Given name & surname
Akan
“but perhaps twist”
Akan is used as a given name and a surname.
Original Hebrewעקן
Meaning & origin
What it means
As a biblical name, Akan is thought to mean “but perhaps twist.”
From biblical name research
Where it comes from
Akan is a biblical name, probably from Hebrew.
From biblical name research
How it developed
Possibly from the Hebrew verb 'aqam (עקם), “to twist.”
From biblical name research
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 2022. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
In the Bible
In the Bible, the name Akan appears in Genesis 36:27, 1 Chronicles 1:42, Numbers 33:31.
- Genesis 36:27
- 1 Chronicles 1:42
- Numbers 33:31
From biblical name research
Akan through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 5
- 5 boys · 0 girls
- Most popular year
- 2022
- 5 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 5 in 2022. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 136 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Akan’s family of names
Akan may belong to the same name family as AKANN. This is a tentative spelling connection.
Inner ring: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Across languages 2
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
Similar names
If you love Akan, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Azzan
“strong one” · “their strength”
>99% boys
Abaddon
“destructive one” · “place of destruction”
>99% boys
Kallai
“sparky” · “frivolous”
>99% boys
Amzi
“strong” · “my strength”
>99% boys
Azarel
“God has helped”
>99% boys
Tahan
“encampment”
>99% boys
Abiner
“my father is a lamp” · “father of light”
>99% boys
Enan
“having eyes” · “having fountains”
>99% boys