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Home › Baby Names Directory › Tafari

Tafari

♂ Boy

Pronounced tah-FAR-ee /tɑˈfɑr.i/High

Meaning: From Amharic Tafari, 'one who is feared/awesome, awe-inspiring' — Haile Selassie's birth name, root of 'Rastafari'Medium

In 30 seconds: The awe before the crown: Tafari was Haile Selassie's birth name — Ras Tafari — the very word inside Rastafari. Ethiopia's lion-throne, reggae's heartbeat.
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Origin HighAmharic, Ethiopian
MeaningFrom Amharic Tafari, 'one who is feared/awesome, awe-inspiring' — Haile Selassie's birth name, root of 'Rastafari'
U.S. rank (2025)#4520 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births23 boys (0.00% of U.S. boys)
Peak year2023
Total births (all-time)≈ 964

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 202319782025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Tafari comes from Amharic — 'one who inspires awe' — the birth name of Emperor Haile Selassie (Ras Tafari), from which the Rastafari movement takes its name. Crowned in Addis, immortal in reggae.

In the U.S. it appears in Ethiopian and Caribbean families. Rare, awe at the root, and lion-crowned.

Did you know? Ras Tafari Makonnen became Emperor Haile Selassie in 1930 — and Jamaican believers kept his princely name, founding Rastafari around it.
Overall data confidence 80%
References — Ras Tafari — etymology and history

Variations

TeferiTafary

Nicknames

Taf

Famous Bearers

  • ★Haile Selassie (Ras Tafari) (1892–1975)
    Emperor of Ethiopia, born Tafari Makonnen.

If you like Tafari…

Zion— the Rastafari promised-land pick
Kofi— a fellow proud African classic
Ermias— shares Tafari's Amharic roots
Yared— another Ethiopian name
Million— a fellow Ethiopian choice

Explore names like Tafari

By themeroyalethiopianamharic

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Tafari mean?

Tafari is Amharic for 'one who inspires awe' — Haile Selassie's birth name.

How do you pronounce Tafari?

It's said tah-FAR-ee /tɑˈfɑr.i/ — three syllables, stress on the second.

Is Tafari a boy or girl name?

Tafari is a boy's name.

How popular is Tafari?

Tafari is a rare name in the U.S.

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