All about Anakan and Ariel

When Candice Swanepoel isn’t hitting the fashion runways as a Victoria’s Secret Angel, she’s busy being a mother to her two children, Anakan and Ariel.

South African model and wife Herman Nicoli welcomed their son Anakan in October 2016, and their second son Ariel in June 2018. Less than a year after giving birth to Annakan, Swanepoel celebrated her first Mother’s Day with a heartfelt message on Instagram in May 2017.

“What a gift and a precious responsibility it is to bring new souls into the world; to love and teach them to love as well,” she wrote. “My life has definitely started over since the day I met my baby.”

Later that August, Swanepoel told PEOPLE that the best part of being a mother is “everything.”

Over the years, she has given glimpses of her children and talked about what it’s like to watch them grow up. In June 2018, she wrote, “I am a lucky woman to be able to be their mom and help them through this thing called life,” adding, “From now on, they will always have Anakan and Ariel with each other.”

Here’s everything you need to know about Candice Swanepoel’s children, Anakan and Ariel.

Anakan, 9

Swanepoel welcomed her son Anakan on October 5, 2016.

The Anacan name was inspired by Nicoli’s home country of Brazil.

“This is an indigenous name from the Amazon,” Swanepoel tells PEOPLE. “I’ve always been amazed by the Indian culture in Brazil…We were discussing names and the first thing that came to mind was one we both liked.”

Swanepoel revealed to British Vogue in May 2017 that she had added an ‘n’ to the end of her son’s name.

“It’s pronounced ‘anakan’,” she explained. “We added the ‘n’ because the original spelling was Brazilian and there was no ‘n’, so it’s a little confusing for everyone here. And we didn’t want him to get in trouble, but he would still use his original name in Brazil.”

Anacan lived in Brazil until he was 5 months old, then moved to New York with his mother. Asked if she would be okay with Anakan following in the footsteps of her and fellow model Nicoli, Swanepoel explained that she didn’t want her children to go into the profession if they weren’t confident because “it’s not very easy”.

Since then, he has posed in front of the cameras. Anakan appeared in a 2017 Gap campaign with Swanepoel in support of Every Mother Counts, wearing a striped outfit and a red baseball cap.

“Motherhood is completely different for every woman. It’s your own unique journey, and I’m thrilled to share my experience as a mother in this project,” Candice said in a press release.

Anakan was promoted to big brother in June 2018 following the arrival of his younger brother Ariel. In September of the same year, Swanepoel described his eldest son as a “great big brother” and revealed that he “always kissed[Ariel].”

“What’s funny is he doesn’t know how to deal with that love,” she tells PEOPLE. “And you know when you think something is really cute and you just want to squeeze it? He doesn’t know how to handle it yet.”

Ariel, 6 years old

On June 19, 2018, Swanepoel welcomed her and Nicoli’s second child, Ariel.

A few months after Ariel’s birth, Swanepoel confessed that having two children under the age of two was “quite difficult” but “amazing”.

“It’s amazing to see the love between two people,” she said. “It’s a lot. I’m not going to lie. The second one is a lot easier, but the two situations are even harder.”

The model also joked, “My second child is an angel. He’s like, ‘Mommy, I know you don’t need any more stress.'” ”

When Ariel was 10 months old, Swanepoel described her son as “the happiest baby I’ve ever met.” She also calls Ariel “little lion boy.”

On his fourth birthday in 2022, Swanepoel wrote of Ariel, “So cool, so strong, so carefree, funny and loving,” adding, “He makes me smile, laugh, and learn every day.”

Like her brother, Ariel also models with her supermodel mother. Swanepoel’s children took part in the filming of Vogue’s Winter 2025 issue.

Swanepoel wrote on Instagram alongside a photo from the shoot: “That day brought a little sunshine to work ☀️ 🧒 👦 📸 @voguemagazine @britishvogue -Mother & SUNs 🌞🌞.”