Fun Facts About the Name Kwesi
- 817 babies named Kwesi: U.S. records list 817 babies given the name Kwesi from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Kwesi Mean?
Kwesi is an Akan day name that means "born on Sunday." It belongs to the Akan language of southern Ghana, where it appears in both Twi- and Fante-speaking areas, and it is a spelling variant of Kwasi. Both forms trace to the Akan word for Sunday, Kwesida: a boy's day name is taken from the day of the week on which he was born. As with other Akan day names, the label describes the birth day rather than carrying a separate descriptive meaning.
Kwesi Name History & Origins
The Akan peoples of Ghana, and related groups such as the Anyi and Baoulé in neighboring Ivory Coast, traditionally give a child a name drawn from the day of the week of birth. For a boy born on Sunday this name is Kwasi, with the Kwesi spelling especially associated with Fante speakers along the Ghanaian coast and Kwasi more common in Asante and other Twi-speaking regions. Because the day name is typically the name a person is known by in everyday life, it has stayed in wide use in Ghana rather than serving only as a formal or ceremonial name.
Akan speakers carried the custom to the Caribbean through the transatlantic slave trade, and forms such as Quashie and Quashee, derived from the same day name, are recorded there. Kwesi is also given among Ghanaian communities in Europe and North America.
How Popular is the Name Kwesi?
Kwesi 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 1977. Its best rank was #1,680 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 | #10,254 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2024 | #8,038 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 2023 | #10,316 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2022 | #10,394 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2021 | #6,531 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 2020 | #9,183 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 2019 | #8,584 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2018 | #6,957 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 2017 | #10,311 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2016 | #10,280 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 2015 | #7,810 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 2014 | #9,266 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 2012 | #8,572 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2011 | #8,480 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2010 | #8,508 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2009 | #5,717 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2008 | #5,661 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2007 | #6,898 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 2006 | #8,442 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 2005 | #4,747 | 18 | 0.0009% |
| 2004 | #5,658 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 2003 | #3,493 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 2002 | #4,827 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #5,038 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 2000 | #2,958 | 30 | 0.0015% |
| 1999 | #4,671 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1998 | #5,055 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #2,869 | 27 | 0.0014% |
| 1996 | #4,776 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1995 | #4,179 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1994 | #2,658 | 28 | 0.0014% |
| 1993 | #2,435 | 31 | 0.0016% |
| 1992 | #3,289 | 20 | 0.0010% |
| 1991 | #3,747 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1990 | #3,016 | 21 | 0.0010% |
| 1989 | #3,537 | 16 | 0.0008% |
| 1988 | #5,489 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1987 | #7,626 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1986 | #4,319 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1985 | #4,532 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1984 | #3,581 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1983 | #3,009 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1982 | #3,828 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1981 | #3,524 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1980 | #2,492 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 1979 | #3,708 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1978 | #2,165 | 22 | 0.0013% |
| 1977 | #1,725 | 31 | 0.0019% |
| 1976 | #2,467 | 18 | 0.0011% |
| 1975 | #2,095 | 22 | 0.0014% |
| 1974 | #1,814 | 26 | 0.0017% |
| 1973 | #1,680 | 28 | 0.0018% |
| 1972 | #1,800 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1971 | #2,750 | 13 | 0.0007% |
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.
Explore More Lists with Name Kwesi
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with K
Short Boy Names That Start with K
How the Name Kwesi Shapes Your Personality and Life?
EXTREMES in fortune, health and spirituality. You are very versatile, idealistic and intuitive. You either enjoy great success or suffer abject misery. The solution is service to others. Use your leadership abilities for humanity and not for self-glorification. You have an eventful, exciting life. You are versatile and have the ability to learn easily.
Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.
✦ Kwesi's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Kwesi's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.