Anja
Anya, Ania or Anja is a given name. The names are feminine in most East European countries and unisex in several African countries.
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Finnish
Meaning & Origin of Anja
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Anya, Ania or Anja is a given name. The names are feminine in most East European countries and unisex in several African countries.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- Swedish
- Norwegian
- Danish
- Finnish
- Slovene
- Croatian
- Serbian
- German
- Dutch
The Story of Anja
American parents first put Anja on the record books as a baby girl name in 1962, with 7 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 2006, when 122 Anjas were born — ranking #1,709 that year. The 2000s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 31% of all recorded Anjas. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #3,269 among baby girl names with 48 births, gradually falling (-8%). In total, more than 3K Anjas have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1960s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Anja
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Anja. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Anja
Phonetically similar names — useful when Anja is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Anja
What does the name Anja mean?
What is the origin of the name Anja?
How popular is Anja in 2026?
When was Anja most popular?
In which U.S. states is Anja most popular?
Is Anja a unisex name?
What names go well with Anja?
What are nicknames or variants of Anja?
About the name Anja
Anja is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1962 and has accumulated 3K births in the dataset. Anja's peak popularity came in 2006 when it ranked #1,683. Use the chart and map above to compare Anja's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2006 →
- Names of the 2000s →
- Names starting with "A" →
- Browse all girl names →
- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.