Who was named after Victoria Falls?

Victoria Falls was named after the British monarch, Queen Victoria by a missionary, David Livingstone, the first white person to set sight on one of the world's seven natural wonders.



In terms of historical nomenclature, no specific person of global fame was named after the falls; rather, the falls were named after a person. In 1855, the Scottish explorer David Livingstone became the first European to view the massive waterfall and named it in honor of Queen Victoria of the United Kingdom. However, in 2026, the name "Victoria Falls" also refers to the town of Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe, which grew as a tourism hub around the natural wonder. Additionally, several regional entities and businesses carry the name. It is important to note that the indigenous Lozi people have their own name for the falls, Mosi-oa-Tunya ("The Smoke That Thunders"), which is also the official name of the surrounding National Park in Zambia. While many infants in the region may be given the name Victoria, the primary "naming" event remains Livingstone’s 19th-century tribute to the British monarch, a name that persists in international geography today.

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In comparison, Victoria Falls is the world's largest sheet of falling water and is almost double the height of Niagara Falls and half a kilometer wider. In the wet season, the spray from Victoria Falls can rise 400m above the falls and can be seen from up to 48km away.

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David Livingstone, the Scottish missionary and explorer, is the first European recorded to have viewed the falls on 16 November 1855, from what is now known as Livingstone Island, one of two land masses in the middle of the river, immediately upstream from the falls near the Zambian shore.

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It is possible to swim in the rock pools right underneath the waterfalls at certain times of the year ('low water'). This is an unforgettable adventure right in the heart of one of the most beautiful places on earth!

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With scale, drama, power and beauty it is easy to see why The Victoria Falls has been accredited as one of the Seven Natural Wonders of the world. Such an awe-inspiring experience, a once in a lifetime opportunity to observe one of our world's most precious areas of natural magnificence.

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The Mosi-oa-Tunya/Victoria Falls is the world's greatest sheet of falling water and significant worldwide for its exceptional geological and geomorphological features and active land formation processes with outstanding beauty attributed to the falls i.e. the spray, mist and rainbows.

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Only one photo-loving tourist is known to have fallen at the Victoria Falls and survived. Wang Shunxue, a Chinese tourist was lucky to be pulled alive from a horrific fall in November 2013.

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The Zambezi River forms the border between Zambia and Zimbabwe. This is why Zambia and Zimbabwe share Victoria Falls, with roughly two-thirds of the Falls lying on the Zimbabwe side.

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Originally known as the Old Drift, Livingstone owes its existence primarily to the Victoria Falls and was established as a staging point across the Zambezi River. The town is named after Dr. David Livingstone, the first European to see, name and publicise the Falls.

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Angel Falls, Venezuela Beginning with the one that is the tallest uninterrupted waterfall, at the height of 3,200 feet, Angel Falls is the largest waterfall in the world.

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Locals still refer to the Falls as Mosi Oa Tunya and the area continues to be revered as a sacred site among the local tribes. David Livingstone was obviously not the first person to see the Victoria Falls, although he is always credited as having discovered it. Many locals feel they should be rebranded Mosi Oa Tunya.

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