THE NAME REPORT · FIRST-NAME VIEW

Anais

/a.na.is/ (French)

MEANING

Catalan and Occitan form of Ana, meaning grace

NAME PROFILE

  1. Pronunciation & Spelling

    Easy for most readers

    Most of the uncertainty is in the first pronunciation, not the act of writing the name. The same spelling can suggest more than one credible reading.

    78/100

  2. Everyday Use

    Low risk

    The main everyday ambiguity is name-to-name confusion: listeners can reasonably hear a nearby familiar name instead.

    96/100

  3. Lifetime Fit

    Strong lifetime fit

    This name is not tied to a casual short-form pattern, so it does not need a separate formal version to work in both settings.

    88/100

  4. International Mobility

    Travels effortlessly

    The preferred spelling passes through common record systems with little need for conversion or character loss.

    99/100

NAME DETAILS

CLOSE SPELLINGS
Annais
Anaïse
IN OTHER LANGUAGES
Anaïs (French, diaeresis)
Anaís (Catalan/Spanish, accented)

Popularity

Distinctive

#892

Uncommon in current U.S. usage.

U.S. SSA · Girls' names · 2025

Ranked number 892 of 1000 among girls' names in United States for 2025. Public familiarity band: Distinctive. Popularity describes familiarity, not name quality.

About the name

Meaning

Catalan and Occitan form of Ana, meaning grace.

Origin and history

Anaïs (French, with diaeresis over the ï).

CULTURAL REFERENCES

Anaïs Nin (1903–1977)

Bottom line

Anais is workable on its own, with one trade-off worth testing before you settle on it. If it stays on the shortlist, show the written name to someone seeing it for the first time and note where their pronunciation lands.