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Anika vs Anaya

Which is more popular?
Anaya is more popular than Anika today: about 911 US babies were given the name Anaya in 2025, compared with 269 named Anika.
AnikaAnaya
Meaning brilliance, splendour; epithet of Durga disputed; 'without a superior' (Indian) or 'God answered' (Hebrew)
Origin sanskrit sanskrit
Gender Girl Girl
Pronunciation uh-NEE-kah uh-NAH-yah
Syllables 3 3
First appeared19611978
Peak year2006 (642)2025 (911)
In 2025269911
TrendDecliningNear its peak
Popularity over time, 1880–2025
Anika Anaya
198020002020

Source: US Social Security Administration.

Births by decade

DecadeAnikaAnaya
2020s 1,895 4,822
2010s 5,038 7,186
2000s 5,591 5,392
1990s 2,083 542
1980s 949 42
1970s 1,222 13
1960s 26 0

What does Anika mean?

From Sanskrit anika (अनीक), 'splendour, brilliance; also a battle array or army'; used as an epithet of Goddess Durga. Cross-cultural: Anika is independently a Germanic/Scandinavian diminutive of Anna.

What does Anaya mean?

Meaning disputed and cross-cultural. In Indian use it is read from Sanskrit as 'without a superior, one none can lead' (an epithet of Vishnu), though this gloss is weakly attested. The same spelling is independently a Hebrew-origin name (feminine of Anaiah, 'God answered') and an Arabic name ('care, protection').

Frequently asked questions

Is Anika or Anaya more popular?

Anaya is more popular than Anika today: about 911 US babies were given the name Anaya in 2025, compared with 269 named Anika.

What is the difference between Anika and Anaya?

Anika means brilliance, splendour; epithet of Durga (sanskrit origin), while Anaya means disputed; 'without a superior' (Indian) or 'God answered' (Hebrew) (sanskrit origin).

Which name is older, Anika or Anaya?

In US records, Anika first appears in 1961 and Anaya in 1978, so Anika has the longer recorded history.