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.
