'ananym' originates from English, specifically from the prefix 'ana-' meaning 'back' or 'again' and the suffix '-onym' meaning 'name'.

'ananym' was formed in English in the 19th century by combining 'ana-' and '-onym', and has been used to refer to names created by reversing the letters of another name.

Initially, it meant 'a name made by reversing another name', and this meaning has remained unchanged in modern usage.