Nala
- Pronunciation
- [Na-la]
- Gender
- Female
- Meaning
- African for love, after the character in the Lion King movies
- Origin
- African
African for Successful. Also a female lion character from Disney's The Lion King.
Popularity & Rankings
Where Nala places in real pet-name rankings, compiled from 2 attributed sources. iCatNames does not collect its own registration counts; these are third-party rankings, not a single combined score.
| Where it ranks | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|
| U.S. cat names — top 100 | #97 | Rover (2025, U.S.) |
| Top female cat names | #8 | Rover (2025, U.S.) |
| France — female | #1 | Rover (2025, international) |
Data reused with attribution. Rover rankings are republished with Rover’s permission. See our methodology and the full trending cat names roundup.
Variant Forms
| Name | Meaning | Gender | Origin |
|---|---|---|---|
| Albert | noble and bright | Male | English |
More African Cat Names
Other cat names that share Nala’s African origin.
| Name | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Abu | Father | Unisex |
| Ama | Born On Saturday | Unisex |
| Anika | very beautiful, graceful | Female |
| Ashanti | Great African Woman | Female |
| Ashur | Born During The Month | Male |
| Baba | Born On Thursday | Unisex |
| Bast | Of The City Of Bubastis | Unisex |
| Beyonce | Beyond Others | Female |
| Bunmi | My Gift | Unisex |
| Chacha | Strong | Unisex |
| Daktari | Doctor, Healer | Unisex |
| Deka | Pleasing | Unisex |
Bengal Cat Names
Cat names commonly associated with the Bengal breed, including Nala.
| Name | Meaning | Gender |
|---|---|---|
| Adidas | Athletic brand; seen | Unisex |
| Agassi | Tennis player Andre Agassi | Male |
| Alex | "defending men" | Male |
| Alexa | "defending men" | Female |
| Amana | Faithful | Unisex |
| Amigo | Male friend | Unisex |
| Annika | Named after most powerful Goddess in Hinduism. | Female |
| Apricot | Edible yellow orange fruit. | Unisex |
| April | "second" | Female |
| Ariela | Hebrew for female derivative of lioness | Unisex |
| Arthur | Strong as a rock, noble, follower of Thor | Male |
| Asia | East | Female |
Cat Owners Who Liked Nala Also Chose
Five cat names that appear in many of the same curated collections as Nala — ranked by how many themed lists, breeds, origins, or color groups overlap.
Famous Cats Named Nala
2 notable cats from books, films, comics, and pop culture who share the name Nala.
Nala Cat Name Ideas
- Bengal Cat Names: Male, Female, Snow and Silver Ideas
- Cat Names Ending in A: Rhythm, Style and 36 Clear-Vowel Calls
- Four-Letter Cat Names: Short Spellings with Distinct Sounds
- Elden Ring Cat Names: Tarnished Heroes, Runes and Golden Calls
- Cat Names That Start With N: Nala, Nico, Nova and Noticeably Different Picks
- Meme Cat Names: Viral Cats, Reaction Words and Internet-Culture Picks
- Trilling and Chirping Cat Names: Pip, Cricket, Melody and Bright-Call Picks
- Renaming an Adopted Cat: Milo, Luna, Scout and a Low-Confusion Transition
- Wake-Up Routine Cat Names: Dawn, Bell, Scout and Morning-Sequence Picks
- Nose-Inspired Cat Names: Dot, Freckle, Rose and Button-Nose Picks
- Ear-Inspired Cat Names: Flick, Feather, Radar and Bright-Tipped Picks
- Big-Paw Cat Names: Atlas, Bear, Boots and Sturdy-Footed Picks
- Blanket-Burrower Cat Names: Nook, Velvet, Pocket and Under-Cover Picks
- Head-Bump Cat Names: Buddy, Honey, Milo and Forehead-Greeting Picks
- Shoulder Cat Names: Atlas, Scout, Wren and High-Perch Picks
- Cat Names for Bilingual Homes: Luna, Milo, Kiki and Clear Two-Language Calls
- Museum and Gallery Cat Names: Curator, Marble, Muse and Archive Picks
- Kitchen Helper Cat Names: Apron, Maple, Pepper and Counter-Side Picks
- Purring Cat Names: Rumble, Melody, Honey and Motor-Soft Picks
- Puzzle Feeder Cat Names: Puzzle, Riddle, Scout and Clever-Paw Picks