Simba
/ˈsɪm.bə/noun
A Swahili word meaning “lion,” also used in English as a personal name and proper noun.
Did you know?The name became globally familiar through Disney’s 1994 film The Lion King, but its original meaning is simply the Swahili word for “lion,” not a magical spell or royal title.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Bantu
Proto-Bantu
*jímba
“Reconstructed Bantu root associated with “lion””
Early Bantu
Bantu
*jimba
“A regional Bantu form meaning “lion””
Medieval period
Swahili
simba
“Lion”
19th Century
Swahili
simba
“Lion; a common word recorded in Swahili dictionaries”
20th Century
English
Simba
“A personal name and English proper noun, especially through African cultural references”
Modern English
English
Simba
“A name associated worldwide with the lion protagonist of Disney’s The Lion King”