Anay
A feminine name of Indian origin meaning "graceful leader".
Name Census estimates that about 1,980 living Americans carry the first name Anay. It appears on both sides of the gender split, with 61.7% of registrations being male. The average person named Anay today is around 16 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Anay births was 2017 (108 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Anay. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Anay with official rankings and popularity over time.
Key insights
- • Anay was once a predominantly female name but has become increasingly popular for boys in recent decades.
- • Anay sits in rare territory as a truly gender-neutral name, given to boys and girls in near-equal numbers.
- • Anay is a relatively new arrival in the SSA data. The average bearer is just 16 years old, meaning it gained most of its traction in the last two decades.
People living today
2.0K
~ 1 in 173,108 Americans
Peak year
2017
108 babies that year
Average age
16
years old
2024 SSA rank
#2,783
Tracked since 1984
Census
Anay in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,075 people with the first name Anay, which placed it at #7,375 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#7,375
National first-name rank
People counted
2.1K
2,075 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.7
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
Asian and Pacific Islander
49.5% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Anay
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Anay is Asian/Pacific Islander at 49.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (45.3%) and White (2.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Anay described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Anay at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- Asian and Pacific Islander49.5% · 1,027
- Hispanic or Latino45.3% · 940
- White2.0% · 42
- Black or African American1.7% · 36
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.8% · 17
- Two or more races0.6% · 13
Gender
Gender distribution for Anay
Anay is one of the more evenly split names in the SSA data. Of the 2,006 total registrations, 1,238 (61.7%) were male and 768 (38.3%) were female.
Anay as a male name
- Ranked #2,783 in 2024
- 46 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2017 (102 births)
Anay as a female name
- Ranked #14,285 in 2017
- 6 female births in 2017
- Peak: 2001 (55 births)
2020 Census snapshot
The 2020 Census sex table shows Anay on both sides of the split. Of the 2,076 people counted with this name, 1,077 were male (51.9%) and 999 were female (48.1%).
Popularity
Anay: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Anay from the 1980s through to the 2020s, spanning 5 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 865 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2010s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Anay by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Anay during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Anays live
The SSA's state-level files cover 12 states and territories. California, Texas, New Jersey recorded the most babies named Anay, while Washington, Pennsylvania, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 73 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Anay
The name Anay has its roots in the Sanskrit language, originating in ancient India around the 5th century BCE. It is derived from the Sanskrit word "anaya," which means "without suffering" or "free from pain." This name is closely associated with the principles of Hinduism and the pursuit of spiritual enlightenment.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Anay can be found in the ancient Hindu scriptures, the Vedas. In particular, the Upanishads, which are philosophical texts that explore the nature of reality and consciousness, mention individuals with this name. It is believed that these individuals were revered as sages or spiritual teachers during that era.
Throughout the centuries, the name Anay has been carried by notable figures in various fields. One of the most prominent individuals was Anay Dwivedi, a renowned Sanskrit scholar and poet who lived in the 12th century CE. His works, including the "Anay Kavya," a collection of poetry, are regarded as literary masterpieces and have significantly influenced the development of Sanskrit literature.
Another notable figure was Anay Mishra, a 16th-century Indian mathematician and astronomer. He made significant contributions to the field of astronomy and is credited with developing advanced methods for calculating planetary positions and eclipse predictions. His treatise, "Anay Siddhanta," is considered a seminal work in the field of Indian astronomy.
In the realm of spiritual leaders, Anay Narayan Singh, a 19th-century Indian guru and philosopher, left a lasting impact on the teachings of Hinduism. His teachings focused on the concepts of self-realization and the attainment of inner peace. His ashram in Varanasi became a center of spiritual learning and attracted followers from across India.
Moving to more recent times, Anay Patel was a prominent Indian freedom fighter who participated in the struggle for independence from British rule. Born in 1898, he was a member of the Indian National Congress and played a crucial role in organizing non-violent protests and civil disobedience movements against the colonial authorities.
Another notable figure was Anay Sen, a 20th-century Indian filmmaker and screenwriter. Born in 1927, he was known for his thought-provoking and socially conscious films that explored themes of human suffering, inequality, and the complexities of modern society. His films, such as "Bhuvan Shome" and "Akaler Sandhane," received critical acclaim and numerous awards.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who have carried the name Anay and made significant contributions in various fields, ranging from literature and spirituality to science and activism. The name's Sanskrit roots and association with the pursuit of enlightenment and freedom from suffering have undoubtedly shaped its meaning and significance over the centuries.
People
Anay + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Anay as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Anay: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Anay?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,980 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Anay going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 173,108 US residents.
Is Anay a common name?
We classify Anay as "Rare". It ranks above 93.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,006 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Anay most popular?
The single biggest year for Anay was 2017, when 108 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Anay is about 16 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Anay in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 2,075 people with the name Anay, or 0.69 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #7,375 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Anay in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Anay?
The 2020 Census sex table shows Anay on both sides of the split. Of the 2,076 people counted with this name, 1,077 were male (51.9%) and 999 were female (48.1%). The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Anay?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Anay is Asian/Pacific Islander at 49.5%. The next largest groups are Hispanic (45.3%) and White (2.0%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Anay most often in the Census?
Asian/Pacific Islander is the largest reported group for people named Anay in the 2020 Census, accounting for 49.5% (1,027 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Anay in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Anay a male name?
Yes, 61.7% of people registered as Anay in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Anay still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Anay in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Anay can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
How common is the name Anay?
Our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers how many Americans are named Anay at a glance, with the living-bearer count up front.