| Gender | Male |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Akan people |
| Meaning | born on a Thursday |
| Region of origin |  AshantiEmpire of Ashanti |
| Other names | |
| Related names | |
Yaw is a masculine given name originating from the Akan people and their day naming system, meaning "born on a Thursday" in Akan language, following their day naming system.[1] People born on particular days are supposed to exhibit the characteristics or attributes and philosophy, associated with the days. Yaw has the appellation "Preko" or "Opereba" meaning brave.[2][3]
In the Akan culture, day names are known to be derived from deities. Yaw originated from Yawoada the Day of Reproduction.[2][4] Males named Yaw are known to be courageous and aggressive in a warlike manner (preko). They tend to be guarded, judgemental and appear to be ungrateful.[2][4]
Day names in Ghana vary in spelling among the various Akan subgroups. The name is spelt Yaw by the Akuapem, Ashanti and Fante subgroups.[5]
In 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 female child born on Thursday is Yaa.[1][2][3]
Most Ghanaian children have their cultural day names in combination with their English or Christian names. Some notable people with such names are:
