Akwasi

📖 About Akwasi

Akwasi is a masculine day-name from the Akan people of Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire, given to boys born on a Sunday. It derives from the Akan day-naming system (kradin), one of the most distinctive naming traditions in West Africa, where each day of the week has corresponding male and female names believed to influence the child's temperament and destiny. Sunday-born children are traditionally associated with qualities of authority, leadership, and spiritual strength. The name is a variant of Kwasi or Kwesi, with pronunciation and spelling varying among Akan subgroups such as the Ashanti, Fante, and Akuapem. The day-naming tradition dates back centuries and remains vibrant in contemporary Ghana, where virtually every Akan person carries a day-name alongside their given and family names. The practice survived the transatlantic slave trade and left traces in the Americas — the name Quashy or Quashie appears in Caribbean historical records. In modern Ghana, Akwasi is among the most common day-names, and its bearers include prominent politicians, academics, and cultural figures.