The Christening
Samory
Samory (pronounced sa-mo-RI) is a boy name of Maninka origin, used in Guinea, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire. It means “Samori Touré, founder of the Wassoulou empire, who resisted colonial conquest.”
- Origin
- Maninka
- Region
- Guinea, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire
- Gender
- Boy
- Variants
- Samori
More names that mean “Figures historiques”
- Aksel — 7th-century Amazigh king (Kusayla); his name is associated with the leopard
- Béhanzin — The last great king of Abomey, who resisted colonial conquest (“the shark king”)
- Dihya — Amazigh warrior queen of the Aurès, 7th century
- Enitan — The one who carries a story
- Gaya — Numidian king, father of Massinissa
- Makeda — The Ethiopian name of the Queen of Sheba
- Mansa — King, sovereign — the title borne by Mansa Musa
- Massinissa — First king of a unified Numidia, 2nd century BC
- Nzinga — Queen of Ndongo and Matamba, a figure of 17th-century resistance
- Pokou — Founding queen of the Baoulé people (18th century), heroine of the sacrifice at the Comoé river
“Samory” comes from Maninka culture (Guinea, Mali, Côte d’Ivoire). 54 Tales of Africa: Côte d’Ivoire Special brings together one tale per ethnic group — Akan, Gour, Krou, Mandé.
Discover the Côte d’Ivoire Special