Ghana Place Names is a research project to find the meanings and origins of as many place names in Ghana as possible.
Make sure your town or village is included!
Coastal Names: Some of the names of places on the coast have undergone changes because of foreign influence. Where did Sekondi and Prampram get their names? What does Moree mean? And why was Cape St. Paul named after the apostle?
Northern Names: Help with names in the north of Ghana is particularly needed. Are you a speaker of Bimoba, Konkomba, or Nankani, or any other Northern language? Tell us what you know about the names of the north.
River Names: Many towns in Ghana are named after rivers, e.g. 'Praso' means 'on the Pra River'. But what do the river names mean? Send your ideas.
Personal Names: Some places are named after people, such as Kofi Djan. Help to commemorate such people by telling us who they were.
Visitors:
First time? Check the Information Centre before leaving.
Returning? Check the latest Site News.
Send Your Suggestions: If you think you know the meaning or origin of a place name in Ghana, especially if there is an interesting story behind it, let us know. It will then be added to the relevant Toponyms section.
Ghana Place Names has been online since 2 October 2010
New Map Links: New & updated toponym records will now have a link to Open Street Map. See Site News.
Two new pages on Binomina & Power Stations have been added to Places in Perspective.
An 'A to Z' has been added to the Community toponyms section.
"... some word that teems with hidden meaning - like 'Bolgatanga' " - W.S.Gilbert, 'Ruddigore' (adapted)