Akosua is an Akan given name to a female child born on Sunday (Kwasiada).[1][2] Although some might believe it is mostly practised by the Ashanti people, it is actually practised by all Akan (i.e Ashanti, Akuapem, Akyem, Fante) people who follow traditional customs. People born on particular days are supposed to exhibit the characteristics or attributes and philosophy, associated with the days. Akosua has the appellation Dampo meaning agility. Thus, females named Akosua are supposed to be agile.[1]
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Akan people |
| Meaning | born on a Sunday |
| Region of origin |  AshantiEmpire of Ashanti |
| Other names | |
| Related names | |
Origin and meaning
editIn the Akan culture, day names are known to be derived from deities. Akosua is originated from Koyasi and from the Lord of Life Descent deity of the day Sunday.[3][4] Females born on Sunday are known to be leaders in society or "clearer of the way" (obue-akwan). They are very inquisitive and tend to be pulled into a thing of interest.[1][4]
Female variants
editDay names in Ghana have varying spellings. This is so because of the various Akan subgroups. Each Akan subgroup has a similar or different spelling for the day name to other Akan subgroups.[3][2] Akosua is spelt Akosua by the Akuapem and Ashanti subgroups while the Fante subgroup spell it as Esi.[3]
Male version
editIn 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 male child born on Sunday is Kwasi or Akwasi.[3]
Notable people with the name
editMost Ghanaian children have their cultural day names in combination with their English or Christian names. Some notable people with such names are:
- Akosua Addai Amoo (born 1990), Ghanaian sports journalist
- Akosua Busia(born 1966), Ghanaian actress, film director, author and songwriter[5]
- Akosua Serwaa (born 1981), Ghanaian middle-distance runner[5]
- Akosua Frema Osei Opare (born 1947), Ghanaian politician[5]
- Rebecca "Becca" Akosua Acheampomaa Acheampong (born 1984), Ghanaian singer, songwriter, and actress[5]
- Akosua Adoma Owusu (born 1984), Ghanaian-American filmmaker and producer
- Akosua Adomako Ampofo, Ghanaian academic
- Akosua Agyapong (born 1959), Ghanaian female highlife singer
See also
edit
References
edit- ^ a b c Agyekum, Kofi Kofi (January 2006). "(PDF) The Sociolinguistic of Akan Personal Names". ResearchGate. doi:10.53228/njas.v15i2.24. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ a b Kamunya, Mercy (19 October 2018). "Akan names and their meanings". Yen.com.gh - Ghana news. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d "'Day born names' in Dagbani, Ewe and Fante". GhanaWeb. 9 November 2019. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ a b Danso, Vanessa. "The Akan Day Names and Their Embedded Ancient Symbolism". Modern Ghana. Retrieved 6 April 2021.
- ^ a b c d "Akosua: Name Meaning, Popularity, and Similar Names". Nameberry. Retrieved 6 April 2021.