UK girl's name
Aniyah
A feminine Arabic name meaning "returning" or "continuous".
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.
Aniyah is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Aniyah popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #503, with 78 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2019, with 103 births.
This profile covers 1,136 England and Wales registrations across 21 recorded years from 2003 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, 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 76% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 1,151 living people in the UK are called Aniyah. 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
- • Aniyah ranked #503 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 78 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2019, when 103 girls were registered as Aniyah.
- • Aniyah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #337 in 2024.
- • About 1,151 living people in the UK are estimated to have Aniyah as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#503
2024
Births in 2024
78
Latest year
Peak year
2019
103 births
Estimated living
1,151
2026
Meaning
What does Aniyah mean?
The name Aniyah is of Arabic origin, derived from the word "aniya," which means "to live" or "to return." It is a relatively modern name, first gaining popularity in the late 20th century.
Although the name is of Arabic origin, it does not have a long historical record in ancient texts or religious scriptures. However, there are a few notable individuals throughout history who have borne this name or variations of it.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with a similar name is Aniya al-Ghassaniyya, a 7th-century Arab poetess from the Ghassanid Kingdom, which ruled parts of modern-day Syria and Jordan. She was renowned for her eloquence and mastery of classical Arabic poetry.
In more recent times, Aniyah Nyu, an American singer and songwriter born in 1992, has gained recognition for her soulful R&B music. Her debut album, "Aniyah," was released in 2018 and received critical acclaim.
Another notable figure is Aniyah Omolara Vanderpuye, a British-Ghanaian actress and filmmaker born in 1994. She has appeared in several television shows and films, including the Netflix series "Top Boy."
Aniyah Barnhart is an American track and field athlete who specializes in the heptathlon. Born in 1996, she competed in the 2016 Rio Olympics and has won multiple NCAA championships while representing the University of Southern California.
Lastly, Aniyah Serrakah is a Moroccan singer and songwriter who rose to fame in the early 2010s with her blend of traditional Moroccan music and modern pop influences. She has released several successful albums and has a significant following in North Africa and the Middle East.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have borne the name Aniyah or variations of it. While the name may be relatively modern, it has already gained a notable presence across various fields and cultures.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Aniyah over time
The chart below shows babies named Aniyah registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2003 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 Aniyah, the clearest high point is 2019. The latest England and Wales figure is 78 births in 2024, compared with 103 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aniyah by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Aniyah 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 | #533 | 370 | 5 |
| 2010s | #638 | 693 | 10 |
| 2000s | #2380 | 73 | 6 |
Geography
Where Aniyah is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Aniyah. 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.
Aniyah ranks best in Northern Ireland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #337 in 2024.
Across the UK
Aniyah in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#790 in 2024
3 years of NRS records, 10 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#337 in 2024
3 years of NISRA records, 10 total registered
Related
Names similar to Aniyah
- 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
Aniyah: questions and answers
How popular is the name Aniyah in the UK right now?
In 2024, Aniyah was ranked #503 for girls in England and Wales, with 78 births registered.
When was Aniyah most popular?
The peak year on record was 2019, with 103 babies registered as Aniyah in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Aniyah?
A feminine Arabic name meaning "returning" or "continuous".
How many people are called Aniyah in the UK?
A total of 1,136 babies have been registered as Aniyah across the 21 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 10 more in Scotland and 10 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Aniyah most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Aniyah ranks best in Northern Ireland, where it placed #337 in 2024. 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.