Anifa as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Anifa

What is the meaning of the name Anifa ?

The baby name Anifa is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced ah-NEE-fah (IPA: /aˈniːfa/).

Anifa is Arabic in Origin.

Anifa is a feminine given name with Arabic roots, most commonly treated as a regional spelling of Hanifa, the feminine of Hanif. In Arabic, hanīf denotes one who turns from error toward the one God - a “true believer” or upright monotheist - an epithet associated with Abraham in the Qur’an. Through Islamic cultural exchange, the name entered many languages and naming traditions and has been maintained for centuries in Muslim communities.

Anifa appears especially in East and Central Africa, where loss of initial h in everyday speech or colonial-era transcription likely yielded this form. Variants include Hanifa, Hanifah, Haneefa, Haneifah, and Aneefa; short forms such as Nifa or Ani also occur. The meaning remains consistent across spellings: devout, steadfast in faith, and morally upright. While most common among Muslims, the name is also used more broadly in multicultural African contexts and diasporas.