NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Anays

A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "grace" or "favor".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Anays is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Anays popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #2574, with 10 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 34 births.

This profile covers 218 England and Wales registrations across 10 recorded years from 2015 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales and NRS Scotland, 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 29% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 221 living people in the UK are called Anays. 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 2025 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Anays ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 10 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2021, when 34 girls were registered as Anays.
  • Anays ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #625 in 2022.
  • About 221 living people in the UK are estimated to have Anays as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#2574

2024

Births in 2024

10

Latest year

Peak year

2021

34 births

Estimated living

221

2026

Meaning

What does Anays mean?

The name Anays has its origins rooted in the Arabic language, with its earliest recorded use dating back to the 7th century AD. It is derived from the Arabic word "انيس" (Anees), which translates to "friendly" or "companionable." The name gained popularity among Arabic-speaking communities in the Middle East and North Africa.

One of the earliest notable individuals to bear the name Anays was Anays al-Qurashi, a renowned poet and scholar who lived in present-day Saudi Arabia during the 8th century AD. Her poetry, known for its eloquence and depth, gained widespread acclaim and influenced the literary landscape of her era.

In the 11th century, Anays al-Andalusi, a Muslim philosopher and scientist from the Iberian Peninsula, made significant contributions to the fields of astronomy and mathematics. His works, including treatises on celestial mechanics and trigonometry, were widely studied and influenced the scientific community of the time.

The name Anays also found its way into religious texts and scriptures. In the Quran, the holy book of Islam, the word "Anees" is mentioned, referring to a close friend or companion. This association with the concept of friendship and companionship further solidified the name's meaning and significance within Islamic culture.

As the Arabic influence spread across regions, the name Anays traveled to various parts of the world. In the 13th century, Anays ibn Rashiq, a prominent poet and literary critic from present-day Egypt, gained recognition for his works on poetic theory and criticism, leaving a lasting impact on the literary traditions of the Arab world.

Another notable figure bearing the name Anays was Anays al-Razi, a 14th-century Persian physician and philosopher. His contributions to the field of medicine, including his treatises on various diseases and their treatments, were highly regarded and influenced the medical practices of his time.

While the name Anays has its roots in the Arabic language and culture, it has since been adopted and embraced by various communities around the world, each adding their own cultural nuances and interpretations to its meaning and significance.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Anays over time

The chart below shows babies named Anays registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2015 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Anays, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 10 births in 2024, compared with 34 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Anays
09172634201520192024

Decades

Anays by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Anays 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 #1455 123 5
2010s #1740 95 5

Geography

Where Anays is most common

The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Anays. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.

Anays ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #625 in 2022.

Scotland
4

Across the UK

Anays in Scotland and Northern Ireland

Scotland (NRS)

#625 in 2022

1 years of NRS records, 4 total registered

Related

Names similar to Anays

FAQ

Anays: questions and answers

How popular is the name Anays in the UK right now?

In 2024, Anays was ranked #2574 for girls in England and Wales, with 10 births registered.

When was Anays most popular?

The peak year on record was 2021, with 34 babies registered as Anays in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Anays?

A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "grace" or "favor".

How many people are called Anays in the UK?

A total of 218 babies have been registered as Anays across the 10 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 4 more in Scotland.

Where is Anays most common?

In the latest published local rankings, Anays ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #625 in 2022. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.

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.