MENGESHA Origin of surname

MENGESHA

This name is of Ethiopian origin. Mengesha is a male personal name. It is an Amharic expression, which derives from the word Mengus, which means "king". However the name does not refer to the new child, but rather to his parents. The name describes how they feel rich as kings, with the arrival of the new child.

All the names of Ethiopian origin included in this database are personal names rather than family names. In Ethiopia Jewish families do not bear fixed hereditary family names. Each individual bears his or her personal name, and in some cases the father's personal name as well. Most of the personal names in our database are words or expressions in either Amharic or Geez, and in some cases in Tigrinya, an ancient Ethiopic language. They are drawn from everyday life, from nature, from the Bible and local tradition, and from names of grandparents and ancestors. In many of the names, the name-givers (usually parents or grandparents) express their wishes for the new child's happiness and success in the future.

It is assumed that the original language of Beta Israel (the Jews of Ethiopia) was the Ethiopic Geez. The ancient religious texts of Beta Israel are mostly written in Geez. However, Amharic is the main language in common usage among Beta Israel at present. After the aliya to Israel, resulting in changes in traditional Jewish Ethiopian society, many personal names have become fixed hereditary family names.