Nala

“Popularized by The Lion King's lioness Nala; also an ancient Sanskrit name” — Modern usage; Sanskrit roots origin

Girl's name · #856 in the US (2025) · 2020s

Nala has appeared in US records since 1979 — best rank #675 (2019) · 6,138 babies named Nala all-time · 1 in 5,000 girls born in 2025.

Around the world: about 1 in 2,300 girls in Switzerland (2024) · about 1 in 2,400 girls in N. Ireland (2025) · about 1 in 3,600 girls in Austria (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 30 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Nalas

Nala Sinephro — jazz musician
Nala Damajanti — stage name of a late 19th-century snake charmer
Nala Ray — American Christian influencer and former OnlyFans creator

In stories & tradition

Nala — The Lion King · Mufasa: The Lion King
Nala Se — Star Wars: Clone Wars · Star Wars: The Clone Wars

What Nalas become

Among 20 notable people named Nala:

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.