Amda

Amda is a name element found in Ethiopian naming traditions. It is most notably associated with Amda Seyon I, an emperor of the Solomonic dynasty who ruled in the 14th century. In historical sources, the combination Amda Seyon is often read as a two-element regnal name, with Amda appearing as the first element and Seyon as a throne name or epithet. The name and its variants appear in Ge'ez and later Ethiopian chronicles and inscriptions.

The exact meaning and etymology of Amda are not clearly established in surviving sources. Modern scholarship does not reach a consensus on a definitive definition, and Amda is generally treated as part of a royal title rather than as a commonly used personal name in everyday contexts. As a result, Amda is most frequently encountered in discussions of Ethiopian imperial history and in translations of medieval chronicles.

In contemporary usage, Amda is not commonly used as a standalone given name outside specialized historical or scholarly contexts. When it does appear, it is typically within discussions of Ethiopian regnal names or in historical texts rather than as a common modern given name. The term serves primarily as a historical identifier associated with medieval Ethiopian rule rather than as a general cultural name in current times.