unisex name
Anesu
ah-NEH-soo (Shona)
- Origin Shona
- Gender Unisex
- Syllables 3
- Letters 5
- Popularity Rare
- Births on record 141
Anesu is a unisex Shona name from Zimbabwe meaning "He is with us," referring to God. It's a sentence name of a kind common in Shona, and it's also a short form of Isheanesu, "the Lord is with us," so it reads very much like Emmanuel.
- Anesu is a name of Shona origin.
- Peaked in England and Wales in 2008, when 15 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in England and Wales.
- Today about 1 in 175,654 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 2002.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 2.
Anesu Over Time
Births per decade in England and Wales, 2000s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 2000s | 83 |
| 2010s | 45 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 13 |
What Anesu Means
Anesu means he is with us, an expression of God's closeness to a family. Africa Baby Names gives God's grace, but the phrase itself is the widely accepted reading.
Where Anesu Comes From
Shona, the main language of Zimbabwe, often forms personal names from whole statements about God or family. Anesu is built from a verb form meaning he has or he is with, joined to the pronoun us. The longer Isheanesu adds Ishe, Lord, and it's one of many Christian names created in Shona during the twentieth century, as mission churches spread. Parents use the form freely for boys and for girls, because Shona has no grammatical gender. Tinashe, God is with us, is a similar Shona name. Birth records in England and Wales reflect Zimbabwean families who have settled there.
Anesu in Use
Shona sentence names tell a family's story or faith, and they're a strong marker of Zimbabwean identity abroad. The Hebrew name Emmanuel, God with us, is a close match in meaning.
How Popular Is Anesu?
In 2025, Anesu was given to 3 babies in England and Wales. It is a rare choice.
Figures for England and Wales leave out any name given to fewer than three babies in a year, so a gap means the name fell below that floor rather than went unused. Data & sources.
Names That Peaked Alongside Anesu
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
How to Say Anesu
- Shona ah-NEH-soo
Common Questions About Anesu
What does the name Anesu mean?
He is with us, referring to God, in the Shona language.
Is Anesu a boy's or a girl's name?
It's unisex, used for both.
Where does the name Anesu come from?
Zimbabwe, from the Shona language.
How popular is the name Anesu?
In 2025, Anesu was given to 3 babies in England and Wales. It is a rare choice.
How many syllables are in Anesu?
Anesu has 3 syllables.
When was Anesu most popular?
Anesu peaked in 2008, when 15 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
Is Anesu a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Anesu currently ranks #5,212 in England and Wales. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.