Meaning and Etymology
The Sanskrit word अञ्जलि (añjali) means “salutation” or “reverence”[2]. Some naming resources interpret it as “one who offers with both hands”[4]. In Hindu and Buddhist ritual the term also denotes the hand‑gesture of joining the palms together in greeting[1].
Origin and Language Usage
The name is a borrowing from Sanskrit अञ्जलि[1]. It is used as a feminine given name in many Indian languages, including Gujarati, Hindi, Telugu, Tamil, Malayalam, Kannada, Bengali, and also in English‑language contexts where people of Indian heritage reside[2][4].
Pronunciation
In Gujarati the standard pronunciation is represented by the IPA /ˈəɲ.d͡ʒə.li/[1]. In English‑speaking contexts the name is commonly pronounced “uhn‑JAH‑lee” or “AHN‑juh‑lee” (three syllables)[3].
Spellings and Variants
Alternative spellings documented include અંજલી (Gujarati script)[1], and Roman‑script variants such as Anjalee, Anjaly, Anjalie, Annjali, Anjalli, Anjalye, Anjaleah, and Anjalea[4].
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Frequently asked questions
What does the name Anjali mean?
In Sanskrit, Anjali (अञ्जलि) means “salutation” or “reverence”, and it is also interpreted as “one who offers with both hands”[2][4].
How is Anjali pronounced?
The Gujarati pronunciation is IPA /ˈəɲ.d͡ʒə.li/[1]. In English it is most often pronounced “uhn‑JAH‑lee” or “AHN‑juh‑lee”[3].
Is Anjali a male or female name?
Anjali is documented as a feminine given name in Gujarati, Hindi and other Indian languages[1][5].
Related terms
References
Follow the sources to explore the evidence and context behind this article.
- અંજલિ - Wiktionary, the free dictionary; https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/
- Anjali; https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anjali
- Anjali - Girls' Name, #3,651 Overall, Pronounced uhn-JAH-lee; https://nameplay.org/name/Anjali
- Anjali: meaning “one who offers with both hands”, origin & popularity · PerfectNameFinder; https://perfectnamefinder.com/names/anjali
- anjali - definition, thesaurus and related words from WordNet-Online; http://www.wordnet-online.com/anjali.shtml
- Anjali: Name Meaning, Origin & Popularity | namestrace; https://namestrace.com/names/anjali/