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Makonnen

Makonnen is a male given name of Ethiopian origin. In Amharic and other Ethiopian languages, it is used as a personal name and can appear in patronymic form, reflecting a father’s given name rather than a family surname. The exact meaning of Makonnen in Ge’ez or Amharic is not widely documented in English-language sources. The name has historical significance in Ethiopia through two prominent figures: Ras Makonnen Woldemikael, a 19th‑century noble and governor of Harar, and Tafari Makonnen, who would become Emperor Haile Selassie I.

Notable people with the name include Ras Makonnen Woldemikael (c. 1840s–1906), an influential Ethiopian noble and

Variant spellings and related names, such as Mekonnen, are common in Ethiopian communities, reflecting transliteration differences

governor
of
Harar;
and
Tafari
Makonnen
(1892–1975),
son
of
Ras
Makonnen
and
the
emperor
known
internationally
as
Haile
Selassie
I.
Tafari
Makonnen
served
as
Emperor
of
Ethiopia
from
1930
to
1974
and
played
a
central
role
in
modern
Ethiopian
history.
from
Amharic
and
other
local
languages.
Today,
Makonnen
remains
in
use
within
Ethiopia
and
among
the
Ethiopian
diaspora,
continuing
to
appear
in
historical
and
contemporary
contexts.