UK girl's name
Ananiya
A feminine name of Russian origin associated with grace and protection.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2021. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Ananiya is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Ananiya popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2021 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5581, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2018, with 4 births.
This profile covers 7 England and Wales registrations across 2 recorded years from 2018 to 2021. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 7 living people in the UK are called Ananiya. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2022 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Ananiya ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales in 2021, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2018, when 4 girls were registered as Ananiya.
- • About 7 living people in the UK are estimated to have Ananiya as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5581
2021
Births in 2021
3
Latest year
Peak year
2018
4 births
Estimated living
7
2026
Meaning
What does Ananiya mean?
The name Ananiya has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, tracing back to ancient times. It is derived from the Hebrew word "Hananiah," which means "favored by God" or "Yahweh is gracious." The name is a compound of the elements "Hanan" (grace or favor) and "Yah" (a shortened form of Yahweh, the Hebrew name for God).
One of the earliest references to this name can be found in the Old Testament of the Bible. In the Book of Daniel, Hananiah (the Hebrew form of the name) is one of the four young men taken captive from Judah and brought to Babylon. Along with his companions Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, Hananiah refused to worship the golden idol erected by King Nebuchadnezzar and was miraculously saved from the fiery furnace.
In the Middle Ages, the name Ananiya gained popularity in various European countries, especially in Russia and Eastern Europe, where it was adapted to the local languages and spelling variations. One notable figure from this period was Ananiya Fyodorovich Prozorovsky (1564-1613), a Russian noble and diplomat who served as an envoy to the Ottoman Empire.
During the Renaissance, the name Ananiya was occasionally used in Italy, where it appeared in literary works and historical records. An example is Ananiya Tassoni (1565-1635), an Italian poet and satirist best known for his mock-heroic poem "La Secchia Rapita" (The Rape of the Bucket).
In the 19th century, the name Ananiya became more widespread in Eastern Europe, particularly in Russia and Ukraine. One notable figure was Ananiya Aleksandrovich Sapozhnikov (1782-1857), a Russian architect who designed several notable buildings in Moscow and St. Petersburg.
Another prominent individual with this name was Ananiya Vasilyevich Verbytsky (1832-1909), a Ukrainian composer and priest who is best known for composing the music for the Ukrainian national anthem, "Shche ne vmerla Ukraina" (Ukraine Has Not Yet Perished).
While the name Ananiya has its roots in Hebrew tradition, it has been embraced by various cultures and languages throughout history, with each adaptation reflecting the unique linguistic and cultural influences of the region.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Ananiya over time
The chart below shows babies named Ananiya registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2018 to 2021. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Ananiya, the clearest high point is 2018. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2021, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Ananiya by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Ananiya was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5581 | 3 | 1 |
| 2010s | #4684 | 4 | 1 |
Related
Names similar to Ananiya
- Amelia 94,830
- Ava 54,556
- Amy 52,495
- Alice 46,815
- Abigail 45,658
- Amber 31,922
- Anna 27,802
- Alexandra 19,455
- Amelie 18,051
- Abbie 15,971
- Aimee 15,158
- Annabelle 15,120
FAQ
Ananiya: questions and answers
How popular is the name Ananiya in the UK right now?
In 2021, Ananiya was ranked #5581 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Ananiya most popular?
The peak year on record was 2018, with 4 babies registered as Ananiya in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Ananiya?
A feminine name of Russian origin associated with grace and protection.
How many people are called Ananiya in the UK?
A total of 7 babies have been registered as Ananiya across the 2 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.