Rita

Rita: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “pearl”
Origin: Spanish
Say it: REE-tə · 2 syllables
Used for: Girls

Traditionally a short form of Margarita in Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. It ultimately derives from Greek margaritēs, meaning 'pearl'.

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How popular is Rita?

202448.0 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Rita in 2024159

2024 rank#1,398 girls

Peak year1930

Total US babies since 1880285,052

Rita is steady now but far below its 1930 peak.

Names like Rita

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Margaritapearl · Greek
Jadestone of the side · Spanish
Savannahtreeless plain · Spanish
Catalinapure · Spanish
Amayamother city · Spanish
Ximenameaning uncertain · Spanish
Aitanafrom the Aitana mountain · Spanish
Lolasorrows · Spanish

Rita questions

What does the name Rita mean?

Rita means "pearl". It comes from Spanish. Traditionally a short form of Margarita in Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese. It ultimately derives from Greek margaritēs, meaning 'pearl'.

Is Rita a boy or girl name?

Rita is mainly a girl's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Rita?

159 US babies were named Rita in 2024. Its peak year was 1930.

How do you pronounce Rita?

Rita is usually pronounced REE-tə.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.