Explore the Family Name Ani

The meaning of Ani

1. Indian, Bangladeshi, and Pakistani: from the Sindhi adjectival suffix ani, a derivative of Sanskrit ansh ‘descendant’, an honorific traditionally added after the name of the head of a family. Compare Advani. 2. Muslim (Iraq and Syria): variant of Al-Ani (see Alani). 3. Indonesian: from the female personal name Ani, a variant of Ana with the female ending -i, which is of Indian origin. — Note: This personal name was registered as a surname only after immigration of its bearers to the US. 4. West African (Nigeria): Igbo name, from Ani, the name of the Igbo goddess of the earth, fertility, and creativity. 5. West African (Nigeria): Igbo name, from a short form of a personal name such as Aniekwe, which is interpreted as ‘the earth agreed’.

Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.

How common is the last name Ani in the United States?

Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the popularity of the surname Ani has seen a significant increase between 2000 and 2010. The rank of the surname improved from 74,164 in 2000 to 47,521 in 2010, making a notable leap of 35.92%. Concurrently, the count of individuals with this last name also rose by 83.54%, from 243 people in 2000 to 446 in 2010. This increase is reflected in the proportion per 100k people, which went up by 66.67% over the decade.

20002010Change
Rank#74,164#47,52135.92%
Count24344683.54%
Proportion per 100k0.090.1566.67%

Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Ani

The ethnic identity associated with the Ani surname as per the Decennial U.S. Census data has also shifted over the years. In 2000, the highest percentage of people with this surname identified as Black at 38.27%, followed by White at 29.22%, and Asian/Pacific Islander at 19.75%. By 2010, there was an increased representation of those identifying as Black, rising to 44.39%. There was also a substantial decrease in those who identified as White, dropping to 21.08%. Interestingly, the percentage of individuals identifying as two or more races saw an increase, ascending from 7.41% in 2000 to 8.3% in 2010. However, there were no changes in Hispanic and American Indian and Alaskan Native representations during this period.

20002010Change
Black38.27%44.39%15.99%
White29.22%21.08%-27.86%
Asian/Pacific Islander19.75%19.28%-2.38%
Two or More Races7.41%8.3%12.01%
Hispanic0%0%0%
American Indian and Alaskan Native0%0%0%