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.

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Origin MediumArabic, Albanian, Indonesian

MeaningFriendly, friend

U.S. rank (2024)#2145 ↘ Falling

2024 U.S. births88 girls (0.01% of U.S. girls)

Peak year2005

Total births (all-time)≈ 5,496

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

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

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

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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

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.