Likely a short modern Spanish-style form related to Ana or Anahi.
Anay is a name of layered origins that has traveled through multiple linguistic traditions. In Hebrew, it connects to names like Ananiah, meaning 'Yahweh has answered' or 'cloud of the Lord,' placing it within the rich tradition of theophoric Hebrew names that record a divine encounter. In Sanskrit, the root an-aya can be interpreted as 'without ruler,' 'free,' or 'one who is beyond constraint' — a meaning with a quietly radical edge that has appealed to families in India seeking a name suggesting independence and self-determination.
In Mexican and broader Latin American usage, Anay has emerged as a contemporary feminine name, sometimes seen as a variant of Anaya (itself likely from the Basque or possibly from a Nahuatl root) — used for its lyrical sound and its sense of soft modernity. Its brevity and vowel-forward phonetics make it easy to say in Spanish, English, and Hindi alike, which has accelerated its cross-cultural adoption. The name occupies an interesting space in the contemporary naming landscape: it is old enough to carry linguistic substance, but it hasn't been borne by any single towering historical figure whose shadow would define it.
That openness is part of its appeal. Anay invites a child to fill it rather than inherit a predetermined archetype. It has risen quietly in Indian naming charts, in Mexican-American communities, and among parents drawn to short, vowel-rich names that travel gracefully across borders — a small name with a surprisingly broad reach.