UK boy's name
Simba
A Swahili name meaning "lion", made popular by Disney's The Lion King.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Simba is a boy's name in the UK records. People looking for Simba popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #4270, with 4 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 5 births.
This profile covers 35 England and Wales registrations across 10 recorded years from 2004 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 80% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 35 living people in the UK are called Simba. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Simba ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales in 2024, with 4 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 5 boys were registered as Simba.
- • About 35 living people in the UK are estimated to have Simba as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#4270
2024
Births in 2024
4
Latest year
Peak year
2019
5 births
Estimated living
35
2026
Meaning
What does Simba mean?
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.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Simba over time
The chart below shows babies named Simba registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2004 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Simba, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 4 births in 2024, compared with 5 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Simba by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Simba was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #4198 | 12 | 3 |
| 2010s | #4456 | 17 | 5 |
| 2000s | #3750 | 6 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Simba
- Samuel 108,505
- Sebastian 33,008
- Sam 20,889
- Stanley 16,354
- Sonny 15,028
- Sean 15,006
- Scott 12,587
- Seth 9,841
- Syed 9,050
- Stephen 8,884
- Spencer 8,333
- Steven 6,970
FAQ
Simba: questions and answers
How popular is the name Simba in the UK right now?
In 2024, Simba was ranked #4270 for boys in England and Wales, with 4 births registered.
When was Simba most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 5 babies registered as Simba in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Simba?
A Swahili name meaning "lion", made popular by Disney's The Lion King.
How many people are called Simba in the UK?
A total of 35 babies have been registered as Simba across the 10 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.