Simba first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Simba has been for the last 31 years (from 1994 to 2024) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Simba

A Swahili name meaning "lion", made popular by Disney's The Lion King.

Popularity of Simba by gender

Based on the last 31 years of data, Simba is exclusively a male name.

For the most recent data in 2024, there were 11 male babies and 0 female babies born with the name Simba.

Year Male Count Female Count
2024 11 0
2023 28 0
2022 17 0
2021 17 0
2020 17 0
2019 12 0
2018 10 0
2017 8 0
2016 11 0
2014 5 0
2008 6 0
1995 9 0
1994 5 0

The history of the first name Simba

The name Simba is of Swahili origin, a Bantu language spoken in several countries in East and Central Africa. It is believed to have been derived from the word "simba" which means "lion" in Swahili. The name can be traced back to the late 19th or early 20th century when it started gaining popularity in certain regions of Africa.

One of the earliest known references to the name Simba can be found in the famous 1994 Disney animated film "The Lion King". In the movie, Simba is the name of the young lion prince who is the protagonist and heir to the Pride Lands. The widespread popularity of the film is believed to have contributed significantly to the global recognition and usage of the name Simba.

Throughout history, several notable individuals have been named Simba. One of the earliest recorded examples is Simba Makoni, a Zimbabwean politician born in 1950. He served as the Minister of Finance and Economic Development in Zimbabwe from 2000 to 2004.

Another prominent figure with the name Simba is Simba Rushwaya, a Zimbabwean cricketer born in 1984. He has represented the Zimbabwean national cricket team in various formats and has played in several international tournaments.

In the world of sports, Simba Sithole is a Zimbabwean professional tennis player born in 1992. He has achieved a career-high ATP singles ranking of 292 and has competed in numerous ATP Tour events.

Simba Ngeze, born in 1957, was a Rwandan journalist and founder of the newspaper Kangura, which played a significant role in promoting ethnic hatred during the Rwandan genocide in 1994.

Simba Makoni, born in 1950, is a Zimbabwean politician who served as the Executive Secretary of the Southern African Development Community (SADC) from 1983 to 2001.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Simba was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Simba, please contact us.

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"Simba first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on July 21, 2025. http://namecensus.com/first-names/simba-meaning-and-history/.

"Simba first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/simba-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 21 July, 2025

Simba first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/simba-meaning-and-history/.

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