Anayah

A Quranic Name for Girls

Meaning: Caring, Guardian and Protector

Anayah is variant of Anaya and has the exact same meaning and pronunciation (see below for full meaning). You can use either Anayah or Anaya, both are correct and acceptable. If you like this variant more and you'd like to pronounce it the way it is spelled (different than the original name), this is perfectly acceptable. For more details please see the main entry at: Anaya.

Full Meaning of Anayah

Anayah is an indirect Quranic name for girls that means “care”, “protection”, “diligence”. It is a variant of the name Inaya.

Question from a reader:

I checked with a Mufti about the name Anayah. What he says is as follows: “Inaayah is the name. It means “Care” as in one who cares and is cared for etc. One who receives special treatment perhaps. As for Anayahh I cannot understand how the site says it is from AWN. I do not see any link. It is from A-N-Y and is totally in contrast to what the site claims. Allah knows best”. Could you please comment on this as I was planning to name my daughter (who is due in a few days, inshaAllah), Anayah?

Our Answer: 

He is right that the A-W-N root was incorrect. We have corrected it to the AIN-N-A root (which can also be written as AIN-N-Y). As for the origin of this name, it is mentioned in the classical Arabic dictionary Qamoos al-Muhit by the scholar Fairuzabadi (died 1414 CE) in the first line of the entry for AIN-N-A and on the same line with Inayah, suggesting that they are synonyms:

عَناهُ الأَمْرُ يَعْنِيهِ ويَعْنُوه عِنايَةً وعَنايَةً وعُنِيَّاً: أَهَمَّه.

He is the only scholar who mentions this word, it is either a rare word or a non-standard variant that other scholars had not heard of. Either way, it is an acceptable name since Muslims are always creating new names based on older words and there is no prohibition on this practice.

As for a Quranic reference for this root, it is used in Surat Taha in verse 111:

On that Day all faces shall be humbled before the Living, Self-Subsisting One. Those burdened with evil deeds will come to grief. (Quran 20:111)