Den to - The Naming Ceremony of the Akan
by Kwesi Ra Nehem Ptah Akan


The name is an essential component of the spiritual anatomy of a human being. Thus, from time immemorial Africans have said in respect to the sacredness of the name: "Truly, without a name the human being does not exist."

The name is a group of sounds - sounds/vibrations grouped together in a unique way. Power from the sound/vibration of a properly given name moves throughout the spirit of the person when heard or spoken. The spirit responds to this power, stirring within the person an awareness of their unique purpose in life and of the potential they possess to carry out that purpose. As the purpose of one's life is given to him or her by The Creator before birth, we recognize our unique purpose, our destiny, our function in Creation, to be a divine purpose, a divine destiny, a divine function we are to execute in this world. Thus, the name, the power-carrying indicator of our divine destiny, has always been and continues to be most sacred to us. It is within this context that the naming ceremonies of African people must be viewed. The den to (Naming Rite) of the Akan people of West Africa is expressive of these principles.

The Akan (Ah-khan) people live primarily in the region of West Africa which includes the sacred waters of Lake Bosom Twe as well as the sacred rivers Tano, Pra, Bia and Afram. The ancestry of the Akan is an ancient ancestry stretching back to the ancient civilizations of Keneset (Nubia/Ethiopia), Kemet (Egypt) and beyond. For thousands of years up to this day, the Akan have preserved their culture, a culture which has survived various challenges including forced migrations and the slave trade.

Den to

After a baby is born he or she is kept indoors for eight days. The eighth day is the day of the naming ceremony, den to. The newborn receives two names. The first name received is called the "kra den" or "soul name", and is determined by the day of the week that the child was born. This is because Nyame (oun-yah-may , God in Akan culture) placed seven of His children over the seven days of the week. Each one of these seven divinities (Gods/Goddesses) carry different spiritual qualities of their Father (Nyame). The day of the week upon which a child is born indicates which divinity governs that day and therefore which spiritual qualities of Nyame (God) are transferred to and carried by the soul of the child.

The seven days of the week and divinities governing these days are:

Akwesida (Sunday) - Awusi or Asi

Dwoda (Monday) - Adwo

Benada (Tuesday) - Bena

Wukuda (Wednesday) - Aku or Wuku

Yawda (Thursday) - Yaw

Fida (Friday) Afi

Memenda (Saturday) - Amen


All females and males in Akan society thus receive their kra den (soul name) according to the day of the week they are born into the world.

Female kra den

Akosua or Esi (Akwesida)

Adwoa or Adjoa (Dwoda)

Abenaa (Benada)

Akua (me:)) or Edua (Wukuda)

Yaa or Aba (Yawda)

Afua, Afia or Efua (Fida)

Amma or Ame (Memenda)


Male kra den

Kwesi or Kwasi (Akwesida)

Kwodwo or Kwadwo (Dwoda)

Kwabena or Kobena (Benada)

Kweku or Kwaku (Wukuda)

Yaw or Kwaw (Yawda)

Kofi or Kwafi (Fida)

Kwame or Kwamena (Memenda)


In the various names 'a' is pronounced like the 'a' in "father"; 'e' as in "bet"; 'i' like the 'ee' in "beet"; 'o' as in "no"; 'u' like the 'oo' in "boot".

The kra den greatly affects the spirit of the Akan female and male, for it carries the power which works to align the spirit of the individual with her/his divine qualities. This is one reason why the den to (naming rite) is performed on the eighth day. For example, if a child is born on Akwesida (Sunday) then the naming rite is performed eight days later on the following Akwesida. The divinity (God or Goddess) of that particular day lends its energy to the proceedings.

The child also receives its formal name, 'den pa', on the eighth day. The naming ceremony begins and ends before sunrise. It is the father that has the responsibility of naming the child, thus the family comes together in the early morning at the father's house. The Elders pour libation to Nyame (God), Asaase Afua (Earth Mother/Goddess, female counterpart to Nyame, also called Asaase Yaa) and the Nananom Nsamanfo (Honored Ancestral Spirits) to assist with the proper naming of the child.

After the name is acquired, the infant is given to an Elder from the father's side of the family who announces the formal name to the family for the first time. There are two cups, one which contains water and the other nsa (strong drink). The Elder dips his index finger into the water and places it on the mouth of the infant saying, "When you say it is water, it is water." He dips his index finger into the nsa and places it on the mouth of the infant saying, "When you say it is nsa, it is nsa." This is repeated three times. This is done to instill within the infant a consciousness of morality, the necessity of always living in harmony with the truth, for all of her/his life. Whether the consequences of truthfulness leaves a pleasant taste in your mouth (water) or a bad taste in your mouth (nsa), truthfulness nevertheless must be upheld. The remainder of the water and nsa in the two cups is then mixed together and given to the parents, that they may participate in the ritual in unity with their child. The parents are here confirming the importance of the moral lesson taught to the child and at the same time vowing to reinforce this lesson throughout the life of the child. The stability of the community, and the parents are making their vow before Nyame (God), Asaase Afua (Mother Earth/Goddess), Abosom (the Diviniteis/Goddesses and Gods), Nananom Nsamanfo (Honored Ancestral Spirits) and the family.

The time has come for gifts to be presented to the newborn, afterwhich the remainder of the nsa in the bottle is shared with members of the community. The name of the newborn is spoken to each member of the community, and each member sips some of the nsa as a show of respect for the child and as a toast to the newborn's health. A meal is then shared by all.

We recognize the name to be intimately tied to the purpose for which Nyame (God) has fashioned us and Asaase Afua (Earth Mother/Goddess) has borne us. This is precisely why during slavery and colonialization our African names were replaced with foreign names/labels - names that are totally devoid of power and directly antagonistic to our spiritual development and endeavor.

It is time, and of necessity, that we return to our true names.