This study employed functional near-infrared spectroscopy (fNIRS) to analyze cortical activation patterns during resting state and picture naming tasks in patients with subacute post-stroke anomic aphasia. Method: Fifteen patients with subacute post-stroke anomic aphasia were enrolled as the aphasic group, and twenty age- and gender-matched healthy subjects were recruited as controls. fNIRS data were collected from both groups during resting state and picture naming tasks, with analysis focused on language-related brain regions. Results: During the resting state, the aphasic group showed reduced oxygenated hemoglobin concentrations in the left supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and right superior temporal gyrus (STG) compared to controls (P<0.05). Enhanced functional connectivity was observed between the left SMG and right Broca’s area, as well as between the left SMG and right middle temporal gyrus (MTG) (P< 0.05). During picture naming, the aphasic group exhibited decreased activation in the left supplementary motor area (SMA), left angular gyrus, and bilateral SMG compared to controls (P<0.05). Notably, the β-value of the left SMG during picture naming correlated positively with task performance scores (P<0.05). Conclusion: In this study, fNIRS revealed significantly reduced activation in the left SMG among anomic aphasic patients, with activation levels positively correlating with picture-naming performance. These findings underscore the critical role of the left SMG in language deficits and its potential as a therapeutic target for rehabilitation.