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Name Biscuit

Girl name

Nala

Nala ranks #23 out of 5,428 girl dog names in our data (the #1 girl dog name is Bella). Across all 17 places, 1,290 dogs carry the name. It's also a cat name: #23 among girl cat names.
Nala's popularity trend

Nala's share of dogs, year by year — or toggle to its yearly rank. Peak year by share: 2025.

0.1%0.2%0.3%200720112015201920232025
Dogs in our data
1,290
across 17 places
Popularity rank
#23
of 5,428 girl dog names
5-year rank move
+37
2020 → 2025
Gender split
98% girls
98% girls2% boys
What does Nala mean?
2 syllables

Nala is best known as Simba's best friend and eventual mate in Disney's The Lion King, the courageous lioness voiced by Moira Kelly in the original film and by Beyonce in the 2019 remake. The character's Swahili-inflected setting gives the name an African sound, though Nala was created for the movie rather than drawn from a widely documented traditional source.

It's a name with real bite to it -- spirited, athletic, and unmistakably feline in feel, though it wears just as well on a dog with a big, confident personality.

Where Nala shows up

Nala's share of each place's counted dogs. Places count differently — hover a Share figure for the basis. Click a heading to sort.

Basel-StadtSwitzerland0.7%
TorontoCanada0.6%
ZürichSwitzerland0.5%
DarwinAustralia0.3%
WorcesterUnited States of America0.3%
Allegheny CountyUnited States of America0.2%
CambridgeUnited States of America0.2%
New York CityUnited States of America0.2%
SeattleUnited States of America0.2%
Maple RidgeCanada0.2%
Port Adelaide EnfieldAustralia0.2%
Noosa ShireAustralia0.1%
AdelaideAustralia0.1%
ProspectAustralia0.1%
PlayfordAustralia0.1%
BurnsideAustralia0.1%
Surf Coast ShireAustralia0.1%

Names like Nala

NalahNallaNalaniLalaTalaKalaMalaGalaNualaValaCalaYala

Nala appears on

Golden Dog NamesDisney Dog NamesCute Girl Dog NamesGood Girl Dog NamesBest Girl Dog NamesMovie Dog Names