Kwamin
A masculine name of Akan origin meaning "born on Saturday".
Name Census estimates that about 5 living Americans carry the first name Kwamin. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Kwamin today is around 47 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Kwamin births was 1975 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Kwamin. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Kwamin. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
5
~ 1 in 68,550,868 Americans
Peak year
1975
5 babies that year
Average age
47
years old
1975 SSA rank
#5,939
Tracked since 1975
Popularity
Kwamin: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Kwamin by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Kwamin during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 5 | 0 | 5 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Kwamin
The name Kwamin has its origins in the Akan language spoken by the Akan people of Ghana and Ivory Coast in West Africa. It is derived from the Akan word "kra," which means "soul" or "spirit." The name Kwamin can be traced back to the time when the Akan people developed their language and cultural traditions, which is believed to be around the 11th century AD.
The name Kwamin was likely given to children born on Saturdays, as in the Akan culture, each day of the week is associated with a specific name. Kwamin is the name traditionally given to boys born on Saturday. This naming tradition reflects the Akan belief in the close connection between an individual's name and their spiritual identity.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Kwamin can be found in the Akan oral traditions and folktales, which have been passed down through generations. These tales often featured characters with the name Kwamin, symbolizing their spiritual nature and connection to the Akan culture.
In the 18th century, during the height of the transatlantic slave trade, many Akan people were forcibly taken to the Americas, carrying their names and cultural traditions with them. This led to the name Kwamin being introduced to the Caribbean and parts of North and South America, where it was adopted by the descendants of enslaved Africans.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Kwamin. One such person was Kwamin Boateng (1817-1884), a prominent Akan chief and diplomat who played a significant role in negotiating treaties between the British and the Akan people in the 19th century.
Another notable Kwamin was Kwamin Nkrumah (1909-1972), a Ghanaian revolutionary and the first president of independent Ghana. He led Ghana's struggle for independence from British colonial rule and played a pivotal role in the Pan-African movement.
In the literary world, Kwamin Selden Delany (1856-1928) was an acclaimed African American author and Civil Rights activist who wrote about the experiences of Black Americans in the post-Civil War era.
Kwamin Mensa (1922-2015) was a renowned Ghanaian artist and educator who played a significant role in promoting and preserving traditional Akan art forms and cultural heritage.
Kwamin Clement Kofi Quartey (born 1978) is a contemporary Ghanaian-American author known for his crime fiction novels set in Ghana, which often explore themes of identity, culture, and social issues.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Kwamin, reflecting its rich cultural heritage and significance within the Akan tradition.
People
Kwamin + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Kwamin as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with K
Other first names starting with K with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Kwamin: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Kwamin?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 5 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Kwamin going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 68,550,868 US residents.
Is Kwamin a common name?
We classify Kwamin as "Very Rare". It ranks above 18.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 5 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Kwamin most popular?
The single biggest year for Kwamin was 1975, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Kwamin is about 47 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Kwamin in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Kwamin a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Kwamin in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Kwamin still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Kwamin in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Kwamin can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Kwamin?
You can see how many Americans are named Kwamin on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org — same data roots, lighter UI.