Akala

Akala is a gender-neutral name that has sprouted to life from different roots around the world—and who can blame it? Its warm vowels, perfectly woven into a lyrical spelling, make it pleasing to the ear no matter where you are. Akala is the word for “pink” in Hawaiian, and it also exists in several Indian languages where it can mean “untimely,” “whole,” “entire,” “cleverness,” “wisdom,” and “black.” Not stopping there, Akala also has a home in Africa as a Nigerian first and last name. It might be a variant of the word akara, which means “symbol” and also refers to a kind of tasty fried bean cake. You may have already heard of this name thanks to British rapper, writer, and activist Akala. On top of his award-winning music, loved for its artistic and intellectual expression, Akala founded the Hip-hop Shakespeare Company, which explores the many parallels of Shakespearean works to modern-day hip-hop artists. A delight to the mind and the senses in all kinds of ways, the name Akala holds the wisdom of the world in every beat.