Rita
Girl name · #1285 in 2025 · Uniqueness 66/100
Rita is currently the #1285 girl name in the United States — 174 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #1280, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 10,345 girls born in 2025 was named Rita.
The 145-year story
Rita first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 19 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1949, when 6,653 girls were named Rita — good for #54 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.
Babies named Rita per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Rita against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Rita in class?
Rita scores 66 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "distinctive" band. That middle band is the sweet spot many parents hunt for: recognizable without being everywhere.
Where Rita is most common
Geography matters for names, and Rita is no exception. In 2025 the states with the most Ritas were CA (24), NY (14), TX (13), VA (10), PA (8). Raw counts naturally favor populous states, but the spread still hints at where the name is part of the local naming culture.
Names like Rita
Statistically, parents drawn to Rita tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Anita, Rosita, Roberta, Sandra, and Rosetta.
AnitaRositaRobertaSandraRosettaLindaMartaPatricia
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Rita | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 174 | #1285 |
| 2024 | 161 | #1395 |
| 2023 | 164 | #1373 |
| 2022 | 178 | #1322 |
| 2021 | 150 | #1432 |
| 2020 | 185 | #1231 |
| 2019 | 169 | #1345 |
| 2018 | 185 | #1250 |
| 2017 | 207 | #1182 |
| 2016 | 210 | #1188 |
| 2015 | 190 | #1280 |
| 2014 | 171 | #1362 |
| 2013 | 182 | #1289 |
| 2012 | 169 | #1379 |
| 2011 | 169 | #1363 |
| 2010 | 176 | #1336 |
| 2009 | 166 | #1414 |
| 2008 | 186 | #1325 |
| 2007 | 210 | #1199 |
| 2006 | 207 | #1173 |
| 2005 | 220 | #1078 |
| 2004 | 216 | #1067 |
| 2003 | 199 | #1105 |
| 2002 | 244 | #916 |
| 2001 | 270 | #846 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Rita a popular girl name?
Rita ranked #1285 among girls in 2025 with 174 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #1280.
When was the name Rita most popular?
Rita peaked in 1949, when 6,653 American girls received the name (ranked #54 that year). Since 1949 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Rita?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 10,345 newborn American girls was named Rita. It scores 66/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "distinctive".
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.