Fun Facts About the Name Abena
- 671 babies named Abena: U.S. records list 671 babies given the name Abena from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Abena Mean?
Abena is a female given name in the Akan language of Ghana. Its established meaning is "born on Tuesday." The Akan peoples give children a personal name based on the day of the week on which they are born, so Abena belongs to a fixed set of day names rather than to a name with a free-standing dictionary meaning. The male name for Tuesday is Kwabena, called Kobina among the Fante. Both share the element Bena, which points to Tuesday in the Akan week.
The literal content of the name is a calendar reference, not a descriptive word. Later writers sometimes attach symbolic or character readings to the various day names, but those are customary interpretations layered on top of the name, not its etymology.
Abena Name History & Origins
The Akan of southern Ghana and neighboring parts of Ivory Coast have used day names as personal names for generations, and the practice continues. Tuesday is Benada in Twi, and the personal name Abena is tied to that day word. A child's day name is traditionally announced at the outdooring ceremony, held about a week after birth, when the baby is brought outside for the first time and formally presented to the family and community.
Spelling and form vary by Akan dialect and by individual family choice. Fante speakers often write Abenaa or Abena, while Twi speakers use Abena. The matching male name differs in the same way, appearing as Kwabena in Twi and Kobina in Fante. The female names for other days follow the same pattern, such as Adwoa for Monday, Akua for Wednesday, and Afua for Friday.
Akan day names were carried across the Atlantic during the slave trade and survive in altered spellings in parts of the Caribbean, though Abena itself is used mainly by Akan families and by people of Akan descent in Ghana and its diaspora. The name is distinct from unrelated names that merely look or sound similar.
How Popular is the Name Abena?
Abena has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2006. Its best rank was #3,481 in 1973.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #7,138 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2024 | #8,408 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2023 | #8,052 | 13 | 0.0008% |
| 2022 | #10,385 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2021 | #6,689 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2020 | #13,455 | 6 | 0.0004% |
| 2019 | #8,602 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2018 | #7,404 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2017 | #11,619 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2016 | #9,416 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 2015 | #8,443 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2014 | #7,301 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2013 | #7,032 | 17 | 0.0010% |
| 2012 | #7,803 | 15 | 0.0009% |
| 2011 | #13,355 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2010 | #7,513 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2009 | #7,681 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 2008 | #7,408 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 2007 | #8,099 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2006 | #5,382 | 25 | 0.0013% |
| 2005 | #6,248 | 19 | 0.0010% |
| 2004 | #5,970 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2003 | #5,586 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 2002 | #7,445 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #8,201 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2000 | #6,810 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #7,721 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1998 | #8,587 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #7,746 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #5,066 | 19 | 0.0011% |
| 1995 | #10,516 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1994 | #8,807 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #10,593 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1992 | #7,514 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1991 | #6,589 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1990 | #7,883 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1989 | #5,286 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1988 | #11,802 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1987 | #4,856 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1985 | #6,459 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1983 | #7,311 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1981 | #6,324 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1980 | #5,544 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1979 | #8,060 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1978 | #9,750 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1977 | #5,532 | 11 | 0.0007% |
| 1976 | #4,614 | 13 | 0.0009% |
| 1975 | #4,370 | 14 | 0.0010% |
| 1974 | #3,695 | 17 | 0.0012% |
| 1973 | #3,481 | 18 | 0.0012% |
| 1972 | #3,542 | 17 | 0.0011% |
| 1971 | #6,621 | 7 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Abena Shapes Your Personality and Life?
Powerful and complete. You are good intellectually and require several outlets for your energies. You are not a builder but a planner, and you want others to carry out your plans. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
You are seeking freedom, opportunities to enjoy life: to make love, to go places and to do things. You are very adventurous and willing to take risk to achieve your objectives. New ways and new experiences can't satisfy your restless nature. One adventure leads you to another. You are honest and fair, because you know that this is the only way to receive justice and honesty from other people. But your personal growth is vital for you, and it is difficult to be tied down by rules and obligations. Your restless spirit might best controlled by choosing the field of work that meet your demand for action and adventure.
✦ Abena's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Abena's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.