Anayeli is a Mexican American form of Nayeli, a name from the Zapotec language of Oaxaca that is usually translated as "I love you"; the added A- makes it sound like Ana and Anahi. The name became popular in Mexico in the 1990s and crossed into the United States with Mexican families at the same time. Anayeli stood at number 1903 in 2000, peaked at number 1122 in 2001 and ranks number 2515 among girls' names in 2025.