According to Richard Pankhurst, Adwa derives its name from Adi Awa (or Wa), ``Village of the Awa''; the Awa are an ethnic group mentioned in the anonymous Monumentum Adulitanum that once stood at Adulis. Francisco Alvares records that the Portuguese diplomatic mission passed Adwa, which he called ``Houses of St. Michael,'' in August 1520.
Francisco Alvares
Adwa