Makeda as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Makeda

What is the meaning of the name Makeda ?

The baby name Makeda is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced mah-KEH-dah (also mah-KEE-dah).

Makeda is Amharic in Origin.

Makeda is a feminine name of Ethiopian (Ge'ez/Amharic) origin best known as the name given to the Queen of Sheba in the medieval Ethiopian epic Kebra Nagast. While the Hebrew Bible does not name her, Ethiopian tradition preserves Makeda as the sovereign who visited King Solomon and, in legend, founded the Solomonic line. The name has long-standing use in Ethiopia and Eritrea and gained wider visibility across the African diaspora in the late 20th century through Pan-African and Rastafarian cultural currents and music.

Scholars consider the etymology uncertain; it is often linked to Ge'ez but no consensus meaning exists. Popular interpretations include “greatness,” “noble/beautiful,” or “from Sheba,” though these are folk etymologies. Common variants and spellings include Makeeda, Mekeda, Maqueda, and Ma'keda; related cultural counterparts are Bilqis/Balkis in Arabic sources. Approximate English pronunciation is mah-KAY-dah.