Recent in Baby
When Baby Resists SolidsWhen Baby Resists SolidsBaby Biting TipsBaby Biting Tips5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair Injuries5 Tips To Help Prevent Highchair InjuriesWhen Baby and Pet MeetWhen Baby and Pet MeetTreatments for ColicTreatments for ColicBaby Milestones – The First YearBaby Milestones – The First YearTips for Relieving Teething PainTips for Relieving Teething PainBenefits of Making Your Own Baby FoodBenefits of Making Your Own Baby Food

Home › Baby Names Directory › Anisa

Anisa

♀ Girl

Pronounced a-NEE-sa /ʔa.ˈniː.sa/Medium

Meaning: Friendly, friendMedium

In 30 seconds: Anisa is an Arabic girl's name meaning 'friendly' or 'friend'. It has a warm, gentle sound that matches its sense.
💕 Browse more names
Origin MediumArabic, Albanian, Indonesian
MeaningFriendly, friend
U.S. rank (2025)#2752 ↘ Falling
2025 U.S. births62 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)
Peak year2005
Total births (all-time)≈ 5,558

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 200519582025

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Anisa comes from Arabic with the meaning friendly or friend, a name that quite literally wishes warmth on its bearer. It appears across regions in forms like Anissa and Enisa, showing how widely the name travels. The soft consonants keep it easy on the ear in any spelling.

Indonesian singer Anisa Rahma, once of the group Cherrybelle, carries the name in Southeast Asia. The variant Anis trims it to a single-word root, while Änis shows a Germanized respelling of the same name.

Did you know? The meaning usually attached to Anisa is 'friendly, friend', and that core idea is what gives the name most of its long-term appeal.
Overall data confidence 78%
Behind the Name - Anisa — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

EnisaAnissaEniseÄnisAnis

Nicknames

—

Famous Bearers

  • ★Anisa Rahma (1990–present)
    Indonesian singer and actress, former member of the girl group Cherrybelle.

If you like Anisa…

Anissa— a doubled-s variant of Anisa with the identical sound
Aniya— shares the An- opening and gentle three-syllable flow
Alisa— matches the soft -isa ending and warm sound
Aqsa— echoes that soft -sa sound
Aminah— a fellow Arabic choice

Explore names like Anisa

By themearabicindonesian

All themes →All meanings →All origins →

Frequently Asked

What does the name Anisa mean?

Anisa is usually explained as meaning 'friendly, friend' and is most often linked with Arabic tradition.

How do you pronounce Anisa?

It's commonly said a-NEE-sa /ʔa.ˈniː.sa/.

Is Anisa a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Anisa is used as a girl name.

How popular is Anisa?

In 2024, Anisa ranked #2145 in the U.S. for girls, with 88 births recorded.

💬 Ask Nia