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Nala

Nala: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning
“successful; beloved”
Origin
African
Say it
NAH-luh · 2 syllables
Used for
Girls

Used in parts of Africa with differing local origins and senses; it is also associated with a Sanskrit word meaning 'stem.' Because the exact source for this spelling varies, its etymology is uncertain. The origin of this name is not settled among etymologists.

African namesNames meaning loveNames meaning joyInternational names

How popular is Nala?

2024112 per million US babies
1880192019602000
Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Babies named Nala in 2024374

2024 rank#753 girls

Peak year2019

Total US babies since 18805,815

Nala is rising: use over the last five years is 2.0× what it was a decade earlier.

Names like Nala

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

  • Kenyafrom the name of Kenya · African
  • Makenahappy one · African
  • Kiaseason's beginnings · African

Nala questions

What does the name Nala mean?

Nala means "successful; beloved". It comes from African. Used in parts of Africa with differing local origins and senses; it is also associated with a Sanskrit word meaning 'stem.' Because the exact source for this spelling varies, its etymology is uncertain.

Is Nala a boy or girl name?

Nala is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Nala?

374 US babies were named Nala in 2024. Its peak year was 2019.

How do you pronounce Nala?

Nala is usually pronounced NAH-luh.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.