Mensah
A Ghanaian surname, often associated with Akan naming traditions and meaning is commonly linked to a Sunday-born child.
The #7,863 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 73,354 Americans shares it.
Etymology
Mensah is a West African surname found especially among Akan-speaking peoples of Ghana. It is commonly connected with Akan day-naming traditions, where names can reflect the day of birth or related family naming customs. In many references it is associated with the name for a child born on Sunday, though exact spellings and interpretations can vary by dialect and source.
History
The surname is strongly associated with Ghana, particularly Akan communities, and is widely borne in the diaspora through migration to the UK, North America, and elsewhere. As with many Akan surnames, it often functions as a hereditary family name even when its roots lie in a personal name or birth-name tradition.
Origin
Regions
Variant spellings
Fun fact
Mensah is one of several Ghanaian surnames that can preserve older day-name traditions, so it may carry a clue to ancestral naming customs as well as family identity.