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Sanaa as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Sanaa

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The baby name Sanaa is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced suh-NAH (IPA: /səˈnɑː/).

Sanaa is Arabic in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 2.0
Origin: Arabic
Pronunciation: suh-NAH (IPA: /səˈnɑː/)

What is the meaning of the name Sanaa ?

The baby name Sanaa is a Female name , 2 syllables long and is pronounced suh-NAH (IPA: /səˈnɑː/).

Sanaa is Arabic in Origin.

Sanaa is a feminine given name with dual roots. In Arabic, Sanā’ (Sanaa) سناء means “radiance, brilliance, splendor” and by extension “eminence” or “loftiness.” In Swahili, sanaa is the common noun for “art” or “craftsmanship,” borrowed from Arabic, and it functions as a virtue name in East Africa. The name is etymologically distinct from Ṣanʿā’, the Yemeni capital often spelled Sana'a.

Used across the Arab world for centuries, Sanaa appears in classical poetry as an emblem of noble brightness and became widespread through Islamic cultural exchange from the Levant to North Africa. In modern times it has found broader use in Europe and North America, aided by actress Sanaa Lathan. Common variants and transliterations include Sana, Sanah, and Sanae (notably in Morocco); associated names include Saniya/Saniyah and Turkish Sena. Alternative spellings sometimes appear as Saná or Sanā’ to mark the final glottal stop.

Sanaa has the following similar or variant Names

Famous people with the name Sanaa

Sanaa Lathan Actor · Born 1971 · United States Sanaa Lathan is an American actress best known for films like Love & Basketball, Brown Sugar, and Alien vs. Predator. Born on September 19, 1971, she is the daughter of actress Eleanor McCoy and director Stan Lathan.

Sanaa – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
MV Girls 0 #33 3 2,021
JO Girls 0 #37 1,664 7,570
SY 0 #74 3,250 11,684
AF 0 #76 1 1,883
JO 0 #83 57 2,158
EG Girls 0 #86 11,860 14,742
SD 0 #88 13 2,130
AF Girls 0 #90 5 2,402
QA 0 #100 7 7,011
LB 0 #105 1,638 13,263
IQ 0 #111 19 3,533
KW 0 #114 8 5,216
OM 0 #114 8 6,215
HU 0 #115 1 1,675
IQ Girls 0 #116 742 11,303
MA 0 #116 15,633 20,986
SD Girls 0 #116 388 7,678
CY Girls 0 #123 3 3,755
Switzerland Girls 2024 #133 3 1,786
PS Girls 0 #134 760 10,981
MU 0 #136 2 3,613
BW Girls 0 #151 1 4,216
MT Girls 0 #151 3 3,773
AE 0 #164 14 10,220
CR 0 #165 1 5,526
Sweden Girls 2022 #178 2 1,568
EG 0 #185 334 6,387
QA Girls 0 #187 131 15,378
LU Girls 0 #190 1 4,850
PS 0 #202 17 5,692
DK 0 #205 2 5,198
IL Girls 0 #219 640 11,648
SA Girls 0 #221 1,180 25,931
HU Girls 0 #223 3 3,308
AE Girls 0 #230 360 20,968
BG Girls 0 #231 1 3,559
SA 0 #231 65 10,560
KW Girls 0 #242 302 19,177
GR Girls 0 #246 4 6,293
IL 0 #247 28 6,291
France Girls 2021 #271 140 3,185
AF Boys 0 #274 1 3,535
JM Girls 0 #274 5 7,507
DK Girls 0 #278 39 7,429
Canada Girls 2024 #279 7 2,795
TW Girls 0 #289 1 8,139
OM Girls 0 #291 106 15,987
HR Girls 0 #294 1 3,687
YE 0 #310 72 8,639
DK Boys 0 #332 1 7,401
GH Girls 0 #336 2 6,973
MU Girls 0 #341 11 8,539
JO Boys 0 #351 27 7,057
MY 0 #351 4 12,352
CN Girls 0 #359 1 8,829
GH Boys 0 #361 1 8,138
LY 0 #388 150 12,703
BD Girls 0 #406 1 8,413
Austria Girls 0 #410 11 1,885
Spain 0 #443 10 2,326
SD Boys 0 #461 6 10,523
PT Girls 0 #465 7 7,952
DZ 0 #493 1,030 20,130
BH 0 #514 40 17,937
PA Girls 0 #517 2 9,861
RU Girls 0 #520 4 11,913
PS Boys 0 #532 17 10,655
IR Girls 0 #540 6 8,334
IR Boys 0 #565 1 10,162
CR Girls 0 #572 2 11,342
CM Boys 0 #574 2 12,054
IL Boys 0 #596 12 10,983
IN Girls 0 #606 26 13,121
SG Girls 0 #626 7 18,916
EG Boys 0 #628 268 15,035
AR Girls 0 #630 1 8,289
IQ Boys 0 #638 30 13,071
HK Girls 0 #647 4 16,104
IT 0 #697 18 4,183
Finland Girls 2026 #699 40 3,895
Germany Girls 0 #735 104 4,949
TN 0 #736 94 13,765
QA Boys 0 #739 5 18,093
Spain Girls 0 #748 239 5,561
KW Boys 0 #801 6 18,755
IT Girls 0 #813 788 9,415
NL Girls 0 #814 142 5,933
NG Girls 0 #822 5 15,093
United States Girls 2024 #841 76 8,487
OM Boys 0 #910 9 17,948
CL Girls 0 #915 1 14,098
MY Girls 0 #983 12 24,821
BR Girls 0 #991 2 12,708
NG Boys 0 #1,001 1 16,906
TR 0 #1,030 182 19,440
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
AE Boys 0 #1,135 9 22,615
CO Girls 0 #1,150 3 16,140
MY Boys 0 #1,181 2 25,439
ZA Girls 0 #1,230 7 25,928
MX Girls 0 #1,267 1 17,781
ZA Boys 0 #1,272 1 25,619
IT Boys 0 #1,457 15 10,046
SA Boys 0 #1,563 52 28,008

Sanaa is popular in 65 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Canada
United States
Switzerland
Sweden

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People also ask about Sanaa

Sanaa is predominantly a girl's name.
Sanaa is a 2 syllable name, pronounced suh-NAH (IPA: /səˈnɑː/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Sana, Sanah, Sana'a and Sanâa.
Yes — Sanaa ranked #133 in Switzerland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 8 countries.
Sanaa ranks highest in Switzerland (#133 in 2024).
Sanaa's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #314 in 2011 to #271 in 2021 in France.
Yes — 1 notable people named Sanaa are in our database, including Sanaa Lathan (Actor).