"Ras Tafari Makonnen" suna ne da ke nufin sunan haihuwar Sarkin Habasha Haile Selassie na I na Habasha, wanda aka haifa a matsayin Tafari Makonnen. "Ras" lakabi ne na Habasha wanda yayi daidai da "yarima" ko "shugaba." A cikin shekarun 1930, wasu a cikin kungiyar Rastafari suna kallon Haile Selassie a matsayin masihanci, wadanda suke ganinsa a matsayin wata alama ta bakar fata ta adawa da zalunci da wariyar launin fata. Ƙungiyar ta karɓi sunan "Rastafari" dangane da sunan Haile Selassie na kafin sarauta da taken sarauta, wanda ya haɗa da kalmar "Ras." A yau, kalmar "Ras Tafari Makonnen" tana da alaƙa da Haile Selassie da ƙungiyar Rastafari.