Ali ibn al-Athir
Ali ibn al-Athir stated that the name ʿAnnāz derived from the word "ʿanz" meaning 'she goat' and signifies the owner, merchant, or shepherd of goats. However, Sharafkhan Bidlisi and Hamdallah Mustawfi put forward the name "Banū ʿAyyār" arguing that the Arabic word "ayyār" meaning 'smart' or 'shrewd' was also common in Kurdish and Persian and was used as a nickname for Kurdish families, while nor "ʿanz" or "ʿannāz" are mentioned in Kurdish dictionaries.