Anita is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Anita means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Anita across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Anita has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Anita is a girl name of Hebrew origin meaning “grace, favour”. a Spanish pet form of Ana.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 215,849 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,097 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 257 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 9 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 2,333 births |
| New Zealand top 100, since 1954 | 1,526 births |
Counts come from official national birth-registration statistics: U.S. Social Security Administration, England & Wales (Office for National Statistics), Scotland (National Records of Scotland), Northern Ireland (NISRA), Ireland (Central Statistics Office) and New Zealand (Dept. of Internal Affairs). Coverage spans differ, so totals aren't directly comparable across countries.
Babies named Anita per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1957 (5,831/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1971 (120/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 1996 (71/yr) · Scotland peaked in 1974 (16/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2001 (3/yr).
Anita has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1957, when it ranked #153 nationally (given to 5,831 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1950s.
Annetta · Waneta · Wanita · Oneida · Oneta · Wanetta · Onita · Waunita
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