Rita

#1,285 for girls in 2025, 174 births · Last seen for boys in 1984 at #4,973
Given to girls 99.7% of the time

Showing
Show data for
Peak · girls
1930 · 5,470 births
Debut · girls
19 births
In top 100 · girls
47 yrs
of 146 years
Total births · girls
284,452
since 1880

Rita over time

girls

Rank among girls' names. Click any year to open it.

#1#10#100#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201940peak #42, 1930girls
Hover or use arrow keys to read values by year; click or press Enter to open that year.

Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.

Show data table
Yeargirlsboys
rankbirthsrankbirths
2025#1,285174—
2024#1,395161—
2023#1,373164—
2022#1,322178—
2021#1,432150—
2020#1,231185—
2019#1,345169—
2018#1,250185—
2017#1,182207—
2016#1,188210—
2015#1,280190—
2014#1,362171—
2013#1,289182—
2012#1,379169—
2011#1,363169—
2010#1,336176—
2009#1,414166—
2008#1,325186—
2007#1,199210—
2006#1,173207—
2005#1,078220—
2004#1,067216—
2003#1,105199—
2002#916244—
2001#846270—
2000#880251—
1999#921229—
1998#862246—
1997#850240—
1996#703303—
1995#707296—
1994#669318—
1993#652342—
1992#588390—
1991#553423—
1990#545434—
1989#549412—
1988#466485—
1987#432518—
1986#408544—
1985#386588—
1984#375607#4,9737
1983#376592—
1982#338709—
1981#284855—
1980#296840#4,1349
1979#277881#6,0565
1978#262892#3,8579
1977#295802—
1976#271859—
1975#272883—
1974#256992—
1973#2481,031—
1972#2301,199#3,9637
1971#2151,418#2,97311
1970#2031,590#2,89111
1969#1841,736—
1968#1592,073#2,57611
1967#1462,380#2,7609
1966#1352,688#2,21613
1965#1263,067#3,2447
1964#1223,470#2,54611
1963#1153,808#2,30013
1962#1104,102#1,96217
1961#1054,532#2,70610
1960#965,027#2,12115
1959#984,952#3,2907
1958#885,340#1,83819
1957#786,018#2,01916
1956#796,054#2,9698
1955#726,094#1,90217
1954#676,536#2,04415
1953#646,284#3,4256
1952#666,148#2,25112
1951#616,415#2,36711
1950#566,424#2,01914
1949#546,653#1,87216
1948#595,835#2,44310
1947#605,982#1,85017
1946#565,533#2,03013
1945#594,282#2,3939
1944#544,530#2,30910
1943#525,011#1,91015
1942#554,706#1,86715
1941#633,879#1,53220
1940#703,442#1,89414
1939#783,188#1,71216
1938#743,357#2,6468
1937#693,421#2,08812
1936#693,334#1,46321
1935#633,579#2,12712
1934#633,683#1,86015
1933#533,840#1,64418
1932#534,256#1,28628
1931#484,613#1,25330
1930#425,470#1,60221
1929#524,767#1,84817
1928#574,810#1,61122
1927#545,084#1,79619
1926#505,015#2,30213
1925#485,323#2,01216
1924#495,381#2,47312
1923#505,095#3,8226
1922#524,976#3,2528
1921#485,157#2,63211
1920#524,979#2,33613
1919#544,515—
1918#584,447#2,54311
1917#633,870—
1916#673,477#3,1777
1915#713,063#2,8298
1914#872,010—
1913#1161,096#2,8215
1912#165636—
1911#179403—
1910#198333—
1909#197295—
1908#212255—
1907#196266—
1906#219203—
1905#229188—
1904#241166—
1903#228174—
1902#257148—
1901#247135—
1900#255162—
1899#227147—
1898#244146—
1897#263117—
1896#273109—
1895#275105—
1894#271104—
1893#27595—
1892#28887—
1891#31365—
1890#34854—
1889#27575—
1888#33352—
1887#33740—
1886#40628—
1885#36531—
1884#40924—
1883#49915—
1882#38921—
1881#37420—
1880#37519—
First appearance
1880

In the first year the SSA published name data, Rita was already there! It came in at #375, and was given to 19 baby girls.


Quietest stretch: 1880–1883, when fewer than 22 girls a year got the name.

Where Rita is popular in 1940

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Rita, so not publishedAKMaine: #38 for girls · 44 births · 1 in 140 girlsMEVermont: #84 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 280 girlsVTNew Hampshire: #35 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 111 girlsNHWashington: #129 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 608 girlsWAIdaho: #68 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 267 girlsIDMontana: #116 for girls · 10 births · 1 in 428 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #58 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 213 girlsNDMinnesota: #55 for girls · 94 births · 1 in 242 girlsMNIllinois: #59 for girls · 213 births · 1 in 264 girlsILWisconsin: #54 for girls · 102 births · 1 in 237 girlsWIMichigan: #73 for girls · 128 births · 1 in 342 girlsMINew York: #61 for girls · 415 births · 1 in 216 girlsNYMassachusetts: #46 for girls · 188 births · 1 in 156 girlsMARhode Island: #66 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 216 girlsRIOregon: #98 for girls · 17 births · 1 in 420 girlsORNevada: fewer than 5 girls named Rita, so not publishedNVWyoming: #66 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 207 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #45 for girls · 26 births · 1 in 181 girlsSDIowa: #58 for girls · 70 births · 1 in 282 girlsIAIndiana: #46 for girls · 131 births · 1 in 205 girlsINOhio: #48 for girls · 255 births · 1 in 207 girlsOHPennsylvania: #51 for girls · 362 births · 1 in 207 girlsPANew Jersey: #69 for girls · 101 births · 1 in 256 girlsNJConnecticut: #68 for girls · 47 births · 1 in 227 girlsCTCalifornia: #103 for girls · 107 births · 1 in 467 girlsCAUtah: #126 for girls · 9 births · 1 in 556 girlsUTColorado: #66 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 260 girlsCONebraska: #51 for girls · 45 births · 1 in 206 girlsNEMissouri: #86 for girls · 67 births · 1 in 417 girlsMOKentucky: #94 for girls · 66 births · 1 in 434 girlsKYWest Virginia: #79 for girls · 50 births · 1 in 379 girlsWVVirginia: #101 for girls · 56 births · 1 in 442 girlsVAMaryland: #87 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 371 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Rita, so not publishedDEArizona: #43 for girls · 28 births · 1 in 173 girlsAZNew Mexico: #49 for girls · 30 births · 1 in 196 girlsNMKansas: #56 for girls · 51 births · 1 in 241 girlsKSArkansas: #118 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 517 girlsARTennessee: #158 for girls · 34 births · 1 in 829 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #193 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 1,076 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #212 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,153 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #85 for girls · 18 births · 1 in 341 girlsDCOklahoma: #83 for girls · 52 births · 1 in 388 girlsOKLouisiana: #54 for girls · 103 births · 1 in 227 girlsLAMississippi: #225 for girls · 21 births · 1 in 1,077 girlsMSAlabama: #225 for girls · 23 births · 1 in 1,284 girlsALGeorgia: #224 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 1,270 girlsGAHawaii: #156 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 563 girlsHITexas: #107 for girls · 127 births · 1 in 473 girlsTXFlorida: #161 for girls · 22 births · 1 in 674 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. New Hampshire#35 · 1 in 111
  2. Maine#38 · 1 in 140
  3. Arizona#43 · 1 in 173
  4. South Dakota#45 · 1 in 181
  5. Massachusetts#46 · 1 in 156

Best ever in a state: #2 in New Hampshire, 1921.

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
New Hampshire#35301 in 111
Maine#38441 in 140
Arizona#43281 in 173
South Dakota#45261 in 181
Indiana#461311 in 205
Massachusetts#461881 in 156
Ohio#482551 in 207
New Mexico#49301 in 196
Nebraska#51451 in 206
Pennsylvania#513621 in 207
Louisiana#541031 in 227
Wisconsin#541021 in 237
Minnesota#55941 in 242
Kansas#56511 in 241
Iowa#58701 in 282
North Dakota#58251 in 213
Illinois#592131 in 264
New York#614151 in 216
Colorado#66351 in 260
Rhode Island#66211 in 216
Wyoming#6681 in 207
Connecticut#68471 in 227
Idaho#68161 in 267
New Jersey#691011 in 256
Michigan#731281 in 342
West Virginia#79501 in 379
Oklahoma#83521 in 388
Vermont#8491 in 280
District of Columbia#85181 in 341
Missouri#86671 in 417
Maryland#87351 in 371
Kentucky#94661 in 434
Oregon#98171 in 420
Virginia#101561 in 442
California#1031071 in 467
Texas#1071271 in 473
Montana#116101 in 428
Arkansas#118371 in 517
Utah#12691 in 556
Washington#129191 in 608
Hawaii#15661 in 563
Tennessee#158341 in 829
Florida#161221 in 674
North Carolina#193351 in 1,076
South Carolina#212191 in 1,153
Georgia#224251 in 1,270
Alabama#225231 in 1,284
Mississippi#225211 in 1,077
Alaska———
Delaware———
Nevada———

Ranks are within each state; “1 in N” is out of the girls born there that year. The SSA only publishes a name in a state when 5 or more babies of one sex got it.

See more about Rita
Momentum · girls
Holding steady
  • 110 spots since 2024 (#1,395 → #1,285)
  • 54 spots since 2020 (#1,231 → #1,285)
  • 5 spots since 2015 (#1,280 → #1,285)
  • Biggest jump: 90 spots in 1884 (#499 → #409)
  • Biggest drop: 189 spots in 2003 (#916 → #1,105)
Rise & fade · girls
50 yrs to peak
  • Debuted 1880
  • Peaked 1930 at #42 (5,470 births)
  • Births halved by 1966, 36 yrs later
Top of the charts · girls
Top 100 for 47 yrs
  • Top 10: never
  • Top 100: 47 yrs · run 1914–1960
  • Top 1,000: 123 yrs · run 1880–2002
Share of babies · girls
1 in 206
  • Highest: 1 in 206 girls born in 1930 were named Rita (0.49%)
  • Latest: 1 in 9,237 girls born in 2025 (0.01%)
Era · girls
The 1950s
  • 21.2% of all girls named Rita (60,265) were born in this decade
Show by decade
DecadeBirthsBest rankAvg rank
1880s325#275 (1889)#376
1890s1,029#227 (1899)#278
1900s1,992#196 (1907)#228
1910s23,850#54 (1919)#106
1920s50,587#48 (1925)#51
1930s38,741#42 (1930)#61
1940s49,853#52 (1943)#58
1950s60,265#56 (1950)#73
1960s32,883#96 (1960)#130
1970s10,547#203 (1970)#253
1980s6,150#284 (1981)#391
1990s3,221#545 (1990)#705
2000s2,169#846 (2001)#1,100
2010s1,828#1,182 (2017)#1,297
2020s1,012#1,231 (2020)#1,340

All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 girls in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.

Rita in 1940

girls
#70
3,442 births · 1 in 332 girls
boys
#1,894
14 births · 1 in 82,798 boys

Top girls' names in 1940

  1. #1Mary56,216
  2. #2Barbara36,736
  3. #3Patricia32,665
  4. #4Judith22,385
  5. #5Betty22,077
  6. #6Carol21,759
  7. #7Nancy19,737
  8. #8Linda18,370
  9. #9Shirley17,881
  10. #10Sandra16,153
  11. #70Rita3,442

Top boys' names in 1940

  1. #1James62,481
  2. #2Robert61,198
  3. #3John54,786
  4. #4William44,779
  5. #5Richard37,425
  6. #6Charles31,689
  7. #7David27,690
  8. #8Thomas23,991
  9. #9Donald23,115
  10. #10Ronald20,741
  11. #1,894Rita14
More about 1940

girls

1,143,528 girls got a published name in 1940; 1 in 332 of them was named Rita, which outranked 98.6% of the 5,028 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 23.1% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Rita
  1. #67Dolores3,604
  2. #68Eleanor3,584
  3. #69Loretta3,502
  4. #70Rita3,442
  5. #71Roberta3,431
  6. #72Jo3,427
  7. #73Irene3,394
Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
  1. ↑ 2,494Scarlett#3,429 → #935
  2. ↑ 1,465Lonna#2,206 → #741
  3. ↑ 834Pam#1,797 → #963
  4. ↑ 659Jody#1,638 → #979
  5. ↑ 633Laraine#1,474 → #841
Fallers
  1. ↓ 481Fredia#996 → #1,477
  2. ↓ 430Eleanora#974 → #1,404
  3. ↓ 375Danielle#811 → #1,186
  4. ↓ 342Eloisa#930 → #1,272
  5. ↓ 298Coral#996 → #1,294

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

boys

1,159,172 boys got a published name in 1940; 1 in 82,798 of them was named Rita, which outranked 51.9% of the 3,937 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 33.5% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Rita
  1. #1,802Wilhelm15
  2. #1,802Yale15
  3. #1,802Zollie15
  4. #1,894Rita14
  5. #1,894Aden14
  6. #1,894Alphonzo14
  7. #1,894Anne14
  8. #1,983Addie13
  9. #1,983Aldon13
  10. #1,983Alvester13

Tied with 88 names at #1,894; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1939
Risers
  1. ↑ 565Whitney#1,458 → #893
  2. ↑ 447Gonzalo#1,297 → #850
  3. ↑ 419Weston#1,323 → #904
  4. ↑ 368Ashley#1,272 → #904
  5. ↑ 366Agustin#1,238 → #872
Fallers
  1. ↓ 886Montie#916 → #1,802
  2. ↓ 446Verlon#888 → #1,334
  3. ↓ 394Issac#857 → #1,251
  4. ↓ 392Otho#942 → #1,334
  5. ↓ 384Pearl#867 → #1,251

Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.

See the top 100 for 1940 →