Where does the name ceylon come from?

Ceylon is the former colonial name of Sri Lanka. The name "Ceylon" is believed to be derived from the Sanskrit word "Sinhala", which means "Land of the Lions". This is because the island is home to a large population of Sri Lankan leopards, which were historically referred to as "lions" by the early settlers of the island. The name "Sinhala" is first mentioned in the ancient Indian epic, the Ramayana, where it is used to describe the island of Lanka, which is identified with present-day Sri Lanka. The name "Ceylon" was popularized by the Portuguese who ruled the island from the 16th to the 19th century, and it remained in use until Sri Lanka gained independence in 1972.