Nala
Girl name · #856 in 2025 · Rare
How old is the name Nala? In official American birth records, Nala has been tracked continuously since 1979, giving it 46 years of documented American history.
Nala is currently the #856 girl name in the United States — 317 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #949, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 5,678 girls born in 2025 was named Nala.
The 46-year story
Nala first appears in the Social Security records in 1979, when 5 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2019, when 428 girls were named Nala — good for #675 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Nala per year. Source: Official national birth records.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Nala against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Nala in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Nala is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Nala will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Nala is most common
Geography matters for names, and Nala is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Nala is most common in GA (0.4 per 1,000), VA (0.3 per 1,000), FL (0.3 per 1,000), IL (0.3 per 1,000), NJ (0.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Nala is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Nala
Statistically, parents drawn to Nala tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Nola, Tala, Nayla, Naya, and Aila.
NolaTalaNaylaNayaAilaZolaNailaNila
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Nala | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 317 | #856 |
| 2024 | 375 | #752 |
| 2023 | 320 | #845 |
| 2022 | 351 | #804 |
| 2021 | 385 | #740 |
| 2020 | 406 | #695 |
| 2019 | 428 | #675 |
| 2018 | 374 | #741 |
| 2017 | 362 | #765 |
| 2016 | 365 | #777 |
| 2015 | 286 | #949 |
| 2014 | 267 | #993 |
| 2013 | 234 | #1062 |
| 2012 | 238 | #1055 |
| 2011 | 158 | #1434 |
| 2010 | 125 | #1688 |
| 2009 | 111 | #1889 |
| 2008 | 119 | #1816 |
| 2007 | 92 | #2163 |
| 2006 | 102 | #1961 |
| 2005 | 71 | #2457 |
| 2004 | 94 | #1972 |
| 2003 | 78 | #2203 |
| 2002 | 48 | #3014 |
| 2001 | 56 | #2663 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Nala?
In official American birth records, the name Nala first appeared in 1979 (over 46 years ago), when 5 newborn girls received the name. It has been tracked in modern national records for 46 years.
Is Nala a popular girl name?
Nala ranked #856 among girls in 2025 with 317 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #949.
When was the name Nala most popular?
Nala peaked in 2019, when 428 American girls received the name (ranked #675 that year). Since 2019 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Nala?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 5,678 newborn American girls was named Nala. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.