The name Regulus is the diminuative form of the latin "Rex" or king. In Arabia the star was known as Malikiyy, "The Kingly One". In ancient Greece it was "The Star of The King". Pliny calls it Regia or "The Royal One". In ancient Babylonia it was Sharru, "The King". Even to the even more ancient Akkadians of Mesopotamia it represented Amil-gal-ur, a legendary "King of the Celestial Sphere" who ruled before the Great Flood. The Hindu name Magha signifies the "Mighty" or "The Great One" while the Persian Miyan seems to mean "The Central One" or "The Star of The Centre".

The Latin name Cor Leonis is equivalent to the Arabian Al Kalb al Asad, "The Heart of The Royal Lion". The Royal Lion representing the contellation of Leo, Regulus is in the physical position of it's heart and is also the brightest star.
Tycho called the star Basiliscus, from the Roman title Basilica Stella. The modern name Regulus was given by Copernicus. It seems to have no connexion with the famous Roman General Regulus, whose heroism inspired the Romans during the first of the three great struggles with Carthage.

Regulus was reguarded by the ancient Persians as one of the four "Royal Stars" of heaven, the other three being Aldebran, Fomalhaut and Antares.
As the brightest star in Leo, Regulus has been almost universally associated in ancient cultures with the concept of royalty and kingly power. The sickle of Leo (a patternt formed by the stars Eta, Gamma, Zeta, Mu and Epsilon) was represented in ancient China by the Yellow Dragon or on some star-maps a Great Chariot of Heaven.