The woreda is named after a former confederation of the Agew, which James Bruce describes was formed of Dengui, Sakala, Dengila and Geesh.
The five largest ethnic groups reported in the Metekel Zone were the Gumuz (33%), the Amhara (24%), the Oromo (13.4%), the Shinasha (16%), and the Awi (7.6%), a subgroup of the Agew.
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The five largest ethnic groups reported in the Metekel Zone were the Gumuz (36.78%), the Shinasha (21.6%), the Amhara (17.39%), the Awi (11.33%), a subgroup of the Agew, and the Oromo (11.09%); all other ethnic groups made up 1.81% of the population.