Nala has multiple parallel origins. In Swahili, nala means "gift," "queen," or "successful." In Sanskrit, nala (नल) means "lotus stem" or "hollow reed." In Hindu mythology, Nala is also the name of a king from the Mahabharata.
Nala became globally famous through Disney's The Lion King (1994 and 2019 remake) — the lioness who becomes Simba's queen. The name entered the U.S. top 1000 in 2019 and is now in the top 300.
Nala reduces to seven — the number of regal grace.