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The king of the jungle has long been revered for its noble bearing, depicted in art, literature, and pop culture for centuries. But what about lion names?
Whether you are naming a lion for the zoo, a wildlife reserve to educate visitors with some facts about lions, or a writer or artist searching for the perfect name for your lion character, find the perfect name in our ultimate guide.
From the silly to the serious, from famous lions to more obscure names, you’re sure to find something from our list.
Let’s dive in.
Best Lion Names
- Caesar – The powerful surname of the famous, ill-fated Roman general.
- Tatiana
- Loki – The name of the trickster god from Norse mythology, this is a perfect name for a mischievous lion or lioness.
- Hunter
- Apollo
- Artemis – The goddess of the hunt in ancient Greece, a great name for a lioness since the females of the pride to the majority of the hunting.
- Maximilian
- General
- Colonel
- Bathsheba
- Xena
- Luna
- Jezebel
- Savannah
- Sierra
- Nova
- Aurora
- Duchess
- Lady
- Chaparral – This name conjures up images of the American West, where mountain lions are frequently spotted. Could be used for both a male or female lion.
- Sikara – Originating from a mixture of Hindi, Indian, and Bengali, this name translates to “brave one.”
- Sabrina
- Zella – This exotic-sounding name is pleasant to say and rhymes with Bella, which means “beautiful.”
- Rudo – Means “love” in Swahili.
- Amara – This beautiful female name means “immortal.”
- Goldie – A classic and lovely name for your golden-furred companion.
- Stark – German for “strong.”
- Socrates
- Odysseus
- Fahari – Swahili for “magnificent,” certainly a fitting name for the king of the beasts!
- Sparta
- Troy
- Samson – This Biblical character’s strength lied in his long hair – a perfect name for a male lion with a lustrous mane.
- Kenja
- Nigeria
- Congo
- Sudan
- Somalia
- Namibia
- Rex – A kingly name.
- Sansa – Another name from Game of Thrones, great for a female lion.
- Myrcella – A lovely name from Game of Thrones fame.
- Monarch
- Emperor
- Princess
- Tobias
- Ayla – A fierce name for your regal warrioress, hailing from Game of Thrones.
- Kong – Like “King Kong,” a mighty name with a legacy to match.
- Pandora – This queenly name is steeped in mystery and legend.
- Lev – The Russian name means “heart of a lion.”
Female Lion Names
- Cersei – Who can forget the scheming queen of Game of Thrones fame?
- Layla – This simple, yet musical name is a regal one that can fit a number of pets.
- Aaliyah
- Zalika – Swahili for “born into royalty,” this regal name is sure to fit your queenly feline.
- Jasmine
- Cleopatra
- Venus
- Aphrodite
- Athena
- Leona
- Nada
- Ariel
- Leandra
- Asatira
- Kya
Male Lion Names
- Mwenye – This African lion name means “lord” in Swahili, a majestic name for the king of the jungle.
- Safari
- Duma
- Zeus
- Odin
- Thor
- Leonardo
- Julius – For the unconquerable Julius Caesar of ancient Rome.
- Fang
- Kumar
- Enzi – Swahili for “powerful” – certainly a great choice for such a mighty beast!
- Knight
- Hasani – Means “handsome” in Swahili
- King
- Leonidas
Unisex Names for Lions
- Cassidy – This name works for both male and female lions, especially regarding the classic cowboy film, Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid.
- Puma – Another name for “mountain lion.”
- Sher – Means “lion” in Persian.
- Abbas – Arabic for “lion.” Could work for both male and female lions or be shortened to “Abby” as a nickname for a female.
- Rory – This unisex name sounds like the iconic sound all lions make – “roar.”
- Abioye – Yoruba for “born into royalty” – perfect for both a prince and a princess!
- Chikondi – A unisex name meaning “love” in Chewa, a lesser-known African language.
- Jaya – Means “victory” in Sanskrit, and works for both a male and female lion.
- Kanta – A unisex Sanskrit name meaning “desired” or “beautiful.”
- Jyoti – Means “light” in Sanskrit, a great name for a lion or lioness with lighter-colored fur.
Cute Names for Lions
- Honey
- Topaz
- Lemon
- Binti
- Ozzie – A cute lion moniker for a boy lion!
- Amber
- Fluffy
- Purrs – This adorable name would be great for a baby lion.
- Paws
- Lily – This floral name is great for a girl lion.
Good Lion Names
- Kamali
- Sariah
- Jabari – Swahili for “brave one.”
- Jari – Means “powerful” or “brave” in Swahili.
- Lelie – This Afrikaans word means “lily.”
- Asha
- Lusaka
- Sheba
- Karishma – This lovely flowing name means “miracle.”
- Kunwar – Means “prince.”
Funny Names For A Lion
- Roary
- Lollipop
- Zig Zag – This unique name is perfect for a lion cub with distinguishing markings.
- Baby – An ironic name if given to a large lion.
- Slinky – A great name for a lion who loves to stretch as they soak up the sun!
- Sunbear – Given how these big golden cats love to bask in the sun, this is a great name.
- Corndog – Long and golden, like your lion.
- Spice – A feisty name for your fiery feline.
- Cyclone – Given how destructive these big cats can be when bored, this name is a great choice.
- Tornado – A name that refers to the destructive nature these big cats can have when bored.
Cool Names for Lions
- Claudius
- Amadeus
- Zola – Swahili for “tranquil,” a great spiritual-sounding name for a female lion.
- Reginald
- Ahadi
- Amra – This Arabic name means “princess.”
- Wolfgang
- Zarina – This Persian name translates to “golden.”
- Anastasia – This regal name belonged to the last princess of Russia.
- Mandla – This Zulu name means “strength” and “power.” Certainly a great option for this kingly beast.
Unique Names For A Lion
- Malaika – Means “angel” in Swahili with some Arabic influence.
- Mbali – Means “flower” in Zulu.
- Kamala – Means “lotus” in Sanskrit – also the first name of the current vice president of the US.
- Kanti – This pretty name means “beauty” in Sanskrit – perfect for a lioness.
- Hari – Meaning “brown, yellow, tawny” in Sanskrit – a reference to a lion’s fur color.
- Jayendra – This regal name means “lord of victory” in Sanskrit.
- Shaka – What better way to honor your lion’s strength and fierceness than by naming them for the legendary Zulu chieftain?
- Xolani – This Swahili word means “peace.”
- Musa – This spiritual name is the Arabic version of “Moses.”
- Devi – Sanskrit for “goddess,” Devi is considered the mother of all gods and goddesses in Hindu.
Names Of Famous Lions
- Aslan – This famous lion is a main character in the Narnia chronicles, introduced in the book, The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe.
- Christian – This famous lion cub was bought and raised by humans in Australia.
- Cecil – This famous lion lived on a Hwange National Park in Zimbabwe before being killed by an American hunter.
- The Cowardly Lion – This ironic moniker was given to the titular Wizard of Oz character – the lion who was reportedly afraid of everything but had the courage to overcome his fear.
- Elsa – The name of one of the famous lions in the movie Born Free, about a litter of lion cubs raised by humans after their mother’s disappearance.
Names Of Cartoon Lions
- He Who Breathes Fire – This long name belonged to a large lion in the cartoon Wild Kratts.
- Prince John – The insufferable villain from the 1973 Disney film, Robin Hood. He acts as king while his older brother, King Richard, is away in battle.
- Alex – The lion from the Madagascar franchise, who was born on an African wildlife reserve before being captured by poachers and growing up in the Central Park Zoo in New York City.
- Makunga – This lion is the main villain in the movie Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. He is threatened by the return of Alex the lion, the son of the pack’s leader.
- King Richard
- Florrie – Alex the lion’s mother in the movie Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa. She is the alpha lioness of the pride.
- Alakay – Alex the lion’s birth name in the Madagascar movie franchise, a fact introduced in the second movie, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.
- Zuba – In the Madagascar franchise, Zuba is revealed to be Alex the lion’s father who’d believed his son had died as a cub after being snatched by poachers. Zuba is introduced in the second movie in the franchise, Madagascar: Escape 2 Africa.
- Kion – Princess Kiara’s younger brother in the Lion King’s spin-off series, The Lion Guard.
- Rani – The queen of the Night Pride in The Lion Guard, the character Kion’s love interest. Her name means “queen” in Hindi.
- Major Lionhart – This lion is the police chief in Zootopia.
- Parsley – A friendly, good-natured lion cub in the cartoon The Herbs.
Disney Lion King Names
- Simba – The protagonist of the movie The Lion King, a carefree cub who exiles himself after his father’s death and grows up to reclaim his place as king.
- Nala – The female protagonist of The Lion King, Simba’s love interest and eventual mate.
- Kiara – The daughter of Simba and Nala in The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.
- Sarabi – Simba’s mother in The Lion King.
- Nuka – In The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride, Nuka is the eldest son of Zira and the brother of Kovu and Vitani.
- Mufasa – Simba’s father in The Lion King.
- Zira – The vengeful leader of the Outlanders and the mother of Nuka, Vitani, and Kovu, Zira aptly means “hate” in Swahili.
- Sarafina – A lesser-known character in The Lion King, Sarafina is the mother of Nala.
- Vitani – Daughter of Zira and sister of Nuka and Kovu in Disney’s sequel to The Lion King, The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.
- Scar – The villain of The Lion King, Scar is Simba’s uncle who tries to get rid of the cub so he will be next in line to the throne.
- Kovu – This character is the youngest son of Zira and Kiara’s eventual love interest in The Lion King II: Simba’s Pride.
White Lion Names
- Kimba – This name comes from the title character of the movie, Kimba the White Lion.
- Angelina – A name that means “angelic,” this name is sure to recall white feathers.
- Rashmi – A lovely female Sanskrit name meaning “moonbeam.”
- Opal – A regal stone that’s white, but with bits of other colors shimmering inside.
- Pearl
- Crystal
- Ivory – This name pays homage to one of the animals that share the lion’s natural habitat, the elephant.
- Akari – Another word for “white jasmine” in Japanese.
- Bianca – A Spanish name that means “white” or “pure.”
- Edelweiss – German for “noble white,” is a beautiful flower that grows throughout Western Europe.
- Guinevere – Meaning “white phantom” or “fair,” this is also the name of the legendary queen from Arthurian legend, the beautiful wife of King Arthur.
- Albus – This name, which is also shared by Professor Albus Dumbledore in the popular Harry Potter franchise, means “white” or “bright” in Latin.
Name Inspiration
In constructing this list, we’ve gained inspiration from several sources, such as famous lions, cartoon characters, and even languages spoken in or near the lion’s natural habitat.
Help Choosing the Perfect Name
While you’re ultimately searching for the perfect name for your feline companion, think about the personality of your big cat as well as the message you’re hoping to convey.
Are you searching for a serious name that pays homage to the lion’s African ancestry? Or a funny name for a cuddly companion? Are you hoping to name your feline from a real lion? Or a fictional one? These are important considerations to make before choosing a name.
Conclusion
Naming your furry feline is no easy feat, but we hoped we made the process easier by providing our ultimate guide of lion names.