Disney princesses often influence the baby name charts. But what about Disney animals?
We’ve already talked about two deer and a squirrel, so today let’s check out five lions and a meerkat.
The Lion King, released in 1994, was a Hamlet-influenced, coming-of-age story that focused on a lion cub named Simba. So it’s no surprise that Simba was the first Lion King-inspired baby name to debut on the charts…
Simba
The name Simba — not to be confused with Symba! — first appeared in the data in 1994:
- 1997: unlisted
- 1996: unlisted
- 1995: 9 baby boys named Simba
- 1994: 5 baby boys named Simba [debut]
- 1993: unlisted
Simba comes from the Swahili word for “lion.”
Sarabi
Sarabi, the name of Simba’s mother, first appeared in 1995:
- 1997: 5 baby girls named Sarabi
- 1996: 9 baby girls named Sarabi
- 1995: 12 baby girls named Sarabi [debut]
- 1994: unlisted
- 1993: unlisted
Sarabi comes from the Swahili word for “mirage.”
Mufasa
Mufasa, the name of Simba’s father, also first appeared in 1995:
- 1997: unlisted
- 1996: unlisted
- 1995: 7 baby boys named Mufasa [debut]
- 1994: unlisted
- 1993: unlisted
It was a one-hit wonder on the charts.
Nala
Nala was the name of Simba’s childhood best friend (and, later, love interest). Her name saw a big boost in usage in the mid-1990s:
- 1997: 55 baby girls named Nala
- 1996: 51 baby girls named Nala
- 1995: 85 baby girls named Nala
- 1994: 24 baby girls named Nala
- 1993: unlisted
Timon
Timon, the name of Simba’s meerkat friend, also saw increased usage in the mid-1990s:
- 1997: 17 baby boys named Timon
- 1996: 19 baby boys named Timon
- 1995: 19 baby boys named Timon
- 1994: 9 baby boys named Timon
- 1993: 7 baby boys named Timon
Kiara
Kiara wasn’t in the original Lion King movie, but she was the main character of the direct-to-video sequel The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, released in October of 1998. She was Simba and Nala’s daughter. The name Kiara, already popular, saw a massive spike in usage in 1999:
- 2001: 2,289 baby girls named Kiara [rank: 144th]
- 2000: 2,559 baby girls named Kiara [rank: 130th]
- 1999: 4,023 baby girls named Kiara [rank: 78th]
- 1998: 1,733 baby girls named Kiara [rank: 172nd]
- 1997: 1,263 baby girls named Kiara [rank: 238th]
…So which of these names do you like best? Would you use a Lion King-inspired name for your own baby?
Source: SSA
Image: Screenshot of The Lion King