Máanu

Máanu is a traditional Akan name from West Africa, specifically Ghana and Côte d'Ivoire. In Akan culture, names often reflect the order of birth, the day of the week a child was born, or circumstances surrounding the birth. Máanu directly signifies the second-born child, a common practice among the Akan people to denote birth order within a family. This naming convention is deeply embedded in their social and spiritual traditions, providing immediate information about an individual's place in the family structure.

The use of such descriptive names helps maintain a clear lineage and cultural identity. While many Akan names are unisex and depend on the day of birth, names like Máanu are more specific to birth order and gender, though the 'second born' concept can also apply to males (e.g., Manu, a variant, can be male). However, Máanu with the specific diacritic is predominantly associated with females.