Meaning and background
The story behind Masai
Masai is an older English rendering of Maasai, the name of an East African people whose communities live principally in Kenya and Tanzania. The spelling refers to a living culture, not to a generic idea of bravery or strength. Anyone selecting it as a dog's name should understand that context and avoid invented symbolic meanings. Its two-syllable rhythm is clear, while the community name is normally written Maasai today.
- Origin
- Older English spelling of Maasai, the name of an East African people, rather than a verified personal-name derivation. Source
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Everyday moments“Masai, come here!”
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About Masai
Recorded as a dog’s name
Masai appears in 2 dog licence records in the 2023 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Pronunciation and rhythm
/mɑsɑi/
US English sound sequence, converted from the CMU dictionary. Stress marks are shown separately.
Stress on the second syllable in the recorded US readings.
View dictionary notation
/mɑsɑi/ · primary stress on syllable 2M AA0 S AA1 IY0
These are US dictionary readings. Personal, regional and other language pronunciations may differ.
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Sources and research notes (2)
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- Carnegie Mellon University / CMU Sphinx maintainers CMU US English Pronouncing Dictionary — US English dictionary readings; not owner-specific or exhaustive multilingual pronunciation
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.