The Edo people are an Edo-speaking ethnic group.^[3] The ethnic group is prominent in 8 southern local government areas of the State of Edo, Nigeria, are known as "Edo". They are speakers of the Edo language and are the descendants of the founders of the Benin Kingdom, Ogiso Igodo.^[4] They are closely related to other southern Nigerian tribes, such as the Esan, the Etsak?, the Isoko, the Yoruba, and the Urhobo.^[5]

The name "Benin" (and "Bini") is a Portuguese corruption, ultimately from the word "Ubini", which came into use during the reign of Oba (ruler) Ewuare, c. 1440. "Ubini", an Edo word meaning Livable, used by Pa Idu, the progenitor of the Edo people to describe the area found as a Livable Locale, during their sojourn from lower Egypt. Ubini was later corrupted to Benin by the mixed ethnicities living together at the centre; and further corrupted to Benin around 1485, when the Portuguese began trade relations with Oba Ewuare giving them coral beads.^[6]

History