public By day of birth
Day names: West African variants
The system of naming by day of birth goes far beyond Benin. Ghana, Togo, Côte d’Ivoire, Nigeria: each country has its own variants for the same day. Here is the comparison table.
The Ewe-Fon-Akan system
This naming system comes from the Akan peoples (Ghana, Côte d’Ivoire), who spread it to the Ewe (Togo) and then to the Fon (Benin). Today it is shared by 30+ million people.
Monday to Sunday compared
Phonetic variants
Togolese (Ewe) and Ivorian (Akan) forms introduce slightly different sounds:
Recognizing the origin
When you hear a name, you can often guess the country: Kwame = Ghana, Kouami = Benin, Koffi = Côte d’Ivoire. A West African ID card.
One system, a thousand variants
From the Atlantic to the Niger, this system links 30+ million people through their names. A remarkable West African cultural bond.
Behind every first name, there is a whole language.
A Fon name is a sentence. To truly hear it, you need the language: 79 video lessons with a native speaker — greet people, introduce yourself, talk about your family, understand your grandmother on the phone.
One free trial lesson when you sign up.
- The Fon video course: see the program — 79 lessons with a native speaker from Cotonou, taught in French
- What is your Fon level? — the free 15-question test