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Anil as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Anil

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The baby name Anil is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced uh-NEEL (English/Hindi),ah-nuhl (Turkish, Anıl).

Anil is Sanskrit in Origin.

Gender: Male
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Sanskrit
Pronunciation: uh-NEEL (English/Hindi),ah-nuhl (Turkish, Anıl)

What is the meaning of the name Anil ?

The baby name Anil is a Male name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced uh-NEEL (English/Hindi),ah-nuhl (Turkish, Anıl).

Anil is Sanskrit in Origin.

Anil is a masculine given name of Sanskrit origin (अनिल, anila), meaning “wind,” “air,” or “vital breath.” In Vedic literature, Anila denotes the life-sustaining element and serves as an epithet of Vayu, the wind god; by extension it can suggest animation, agility, and freedom. The name appears in classical Sanskrit poetry and later vernacular traditions across the Indian subcontinent.

In modern India, Nepal, and the diaspora, Anil has been widely used since the mid-20th century, borne by figures such as actor Anil Kapoor and cricketer Anil Kumble, which helped keep it approachable. Variants and related forms include the feminine Anila, the spelling Aneel (common in Urdu/Hindi transliteration), and the Turkish given name Anıl, which is etymologically distinct and means “to be remembered.” Diminutives like Ani occur informally. Though unrelated, Portuguese anil and Spanish añil denote “indigo” (from Arabic an-nīl < Sanskrit nīla), a coincidence sometimes noted in onomastic discussions.

Anil has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Anil

Anil Kapoor Actor · Born 1959 · India Anil Kapoor is a well-known actor from India, famous for his role in the film 'Slumdog Millionaire'. He has also starred in popular movies like 'Mr. India' and 'Dil Dhadakne Do'. Born in 1959, he has had a long and successful career in both Bollywood and international cinema.

Anil – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
FJ 0 #6 1 374
IN Boys 0 #12 21,388 16,750
IN 0 #14 72 2,963
FJ Boys 0 #17 1 603
OM Boys 0 #24 6,377 17,948
QA Boys 0 #25 3,396 18,093
OM 0 #28 112 6,215
BN 0 #30 3 2,297
AE 0 #31 187 10,220
AE Boys 0 #32 8,716 22,615
MV Girls 0 #35 1 2,021
BH 0 #38 1,612 17,937
MT 0 #43 1 1,767
QA 0 #47 54 7,011
KW Boys 0 #48 3,166 18,755
MV Boys 0 #48 30 3,375
MO 0 #52 1 2,706
KW 0 #61 56 5,216
LU 0 #66 1 2,830
AF 0 #69 8 1,883
AO 0 #77 1 2,729
CN 0 #85 2 3,857
AF Girls 0 #90 5 2,402
JM 0 #92 2 3,714
TW 0 #103 1 4,523
SA Boys 0 #106 11,359 28,008
PH 0 #109 2 5,607
BN Girls 0 #114 1 5,459
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
BN Boys 0 #116 18 6,332
MU Boys 0 #118 331 8,477
Switzerland Boys 2024 #120 18 1,769
CY Boys 0 #120 10 3,473
MU 0 #130 8 3,613
AZ Boys 0 #131 1 1,400
IQ 0 #133 1 3,533
ID Boys 0 #135 1 4,130
JO 0 #140 1 2,158
BW Boys 0 #149 6 4,685
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
HU Boys 0 #174 1 3,954
IN Girls 0 #176 757 13,121
PR Boys 0 #177 2 2,508
SI Girls 0 #177 1 2,769
MT Boys 0 #179 1 4,064
Sweden Boys 2021 #182 2 1,578
DK 0 #204 3 5,198
AF Boys 0 #205 67 3,535
MO Boys 0 #207 17 5,842
QA Girls 0 #208 110 15,378
SA 0 #208 88 10,560
SI Boys 0 #208 4 3,402
PL 0 #212 1 2,600
BG Boys 0 #213 8 3,850
BD 0 #217 11 5,992
LU Boys 0 #217 4 4,970
Finland Boys 0 #218 257 2,041
OM Girls 0 #221 179 15,987
AL Girls 0 #226 2 4,141
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
SG 0 #240 30 11,010
JP Boys 0 #244 54 7,909
GH 0 #248 1 5,396
GR Girls 0 #249 1 6,293
JP Girls 0 #250 2 6,592
PT 0 #250 1 4,161
TW Boys 0 #253 4 7,111
GR Boys 0 #257 11 6,912
MO Girls 0 #260 4 7,056
NG 0 #267 6 5,926
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
JM Boys 0 #288 6 6,876
JO Boys 0 #288 90 7,057
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
CN Boys 0 #292 28 9,639
KZ Boys 0 #292 5 6,578
AL Boys 0 #295 9 5,122
CZ Boys 0 #298 8 6,530
DK Boys 0 #309 17 7,401
MY 0 #315 16 12,352
Canada Boys 2014 #326 6 2,348
DK Girls 0 #327 3 7,429
PE 0 #329 1 6,350
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
PT Boys 0 #333 35 7,951
PL Boys 0 #335 6 6,459
JO Girls 0 #336 4 7,570
GH Girls 0 #337 1 6,973
YE 0 #344 38 8,639
AE Girls 0 #347 210 20,968
HK 0 #352 6 8,483
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
CN Girls 0 #359 1 8,829
GH Boys 0 #359 3 8,138
MU Girls 0 #360 3 8,539
France Boys 2021 #363 25 2,865
PH Boys 0 #374 10 11,440
Finland Girls 0 #378 14 1,368
NL 0 #380 12 2,481
Austria Boys 0 #383 60 2,180
KW Girls 0 #385 131 19,177
BD Girls 0 #400 7 8,413
SD Boys 0 #408 38 10,523
SG Boys 0 #419 290 17,960
Germany 0 #422 16 2,542
PH Girls 0 #426 4 13,098
BD Boys 0 #433 149 10,045
ZA 0 #434 14 14,421
HK Boys 0 #462 66 12,905
PT Girls 0 #470 2 7,952
CR Boys 0 #471 17 10,188
MY Boys 0 #482 823 25,439
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
RU Boys 0 #483 23 12,621
GT Boys 0 #498 2 7,625
PA Boys 0 #498 8 9,305
PS Boys 0 #507 42 10,655
CO 0 #508 3 7,768
PA Girls 0 #517 2 9,861
LY 0 #522 14 12,703
IQ Girls 0 #523 3 11,303
SA Girls 0 #532 432 25,931
IR Boys 0 #534 19 10,162
IR Girls 0 #538 8 8,334
GT Girls 0 #541 1 7,500
PS Girls 0 #546 2 10,981
TR 0 #553 1,581 19,440
CM Boys 0 #571 5 12,054
CR Girls 0 #573 1 11,342
IL Boys 0 #574 34 10,983
IQ Boys 0 #576 92 13,071
BO Boys 0 #621 2 9,244
SG Girls 0 #627 6 18,916
IL Girls 0 #639 7 11,648
BO Girls 0 #648 4 9,488
LB 0 #648 11 13,263
HK Girls 0 #650 1 16,104
Germany Boys 0 #651 319 5,697
Finland Boys 2026 #659 24 3,552
CL Boys 0 #693 8 13,390
NL Boys 0 #701 256 5,873
SY 0 #762 6 11,684
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
Germany Girls 0 #823 16 4,949
EG Boys 0 #855 32 15,035
TN 0 #860 6 13,765
ZA Boys 0 #877 310 25,619
United States Boys 2024 #886 7 7,044
Spain Boys 0 #890 41 5,610
NG Boys 0 #893 59 16,906
PE Boys 0 #925 2 14,506
MY Girls 0 #940 55 24,821
CO Boys 0 #976 6 15,656
PE Girls 0 #1,006 5 14,861
EG Girls 0 #1,009 1 14,742
MX Boys 0 #1,033 1 16,355
CO Girls 0 #1,051 28 16,140
MA 0 #1,085 44 20,986
IT Boys 0 #1,100 379 10,046
DZ 0 #1,108 69 20,130
MX Girls 0 #1,171 13 17,781
ZA Girls 0 #1,232 5 25,928
IT Girls 0 #1,427 20 9,415

Anil is popular in 81 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Switzerland
United States
Canada
Sweden

Did we miss something about this name? Let us know!

People also ask about Anil

Anil is predominantly a boy's name.
Anil is a 2 syllable name, pronounced uh-NEEL (English/Hindi),ah-nuhl (Turkish, Anıl).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Aneel, Anila (feminine) and Anıl (Turkish spelling).
Across languages, Anil has these equivalents: Vayu (Sanskrit god of wind), Pavan / Pawan (Sanskrit, 'wind'), Gale (English, 'strong wind'), Zephyr (Greek, 'west wind').
Yes — Anil ranked #120 in Switzerland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Anil ranks highest in Switzerland (#120 in 2024).
Anil's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #407 in 2011 to #363 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 1 notable people named Anil are in our database, including Anil Kapoor (Actor).