How to say it
a · NI · yah
/əˈniː.ə/
Feminine
Aniyah
Caring; exalted
What it means
A modern name linked to the Arabic Aniya, 'caring,' and to the lifted Aaliyah family.
Aniyah rides the same lifted -iyah sound as Aaliyah, and is often tied to the Arabic aniya, read as 'caring' or 'one who is concerned.' Soft and current, it caught on strongly in American naming from the late 1990s. It sits with Aaliyah and Amaya in the airy crowd. Said uh-NEE-uh.
Popularity over time
peaked at #177 in 2010, currently #485 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Spelling
In the Aaliyah family; also spelled Aniya.
- Pronunciation
uh-NEE-uh.
Spelling variants
- Aniya
- Anaya
- Anyiah