Yaw (name)

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, Bono, Akyem and Fante subgroups.^[5][6]

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:

• Yaw Antwi (born 1985), Ghanaian footballer playing in Serbia
• Yaw Amankwah Mireku (born 1979), Ghanaian footballer
• Yaw Asante (born 1991), Ghanaian footballer playing in Italy
• Yaw Berko (born 1980), Ghanaian footballer playing in Tanzania
• Yaw Fosu-Amoah (born 1981), South African long jumper
• Yaw Frimpong (born 1986), Ghanaian footballer playing in Congo
• Yaw Ihle Amankwah (born 1988), Ghanaian footballer playing in Norway
• Yaw Osafo-Marfo, (born 1942) Ghanaian politician and former minister for Education and Finance
• Yaw Preko (born 1974), Ghanaian former international footballer
• Yaw Tog (born 2003), Ghanaian rapper
• Eugene Yaw (born 1943), American politician
• Joachim Yaw (born 1973), Ghanaian former international footballer and Olympic medalist
• Lawrence Henry Yaw Ofosu-Appiah (1920–1990), Ghanaian academic and director of the Encyclopedia Africana
• Nicholas Yaw Boafo Adade (1927–2013), Ghanaian former supreme court judge
• Samuel Yaw Adusei, Ghanaian politician

• Rao (Chinese surname), sometimes transliterated as Yaw