Addis is a name of Ethiopian origin, derived from the capital city of Ethiopia, Addis Ababa. The name means "new flower" in Amharic, which is the official working language of Ethiopia. It is believed that the city was named after the village of Finfinnee, which means "natural spring," and that the name Addis Ababa translates to "new flower" as a symbol of the new beginning that the founding of the city represented.
The history of Addis Ababa can be traced back to 1896 when Emperor Menelik II ordered the construction of a palace in Finfinnee. The palace was completed in 1897 and became the official residence of the emperor. In 1898, the town surrounding the palace was named Addis Ababa, which eventually grew into the capital city of Ethiopia.
In recent years, the name Addis has gained popularity as a given name for children, particularly among parents looking for unique and meaningful names with African origins. Although it is still relatively rare outside of Ethiopia, its use as a given name has been increasing in popularity in countries such as the United States and the United Kingdom.
The name Addis appears to have experienced fluctuations in popularity over the past century, with peaks occurring around the 1920s and again from the late 2010s onwards. The highest number of births recorded was 13 in 2016, while the lowest occurred in several years with only 5 births each time. Overall, there have been a total of 430 births named Addis since 1912.