Rita is a girl name with a classic feel, drawn from real birth records. Below you'll find what Rita means and where it comes from, plus how many babies have been named Rita across the United States, UK, Ireland and New Zealand, how popular Rita has been over the decades, and the year it peaked.
Rita is a girl name of Greek origin meaning “pearl”. a short form of Margarita.
| Country | Births on record |
|---|---|
| United States since 1880 | 285,230 births |
| England & Wales since 1996 | 1,013 births |
| Scotland since 1974 | 71 births |
| Northern Ireland since 1997 | 16 births |
| Ireland since 1964 | 1,299 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 Rita per year, United States (1880 to 2025). United States peaked in 1949 (6,669/yr) · Ireland peaked in 1964 (106/yr) · England & Wales peaked in 2016 (73/yr) · Scotland peaked in 2024 (7/yr) · Northern Ireland peaked in 2023 (6/yr).
Rita has been a fairly common baby name in the United States. It was most common in 1949, when it ranked #106 nationally (given to 6,669 babies that year), and a popular choice in the 1940s.
Rheta · Reta · Retta · Reita · Rittie · Reda · Riot · Rhetta
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