Nala
Nala is a girls' name of African origin meaning “queen, successful.” It ranked #856 in the United States in 2025. Nala is a Swahili name meaning 'queen' or 'successful.
how do you pronounce Nala?
NAH-lah
Hear it spoken aloud with our AI pronunciation tool.
what does Nala mean?
The name Nala means “queen, successful.” It comes from the African language tradition.
Nala is a Swahili name meaning 'queen' or 'successful.' It became widely known through the lioness character in Disney's 'The Lion King,' which sparked its rise in popularity worldwide.
where does the name Nala come from?
The only source retrieved for Nala describes a different figure entirely: a legendary king of the ancient Nishadha kingdom in the Sanskrit epic Mahabharata, the male protagonist of the Nalopakhyana known for his valor, wisdom, and skill at chariot-driving, and for his love story with the princess Damayanti. This is a distinct Sanskrit tradition, not the Swahili name; the 'queen, successful' meaning and its Lion King association aren't confirmed by anything found here.
the history of Nala
Nothing retrieved here traces a history for Nala as a modern Swahili-derived given name; the only documented history found is that of the separate Mahabharata character.
how popular is this name?
| Year | Rank |
|---|---|
| 2025 | #856 |
| 2024 | #753 |
| 2023 | #846 |
| 2022 | #804 |
| 2021 | #741 |
| 2020 | #695 |
Source: SSA National Baby Names Dataset
who are famous people named Nala?
- Nala (character in The Lion King)
- Nala Ray (American internet personality)
what names are similar to Nala?
what names go well with Nala?
Sibling names that share Nala's rhythm and register without echoing it too closely.
Last reviewed April 30, 2026 · Curated by HushName editorial
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