Anika
Anika was the 955th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 269 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 479th; the most babies were born in 2006 (642). Over the last ten years it has moved down 374 places. More babies were named Anika in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Anna (Annika) · German, Swedish, Hebrew
Say it AH-nih-kuh /ˈɑnɪkə/
- Rank in 2025
- #955 girls, down 202 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 269girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2006642 babies
- Total since 1880
- 16,804babies recorded
What does the name Anika mean?
Anika is a German spelling of Annika, a Scandinavian and Low German pet form of Anna, as Wiktionary notes. Anna comes from Hebrew Ḥannah 'favor, grace'. The Swedish character Annika in the Pippi Longstocking books helped spread the name. In Indian families Anika is also used as an independent name, but we found no documented Sanskrit etymology for it.
Anna (Latin / Greek, “from Hebrew Ḥannah”)חַנָּה (Ḥannah) (Hebrew, “favor, grace”)
How sure is this? Well established. The Indian use may be independent; no documented etymology for that use.
Related names: Annika, Anna, Anneke, Annie.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean grace.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Anika' (German section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Annika', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Anne', DMNES (Durham University)
Anika popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #955 | 269 |
| 2020 | #753 | 361 |
| 2010 | #541 | 541 |
| 2000 | #624 | 402 |
| 1990 | #1,468 | 106 |
| 1980 | #1,329 | 95 |
| 1970 | #3,720 | 16 |
| 1960 | — | — |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Anika, counting every spelling?
Anika is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #556 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #955 for Anika on its own. Together these spellings went to 539 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anika | 269 | #955 | 1,534 |
| Annika | 254 | #995 | 1,455 |
| Anica | 5 | #15,133 | 49 |
| Aanika | 6 | #13,212 | 46 |
| Annica | 5 | #15,153 | 28 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Anika?
269 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Anika (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Anika born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 31 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Anika.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Anika?
About 16,600 people born in the US named Anika are alive today, with a median age of 19; half are between 11 and 26. That makes Anika mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Anika by state
How common Anika was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Washington (3.6×), New Jersey (2.5×), Oregon (1.8×), California (1.7×), Massachusetts (1.6×). In 26 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Anika: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Anika, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Anika · Sibling names for Anika
Questions about the name Anika
What does Anika mean?
Anika means “pet form of Anna (Annika)” (German, Swedish, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Anika?
Anika was the 955th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 269 babies. Its best year was 2004, when it ranked 479th; the most babies were born in 2006 (642). Over the last ten years it has moved down 374 places. More babies were named Anika in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Anika a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Anika in the US.
Where is Anika most popular?
In 2021–2025, Anika was most common in Washington (0.68 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Jersey and Oregon.