Connie Ellefson - A Genealogists Guide to African Names: A Reference for First Names from Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Nigeria, Tanza nia, Uganda and Zimbabwe

A Genealogists Guide to African NamesA REFERENCE FOR FIRST NAMES FROM ETHIOPIA, GHANA, KENYA, MALAWI, NIGERIA, TANZANIA, UGANDA AND ZIMBABWEby Connie Ellefson

Cincinnati, Ohio shopfamilytree.com Ethiopia is one of the largest and most populous countries in Africa. It covers an area about the size of Texas, Oklahoma and New Mexico. Ethiopia consists roughly of a large, temperate central plateau surrounded by fiercely hot deserts. The province of Eritrea on the northeastern coast is one of the hottest and driest areas in Africa. One of its coastal cities, Massaua, has an average annual temperature of eighty-six degrees Fahrenheit. Other than a five-year period before World War II, when Mussolini invaded the country, Ethiopia has managed to resist foreign domination during its recorded history, even the aggressive European colonization of the 1800s.

Eritrea has been a part of Ethiopia since 1952, but in recent years, Eritreans as well as Tigres (another ethnic group living southeast of Eritrea) have been battling to secede from Ethiopia. Many roads to the mountainous interior have been destroyed in the fighting. Food supplies to relieve famine in the interior, channeled through Eritrea (where Ethiopias only ports are located), have been blockaded and confiscated for use by Eritrean troops and citizens. Ethiopia is one of the oldest Christian nations. Its conversion to Christianity dates back to the fourth century a.d. During the Middle Ages, it was the only Christian kingdom outside Europe.

The Bible contains several complimentary references to Ethiopia, a source of pride to these early Christians. About half of Ethiopians are Christians (Ethiopian Orthodox), 40 percent are Muslims, and a small minority are Ethiopian Jews (called Falashas), who believe in a mixture of Judaic and traditional African ideas. Immigration from Ethiopia to the U.S. has numbered only in the several hundred each year starting in the early 1970s. In the 1970s and 1980s, there have been hundreds of thousands of refugees from famine and civil strife who fled to neighboring African countries.

Over 90 percent of Ethiopias population lives in rural areas.

Seventy known languages are spoken there, but the dominant one is Amharic. Ethiopians are the only people in Africa to have their own form of writing, which dates back at least 2,000 years and comes from a southern Arabian language. Many of Ethiopias languages are Semitic and are related to Arabic and Hebrew.

Abeba (ah-beh-BAH) flower Abrihet (ahb-ruh-HUHT) she had made it light Adanech (ah-DAH-nehtch) (Amharic and Tigrinya) she has rescued them Adina (AH-duh-nuh) (Amharic) she has saved Alam world Alitash (AH-luh-tash) (Amharic) may I not lose you Amhara (AHM-har-ah) the Amhara people of Ethiopia Ayana (ah-YAH-nah) beautiful flower Azmera (ahz-MAIR-ah) harvest Bathsheba (H) daughter of an oath; Batsheva Belkis another name the Queen of Sheba was known by Berhane (Amharic and Tigrinya) my light Berta a people in Ethiopia and Sudan who speak a unique language China (Shona) Thursday Debre (DEH-bruh) mountain, hill Debtera (duhb-TUH-ruh) (Amharic) a priest who is in training Desse (DEHS-say) a large town in the region of Eritrea Desta happiness Dilla a town in southern Ethiopia Falasha (Amharic) landless one (Ethiopian Jews are called Falashas) Faiashina (Amharic) the language spoken by the Falashas Fana (FAH-nah) (Amharic and Tigrinya) light Fannah fun Genat heaven Habesha one of the peoples of the highlands of Ethiopia Kayla (KIGH-lah) an Ethiopian ethnic group and their language Keren (KAR-uhn) a town in Eritrea; Cheren Kess (kehs) a priest of one of the Ethiopian churches Kifle (KEHF-leh) my class Lishan (LEE-shahn) (Amharic) award, medal; Nishan Louam sleep well Magdala a town in the central highlands of Ethiopia, former capital Maharene forgive us Makda (H) woman of Magdala Makeda (muh-KUH-duh) real name of Queen of Sheba; beautiful armrest Mandera a town in Kenya near the Ethiopian border Melesse eternal Misrak (MUHS-rahk) (Amharic and Tigrinya) east Nyala a rare mountain goat found only in Ethiopia Qwara (KWAH-rah) a people of Ethiopia Retta won Sebie autumn Seble Wengel (SUHB-luh WEHN-gehl) harvest of the New Testament Selam (SUH-lahm) (Amharic and Tigrinya) peace Selamawit (suh-lahm-ah-WEET) she is peaceful Selassie (Amharic and Tigrinya) trinity Semhar country Senaiet happy Sheba from the Queen of Sheba Shinasha a people of Ethiopia also called Bworo Sisay (SEE-sigh) (Amharic) omen of good things Tavavich name of the wife of nineteenth-century Ethiopian emperor Teru (Amharic) combining name; good Totit (TOH-tit) (Amharic) a nickname; female monkey Tsage happiness Wagaye (wah-GAH-yeh) (Amharic) my price Yehudit (H) tenth-century Falasha queen; praise Yeshi (Amharic) combining name; a thousand Yeshi Emebet mistress of a thousand people Zala a people of Ethiopia Zauditu (zow-DEE-too) (Amharic) she is the crown Abai (AH-bigh) (Amharic) name for the Nile River Abebe (an-BUH-buh) (Amharic) he has flourished Afework one who speaks of pleasant things Aman (AH-man) (Amharic) peace Assefa (ah-seh-FAH) enlarge Atoberhan sunny Azmera (ahz-MAIR-ah) harvest Bekele (buh-KUH-luh) (Amharic) he has grown Beniam (H) son of the right hand Berhanua (Amharic) his light Berihun (bair-EE-hoon) (Amharic and Tigrinya) let him be our guide Berta (BUR-tuh) (Amharic) be strong, persevere Dawit (DAH-weet) (H) beloved Eremias (AIR-mee-ahs) (H) God will uplift Ezana (ay-ZAH-nah) the fourth-century king who adopted Christianity Fasilidas a historic king of Ethiopia Fethee judgment Gebereal (H) God is my strength Gebre (GUH-bruh) (Amharic and Tigrinya) an offering; Gabra Gondar a royal town in Ethiopia from the 1600s to the 1800s Hagos (Tigrinya) joy, happiness Hakim (HAH-keem) (Amharic and Tigrinya) doctor, medicine man Iskander (Gr) defender of mankind Iyasu (ee-YAH-soo) Christian emperor of Ethiopia from 1682 to 1706 Jima a town in southwest Ethiopia; Jimma, Gimma KafaNext page