Anar means “to light, to illuminate”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a girl's name in Uyghur, Kazakh and Azerbaijani.
- Anar is a name of Arabic, Turkic and Persian origin.
- It is recorded for Uyghur, Kazakh and Azerbaijani.
- 2 syllables (counted from the spelling) and 4 letters.
What does Anar mean?
Literally: أَنَارَ ‘to light, to illuminate’
Literal meaning
Anar is a boy's name listed on Wiktionary as a given name in Azerbaijani. Wiktionary traces the name to Arabic أَنَارَ (‘to light, to illuminate’). That word means “to light, to illuminate”.[1,3,4]
Also glossed as “pomegranate, Punica granatum”[5]LikelyFrom the Kazakh word анар ‘pomegranate, Punica granatum’. This reading is based on the word; a separate etymology for the name itself is not recorded.
Anar in Uyghur, Kazakh and Azerbaijani
What does Anar mean in Uyghur?
In Uyghur the name is written ئانار, Anar (ULY transliteration), ئانارگۈل, Anargül, ئانارقىز, Anarqiz, Anarxan, Anarem, ئانارخان and ئانارەم. Here it is glossed as “name of a fruit”[4]. It is recorded as a girl's name.[4]
What does Anar mean in Kazakh?
In Kazakh the name is written Анар and Anar (common romanization). No separate Kazakh gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “to light, to illuminate” applies. It is recorded as a girl's name.[3]
What does Anar mean in Azerbaijani?
In Azerbaijani the name is written Anar. No separate Azerbaijani gloss is recorded, so the general meaning “to light, to illuminate” applies. It is recorded as a boy's name.[1]
Where does the name Anar come from?
Arabic, borrowing. Wiktionary traces the name to Arabic أَنَارَ (‘to light, to illuminate’).[1]✓ Documented
Turkic, native word. The Dictionary of Uyghur Names gives the origin as Turkic.[4]✓ Documented
Persian, borrowing. The word анар is Persian in origin, according to its dictionary entry.[5]Likely
How do you pronounce Anar?
In IPA: [ɑˈnɑɾ], as given in the cited dictionary entry.
Which languages use the name Anar?
Anar is used as a given name in Uyghur, Kazakh and Azerbaijani. Its origin is Arabic, Turkic and Persian. The table shows for each language whether the use is documented by a cited source or comes from our editorial research.
Anar across Turkic languages
| Language | Spelling | Gender | Meaning in this language | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uyghur | ئانارArabic script ئانارگۈلArabic script, variant AnargülLatin, variant ئانارقىزArabic script, variant AnarqizLatin, variant AnarxanLatin, variant AnaremLatin, variant ئانارخانArabic script, variant ئانارەمArabic script, variant | Girl | “name of a fruit” | Documented[4] |
| Kazakh | АнарCyrillic | Girl | same as above: “to light, to illuminate” | Documented[3] |
| Azerbaijani | AnarLatin | Boy | same as above: “to light, to illuminate” | Documented[1] |
Similar spellings in different languages do not prove a shared origin: two languages can arrive at the same sound from different words. The origin section above states what the sources say.
Spelling variations of Anar
Forms are shown as recorded, in their original script. Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled with their system and are not presented as attested spellings.
| Form | Language | Script | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| Anar[1] | Azerbaijani | Latin | Native spelling |
| Anar[3] | Latin spelling | Latin | Variant |
| ئانار[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Native spelling |
| Anar[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Romanization (ULY transliteration) |
| ئانارگۈل[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| Anargül[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| ئانارقىز[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| Anarqiz[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| Anarxan[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| Anarem[4] | Uyghur | Latin | Variant (ULY transliteration) |
| ئانارخان[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| ئانارەم[4] | Uyghur | Arabic script | Variant |
| Анар[3] | Kazakh | Cyrillic | Native spelling |
| Anar | Kazakh | Latin | Romanization (common romanization) |
Names related to Anar
Variants and linked names
- AnaremGirl“name of a fruit”
Sibling names for Anar
Names recorded for the same languages that start with a different letter, so two children are not mixed up. Names that share a meaning theme or an element with Anar rank first. Siblings do not have to match; these are only ideas.
- HashimBoy“one who crumbles bread, breaker into pieces”same language (uyghur)
- ShirxanUnisex“Shir with the epithet khan”same language (uyghur)
- GüldiyarGirl“flower of the homeland; beauty of the land”same language (uyghur)
- QutpidinBoy“axis of the faith”same language (uyghur)
- E'uzBoy“I seek refuge, I implore”same language (uyghur)
- SeifollaBoy“sword of God”same language (kazakh)
- HüseynBoy“little handsome one”same language (azerbaijani)
- PatixullaBoy“God's hero”same language (uyghur)
Common questions about Anar
What does the name Anar mean?
Anar means “to light, to illuminate”. It comes from Arabic. It is documented as a girl's name in Uyghur, Kazakh and Azerbaijani.
Is Anar a girl's or a boy's name?
Anar is recorded as a girl's name. By language: Uyghur: girls; Kazakh: girls; Azerbaijani: boys.
Where does Anar come from?
Anar is of Arabic, Turkic and Persian origin according to our origin records. Read the origin section above for the sources.
Which languages use Anar?
Anar is recorded for Uyghur, Kazakh and Azerbaijani. The table shows each language's spelling, gender and evidence label, and a language is listed only when our data records the name for it.
How is Anar spelled in other scripts?
Recorded spellings: Anar (Latin), ئانار (Arabic script), ئانارگۈل (Arabic script), Anargül (Latin), ئانارقىز (Arabic script), Anarqiz (Latin). Romanizations and rule-based conversions are labelled as such in the spelling table.
How many syllables does Anar have?
Anar has 2 syllables by our approximate count of vowel groups in the spelling, and 4 letters. Pronunciation can differ by language.
Sources
Numbers in the text point to these sources. The descriptions on this page are written by a fixed template filled only with the stored source facts; source texts are not copied.
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “Anar”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 92973025. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: etymology states: Borrowed from Arabic أَنَارَ (ʔanāra) or Classical Persian انار (anār); classified as a male given name in the Azerbaijani section; IPA [ɑˈnɑɾ]; listed as a male given name in the Azerbaijani section (+1 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “أنار”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 93319879. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Arabic أَنَارَ ‘to light, to illuminate’
- Rustem Yeshpanov. KazPER Kazakh person-name list. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY 4.0.
Supports: listed in KazPER; KazPER English spelling Anar; KazPER lists Анар
- Uyghur Language. Dictionary of Uyghur Names. Uyghur Language (GitHub: uyghur-language/names), revision 075ed994f116b4b9e06c7d013b4fb880db679883. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: MIT License.
Supports: entry in the Dictionary of Uyghur Names; Uyghur gloss: مېۋە ئىسمى (بۇ يەردە قىز پەرزەنت ئانارغا ئوخشىتىپ سۈپەتلەنگەن); listed as a Uyghur given name (feminine); origin: Turkic (+10 more)
- Wiktionary contributors. Wiktionary entry “анар”. Wikimedia Foundation, revision 89009950. Accessed 2026-10-28. Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0.
Supports: Kazakh анар: pomegranate, Punica granatum; etymology of анар
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