Zaniya is a modern American name that is usually read as a spelling of Zaniyah or Saniya, which goes back to the Arabic saniyya and means "radiant" or "brilliant"; the initial Z follows the fashion for Zaria and Zariyah. It has been used in African American families since the 1990s. Zaniya stood at number 3120 in 2000, reached its peak at number 1011 in 2007 and ranks number 2484 among girls' names in 2025.