Amharic Names for Girls

A fresh addition to the botanical name lists, Aster has in fact been in use since the 1910s, albeit quietly and sporadically. It began taking off for girls in the late 2000s, coinciding with comedian Gilbert Gottfried using it for his daughter, Lily Aster, in 2007, and the similar Astor appearing from 2006 until 2012 in the TV show Dexter.
 
As a floral and celestial choice, Aster is the name of a daisy-like flower, with a star-like shape. In this case, it's derived from the Greek word for "star". As an Ethiopian name, it's a variation of Esther, drawn from Amharic. Pronounced as ah-STAIR, it shows the same starry meaning. 
 
While Aster was more popular for girls in the 2010s, more recent years have seen it lean more unisex. In fact, it's a Top 200 choice in Belgium for boys. In the US, a recent year saw the split to be roughly 40:60 with 43 boys and 57 girls given the name.

Aster

Pronounced mah-zah, Maaza means a pleasant scent, usually from a yellow daisy popular in Ethiopia.  Hot young Ethiopian-American novelist Maaza Mengiste introduced the name to our shores.


Maaza

Spirited yet gentle in sound, Maru is a multicultural and unisex option. Associated with an internet-famous cat from Japan, a Māori god of war and fresh water, and a character in the game Stardew Valley, it makes an appealing and intriguing choice.
 
Maru has a variety of different meanings depending on what root you follow. In Japanese, it means "circle", while in Amharic, it has the sweet meaning of "honey". In Tswana, it is related to the clouds and to rain, but as a Spanish name, it is a contracted form of Maria Eugenia, meaning "beloved and wellborn".
 
It may additionally have its roots in Sanskrit, from which it means "desert, dry, sandy" and in Māori, from which it could mean "safety" or "gentle".

Amharic Names for Girls

The names

Aster

Maaza

Maru