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Home › Baby Names Directory › Kwame

Kwame

♂ Boy

Pronounced KWAH-may /ˈkwɑ.meɪ/High

Meaning: Born on Saturday; an Akan day name from Ghana and Côte d'IvoireHigh

In 30 seconds: A birthday built into a name: Kwame is the Akan day name for Saturday's sons. Ghana's founding father made it a banner across Africa and the diaspora.
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Origin HighAkan, Ghanaian
MeaningBorn on Saturday; an Akan day name from Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire
U.S. rank (2025)#2962 ↗ Rising
2025 U.S. births42 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1990
Total births (all-time)≈ 3,955

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 199019602025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Kwame is the Akan day name for boys born on Saturday, part of the West African system that names each child for the day of the week of birth. Kwame Nkrumah, who led Ghana to independence in 1957 and dreamed pan-African dreams, made it one of the continent's proudest names.

The diaspora embraced it in the same spirit — scholar-broadcaster Kwame Alexander and philosopher Kwame Anthony Appiah mark its range. In the U.S. it is uncommon and unambiguous in its heritage.

Did you know? In Akan tradition every child receives a day name automatically — Kofi for Friday, Kwame for Saturday — so Ghana's calendar is woven into its people's names.
Overall data confidence 92%
Behind the Name — Kwame — day-name system

Variations

KwamenaKwami

Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Kwame Nkrumah (1909–1972)
    First president of Ghana and a father of pan-Africanism.

If you like Kwame…

Amari— a fellow African-rooted favorite in American use
Jerome— a similarly popular pick
Shlome— echoes that soft -me sound
Zuko— a similarly popular pick
Amai— a similarly popular pick

Explore names like Kwame

By themeafricanakanday-name

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Kwame mean?

Kwame is the Akan day name meaning 'born on Saturday'.

How do you pronounce Kwame?

It's said KWAH-may /ˈkwɑ.meɪ/ — two syllables, stress on the first.

Is Kwame a boy or girl name?

Kwame is a boy's name; Saturday-born girls receive Ama in the same system.

How popular is Kwame?

Kwame is uncommon in the U.S. and everyday in Ghana.

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