Anita
Girl name · #1341 in 2025 · Rare
In 2025, 165 baby girls were named Anita, placing it at #1341 in the official national rankings. A decade ago it stood at #1520, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 10,909 girls born in 2025 was named Anita.
Babies named Anita per year. Source: SSA.
The 145-year story
Anita first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 16 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1957, when 5,811 girls were named Anita — good for #81 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Anita against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Anita in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Anita is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Anita will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Anita is most common
State-level data for Anita is too sparse in 2025 to rank by rate — in most states its count falls below the SSA's per-state reporting threshold (counts under 5 are withheld).
Names like Anita
Statistically, parents drawn to Anita tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Rita, Marta, Brenda, Carla, and Rosita.
RitaMartaBrendaCarlaRositaMarlaAudraAnn
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Anita | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 165 | #1341 |
| 2024 | 149 | #1466 |
| 2023 | 155 | #1439 |
| 2022 | 168 | #1373 |
| 2021 | 154 | #1410 |
| 2020 | 138 | #1533 |
| 2019 | 191 | #1229 |
| 2018 | 172 | #1319 |
| 2017 | 188 | #1257 |
| 2016 | 175 | #1353 |
| 2015 | 148 | #1520 |
| 2014 | 164 | #1399 |
| 2013 | 151 | #1470 |
| 2012 | 151 | #1491 |
| 2011 | 181 | #1301 |
| 2010 | 174 | #1348 |
| 2009 | 199 | #1241 |
| 2008 | 238 | #1090 |
| 2007 | 211 | #1196 |
| 2006 | 212 | #1151 |
| 2005 | 223 | #1067 |
| 2004 | 266 | #908 |
| 2003 | 245 | #954 |
| 2002 | 266 | #863 |
| 2001 | 297 | #795 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Anita a popular girl name?
Anita ranked #1341 among girls in 2025 with 165 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1520.
When was the name Anita most popular?
Anita peaked in 1957, when 5,811 American girls received the name (ranked #81 that year). Since 1957 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Anita?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 10,909 newborn American girls was named Anita. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.