The Name

The name Singapore was derived from Malay words singa (lion) and pura (city), which in turn derived from the Sanskrit सिंह siṃha and पुर pura.Folklore attributes this name to a 14th-century Sumatran prince Sang Nila Utama, who, on alighting the island after a thunderstorm, renamed it Lion City after spotting an auspicious beast identified as a lion.