Etymology

The name Singapura comes from the Sanskrit singha (“lion”) and pura (“city”).^[10] According to the Malay Annals, this name was given by a 14th century Sumatran prince named Sang Nila Utama, who, landing on the island after a thunderstorm, spotted an auspicious beast on the shore. His chief minister erroneously identified as a ‘singha’ or lion. However, recent studies of Singapore indicate that lions have never lived there (not even Asiatic lions), and the beast seen by Sang Nila Utama was likely a tiger, most likely the Malayan Tiger.