Daily writing prompt

Write about your first name: its meaning, significance, etymology, etc.

View all responses

A bit of background: Because of the spread of Christianity (and to a degree colonisation), many (though not all) Africans have a Christian given name, which is often their legal first name, and a middle name which is their traditional given name (and more accurately their proper first name).

Angbanmwine (Northern Ghana, West Africa) means ‘Who knows God?’ (in the sense ‘who can know the mind of God?’) in the Dagaare language

Ang – who

ban – to know

Mwine – God (also Naamwine, ‘Naa’ meaning ‘King’)