Rita
Rita was the 1287th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 174 babies. Its best year was 1930, when it ranked 42nd; the most babies were born in 1949 (6,653). Over the last ten years it has moved down 4 places. More babies were named Rita in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Meaning short form of Margherita, 'pearl' · Italian, Spanish, Greek
Say it REE-tuh /ˈɹitə/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,287 girls, down 53 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 174girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 19496,653 babies
- Total since 1880
- 285,230babies recorded
What does the name Rita mean?
Rita is a short form of Italian Margherita and Spanish Margarita (Margaret, 'pearl'), as Wiktionary notes. Saint Rita of Cascia, a 15th-century Italian nun canonized in 1900, made it popular among Catholics, and it came into regular English use in the early 20th century; Rita Hayworth is a famous bearer. Separately, Rita is an Indian name from Sanskrit.
μαργαρίτης (margaritēs) (Ancient Greek, “pearl”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Margarita, Margherita, Margaret, Reta.
See also: Greek names, names that mean jewel.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Rita', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Margaret', DMNES (Durham University)
Rita popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 778 since 1913.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,287 | 174 |
| 2020 | #1,234 | 185 |
| 2010 | #1,341 | 176 |
| 2000 | #881 | 251 |
| 1990 | #545 | 434 |
| 1980 | #297 | 840 |
| 1970 | #203 | 1,590 |
| 1960 | #96 | 5,027 |
| 1950 | #56 | 6,424 |
| 1940 | #70 | 3,442 |
| 1930 | #42 | 5,470 |
| 1920 | #52 | 4,979 |
| 1910 | #198 | 333 |
| 1900 | #256 | 162 |
| 1890 | #349 | 54 |
| 1880 | #385 | 19 |
How popular is Rita, counting every spelling?
Rita has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #1,223 for girls in 2025, against #1,287 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Rita?
174 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Rita (0.05 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Rita born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 48 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Rita.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Rita?
About 137,000 people born in the US named Rita are alive today, with a median age of 70; half are between 61 and 77. That makes Rita a name most people associate with older generations.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Rita by state
How common Rita was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New York (1.9×), Massachusetts (1.9×). In 30 states fewer than five girls a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Rita: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Rita, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Rita · Sibling names for Rita
Rita is also a nickname for Margarita.
Questions about the name Rita
What does Rita mean?
Rita means “short form of Margherita, 'pearl'” (Italian, Spanish, Greek origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Rita?
Rita was the 1287th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 174 babies. Its best year was 1930, when it ranked 42nd; the most babies were born in 1949 (6,653). Over the last ten years it has moved down 4 places. More babies were named Rita in the 1950s than in any other decade.
Is Rita a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Rita in the US.
Where is Rita most popular?
In 2021–2025, Rita was most common in New York (0.20 per 1,000 girls), followed by Massachusetts and Illinois.