Houdhoud, the hoopoe

A Name Story by Houdhoud

مَاسِينِيسَا

Massinissa

ma-see-NEE-sa

Of Numidian royalty.”

About Massinissa

Massinissa is a Muslim baby boy's name meaning "of numidian royalty" — a Berber name carried for centuries across the Muslim world.

Tamazight name borne by Massinissa (c. 238–148 BCE), the first king of Numidia who unified the Berber tribes.

A symbol of Amazigh identity in Algeria.

Origin & roots

Origin

Berber

Gender

Boy

Root letters

Across the Maghreb, Berber and Arabic naming traditions have braided for over a millennium. Massinissa sits in that overlap.

Across history

Who has carried Massinissa before.

  • Massinissa (c. 238–148 BCE), king of Numidia

How to say it

ma·see·NEE·sa

Stressed syllable in capitals

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Massinissa: Meaning, Pronunciation, and Origin · Houdhoud