Sanai is a modern American name of uncertain origin, usually taken as a variant of Sanaa, the Arabic name and Yemeni capital that means "brilliance" or "radiance", though some parents hear Mount Sinai in it. It took shape in African American communities in the mid-2000s. Sanai entered the top 1000 in 2006, peaked at number 924 in 2008 and has settled around number 1500, standing at number 1378 in 2025.