Ethiopia

English from Greek

"Burnt-face, red-brown"

Ethiopia Origin and Meaning

The name Ethiopia is a girl's name meaning "Burnt-face, red-brown".

The place name Ethiopia was derived from the Greek word for an Ethiopian, Aithiops, from the components aithō, "I burn" and ōps "face." As a noun, it takes on the meaning of "Burnt-face," which the Greeks used to distinguish between those in Africa and those from the Middle East, who had lighter skin. In adjective form, Aithiops means "red-brown."

Celebrity chef Marcus Samuelsson, an Ethiopian-Swedish-American, named his daughter Grace Ethiopia in honor of his birth country.