Names

In Ghanaian culture, it’s traditional for children to be named based on their gender and the day they were born. For example, boys born on a Monday traditionally will be named Kojo. This means that many people at the school have the same name (there are four boys named Kwesi in my class.) By comparison, in America I feel like so much emphasis is put on originality when it comes to our names. I remember when my aunt was pregnant and considering naming her son “Ethan,” she constantly referred to a list of the most common Canadian names because she didn’t want her son to be 1 of 10 Ethans in a class.

Learning about the tradition of naming babies based on the days of the week also helped me to realize that my aunt, Ethan’s mother, was actually born in Ghana. My grandfather was a foreign correspondent during the 1960s, and he and my grandmother lived in a variety of African countries when my mother and aunt were born. I’m not sure why, but I've always thought that my aunt was born in Niger. However, in Ghanaian culture her middle name—Afua— means girl born on Friday, and is actually a variation of one of my roommate’s names (Efia).

I also really appreciate the way my name sounds with a Ghanaian accent. Rather than ending with the sort of flat, nasal tone American’s use, when Ghanaians say my name they really put a downwards intonation on the “o.” Ghanaian pronunciation gives my name a more melodic tone, which I think sounds way better. I have also discovered that the way I pronounce my name has resulted in many people unable to understand what I am saying. I have introduced myself to multiple people saying, “My name is Niko.” Often, they responded with a confused look, and ask, “Niguel?” I really wish I could say my name like a Ghanaian.