List of Berber people
Appearance
This is a list of famous Berber people.
In ancient times
Pharaoh
- Osorkon the Elder, fifth king of the twenty-first dynasty of Ancient Egypt and was the first Pharaoh of Libyan origin
- Shoshenq I (Berber: Cicnaq), Egyptian Pharaoh of Libyan origin, founder of the Twenty-second dynasty of Egypt
Kings of Numidia
- Masinissa (Berber: Masnsen), King of Numidia, North Africa, present day Algeria and Tunisia
- Jugurtha (Berber: Yugerten), King of Numidia
- Juba II (Berber: Yuba Wissin), King of Numidia
Kings of Mauretania
- Baga (also Bagas), king of Mauretania about 225 BC.
- Bocchus, king of Mauretania about 110 BC.
- Bocchus II, king of Mauretania. Son of Bocchus.
- Juba II (Berber: Yuba Wissin), king of Numidia and then later moved to Mauretania.
Roman Emperors and Generals
- Macrinus, Roman emperor for 14 months in 217 and 218
- Lusius Quietus, governor of Judaea and one of Trajan's chief generals
- Quintus Lollius Urbicus, governor of Britannia from 138 to 144
- Gildo (Berber: Gildu, Gellid), Roman general who turned against the Romans and fought them in 398
Writers
- Terence (Berber: Tirines), (Publius Terentius Afer), Roman writer
- Apuleius (Berber: Afulay), (125-170), born in Madaurus (M'Daourouch), Philosopher and Rhetorician.
- Priscian, Latin grammarian of the 5th Century, born in modern Algeria
Christians
- Pope Victor I, pope of the Roman Catholic Church (reigned 189-199)
- Pope Miltiades, pope of the Roman Catholic Church (reigned 311-314)
- Pope Gelasius I, pope of the Roman Catholic Church (reigned 492-496)
- Saint Monica of Hippo (Thagaste/Souk Ahras), (322-387), Saint Augustine's mother
- Saint Alypius, (360-430) from Thagaste, bishop of Thagaste (394)
- Faustus of Mileve, from Milevis, bishop of Milevis (Mila) late 4th century
- Saint Augustine of Hippo, (354-430), from Thagaste (Souk Ahras), bishop of Hippo Regius (Annaba) (395)
- Arius, proposed the doctrine of Arianism
- Donatus Magnus, leader of the Donatist schism
Others
- Tacfarinas (Berber: Takfarin, Takfarinas), fought the Romans in the Aures Mountains
- Firmus, fought the Romans Between 372 and 375
In medieval times
- Adrian of Canterbury, Abbot of St Augustine's Abbey in Canterbury
- Dihya or al-Kahina
- Aksil or Kusayla
- Salih ibn Tarif of the Berghouata
- Tariq ibn Ziyad (670-720), led the Islamic Umayyad conquest of Visigothic Hispania (711-718)
- Ibn Tumart, founder of the Almohad dynasty
- Yusuf ibn Tashfin, founder of the Almoravid dynasty
- Mundhir bin Sa'īd al-Ballūṭī, judge for the Caliph of Cordoba
- Ibn Battuta (1304-1377), Moroccan traveller and explorer
- Ibn Adjurrum, famous grammarian of Arabic
- Abu Yaqub Yusuf I, had the Giralda in Seville built
- Abu Yaqub Yusuf II, had the Torre del Oro in Seville built
- Ziri ibn Manad, founder of the Zirid dynasty
- Muhammad Awzal (ca. 1680-1749), prolific Sous Berber poet (see also Ocean of Tears)
- Muhammad al-Jazuli, author of the Dala'il al-Khairat, Sufi
- Imam Busiri, poet and author of the famous poem Qasida Burda, lived in Alexandria
- Abdelwahid al-Marrakushi (born 7 July 1185 in Marrakech), Moroccan historian who lived during the Almohad period
In modern times
This section of a biography of a living person does not include any references or sources. (April 2016) |
Politicians
- Mohammed Arav Bessaoud, described as the spiritual father of Berberism, Bessaoud was a Muhjahedin during the war of liberation 1954–62, founder of the Académie berbère in Paris during the 1960s, designer of the modern Berber flag, author of several books on the War of Independence, its aftermath and the history of the Berbers, he was one of the leading lights of Berberism during the 20th and early 21st centuries.
- Saïd Sadi, secularist politician
- Hocine Aït Ahmed, Algerian revolutionary fighter and secularist politician
- Sidi Said, leader of the Algerian syndicat of workers : UGTA
- Khalida Toumi, Algerian feminist and secularist, currently spokesperson for the Algerian government
- Ahmed Ouyahia, Prime Minister of Algeria
- Belaïd Abrika, one of the spokesmen of the Arouch
- Nordine Ait Hamouda, secularist politician and son of Colonel Amirouche
- Saadeddine Othmani, deputy of Inezgane, an outer suburb of Agadir, is the leader of the Justice and Development Party (Islamist) and head of the Moroccan government.
- Liamine Zeroual and Houari Boumedienne former Presidents of Algeria
- Nouri Abusahmain, President of the Libyan General National Congress
- Mohamed Seghir Boushaki
Figures of the Algerian resistance and revolution
- Larbi Ben M'Hidi
- Abdelhafid Boussouf, founder of the Algerian Military intelligence
- Mustapha Benboulaïd
- Abane Ramdane, Algerian revolutionary fighter, assassinated in 1957 in an internal purge.
- Krim Belkacem, Algerian revolutionary fighter, assassinated in 1970, allegedly by Algerian secret services.
- Colonel Amirouche, Algerian revolutionary fighter, killed by French troops in 1959.
- Lalla Fatma n Soumer, woman who led western Kabylie in battle against French troops.
- Belkacem Radjef, early leading figure of the movement for independence.
Human Rights Activists
The Netherlands
Khadija Azalam, (1975, Amsterdam)
Artists
Sweden
- Loreen, singer
Morocco
- Ammouri Mbarek, singer and songwriter (singing since the early 1960s and now), from Morocco
- Fatima Tabaamrant, singer, songwriter from Morocco
- Najat Aatabou, singer from Morocco
- Hindi Zahra, singer from Morocco
- Cherifa, singer from Morocco
- Mohamed Rouicha, singer from Morocco
- Oudaden, band from Morocco
Algeria
- El Hadj M'Hamed El Anka, born on May 20, 1907, under the name Aît Ouarab Mohamed Idir Halo, on 4 Rue Tombouctou in the Casbah of Algiers. ( died November 23, 1978, in Algiers) also known as Hadj Muhammed Al Anka, was considered The Grand Master of Andalusian classical music and creator of Algerian chaâbi music. His family was originally from Béni Djennad (Tizi Ouzou Province); his father was Mohamed Ben HadJ Saîd, and his mother was Fatma Bent Boudjemaâ.
- Si Mohand, Kabyle folk poet
- Aïssa Djermouni, Chaoui folk poet
- Idir, Kabyle singer
- Katchou, Chaoui singer
- Lounis Aït Menguellet, Kabyle singer
- Takfarinas, Kabyle singer
- Slimane Azem, singer
- Souad Massi, young, female Kabyle singer who performs mainly in Algerian Arabic and French
- Lounès Matoub, Berberist and secularist singer assassinated in 1998
- Taos Amrouche, (March 4, 1913 in Tunis, Tunisia – April 2, 1976 in Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, France) Algerian writer and singer
- Rim'K, rapper
- Cheb-i-sabbah, DJ and composer in Algeria
- Bachir Bensaddek, Canadian director
- Cheikh El Hasnaoui, singer
Mali
Writers
- Kateb Yacine, writer
- Mohamed Choukri
- Tahar Ouettar, Mouloud Kacem Naît Belkacem writers and defenders of the arab language in Algeria
- Mouloud Feraoun, writer assassinated by the OAS.
- Tahar Djaout, writer and journalisbet assassinated by the GIA in 1993.
- Salem Chaker, Berberist, linguist, cultural and political activist, writer, and director of Berber at the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales in Paris
- Mouloud Mammeri, writer, anthropologist and linguist. His interest and work about Tamazight is behind the popular galvanization towards the Amazigh (Berber) culture and language.
- Taos Amrouche, (March 4, 1913 in Tunis, Tunisia – April 2, 1976 in Saint-Michel-l'Observatoire, France) Algerian writer and singer.
- Jean Amrouche, (1906–1962) writer and Taos Amrouche's brother.
- Mohamed Chafik, Moroccan writer and the dean of the IRCAM.
- Mohammed Khaïr-Eddine
- Lhoussain Azergui, writer and journalist.
- Ali Lmrabet, Moroccan journalist.
Sport
- Rabah Madjer, Algerian footballer, winner of the 1986–87 European Cup with FC Porto
- Zinedine Zidane, French footballer and current manager of Real Madrid
- Karim Benzema, French-Algerian footballer
- Mustapha Hadji, Moroccan footballer nominated as the best African player of the year 1998
- Youssouf Hadji, Moroccan footballer
- Khalid Boulahrouz, Dutch footballer of Moroccan descent
- Ibrahim Afellay, Dutch footballer of Moroccan origin
- Riyad Mahrez, Algerian footballer won the English Premier League with Leicester City
- Islam Slimani, Algerian footballer
- Adel Taarabt, Moroccan footballer
- Hakim Ziyech, Moroccan footballer
- Oussama Assaidi, Moroccan footballer
- Zakaria Labyad, Moroccan footballer
- Abdeslam Ouaddou, Moroccan footballer
- Youssef Mokhtari, Moroccan footballer
Others
- Muhammad Ibn 'Abd al-Karim al-Khattabi, leader of the Rif guerrillas against the Spanish and French colonizers
- Liamine Zeroual, President of Algeria between 1994–1999
- Mohamed Chafik
- Didouche Mourad
- Erika Sawajiri, Japanese actress, Japanese, Algerian-French mix
- Kamel Ouali, choreographer, dance teacher, teacher on the French reality TV show Star Academy France
- Farid Zadi, French born Algerian Berber chef
Famous people who were either Berber or Punic
- Tertullian, early Christian theologian (born in the highly multiethnic, Phoenician-founded city of Carthage)
- Cyprian, (also born in Carthage)
French people who have some Berber ancestors
Nearly all North Africans – and many Andalusi Moors – fall and fell into this category, but do not in general identify themselves as Berber. For lists of them, look under the respective countries.
- Édith Piaf, one of France's most loved singers, her grandmother was Berber
- Isabelle Adjani, actress
- Daniel Prévost, comedian