Anaya is a distinctive girls' name in England & Wales, ranking #1032 in 2002 with 21 recorded births. The name reached its all-time peak in 2025 with 535 births ranking #86. Since 1996, the popularity has increased by 425.0%. In 2002, approximately 1 in every 12,732 girls born was named Anaya. RISING Recent data shows the name is currently rising.
Anaya is a modern name whose exact meaning remains unknown. Behind the Name suggests it may have been influenced by the Spanish surname Anaya and helped along by its similarity to Amaya.
This is a good example of a name that has clear modern use without a firmly settled traditional meaning. The safest publishable explanation is to present it as a likely modern adaptation with a possible surname connection.