Anaia is a modern name of uncertain origin, usually explained as a variant of Anaya, which goes back to the Hebrew Anaiah and means "God has answered"; in Basque the word anaia means "brother", which parents choosing it for a girl rarely have in mind. Its sound sits between Anaya, Naia and Anais. Anaia has climbed fast, from number 2981 in 2023 to 1510 in 2024 and to number 1230 in 2025, its highest rank on record.