The exact significance of the word Khniss remains mysterious. Some invoke a possible meaning of Church as a deformation of the Arabic word "kanis", others suggest a link to the word "khounais" meaning depression in Arabic. Others reckon the city and its name are of Berber origins, however the word itself is not known. In Iraq there is an old historical Assyrian village with the name of "Khinnis" or "khenis". Also in Morocco there is a village in a Berber area with the same name. Although this may give more credit to a version arguing for a Berber origin of the word, all these guesses and hints needs further investigations.