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#1,000rank188019001920194019601980200020201966peak #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 1966

  • Rank in state
  • Top 10
  • 11–50
  • 51–100
  • 101–500
  • 501+
  • Not published
Alaska: fewer than 5 girls named Rita, so not publishedAKMaine: #203 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,102 girlsMEVermont: #136 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 568 girlsVTNew Hampshire: fewer than 5 girls named Rita, so not publishedNHWashington: #235 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 1,125 girlsWAIdaho: #178 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 725 girlsIDMontana: #192 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 755 girlsMTNorth Dakota: #113 for girls · 12 births · 1 in 386 girlsNDMinnesota: #136 for girls · 46 births · 1 in 638 girlsMNIllinois: #133 for girls · 145 births · 1 in 607 girlsILWisconsin: #138 for girls · 53 births · 1 in 671 girlsWIMichigan: #142 for girls · 106 births · 1 in 694 girlsMINew York: #158 for girls · 190 births · 1 in 768 girlsNYMassachusetts: #138 for girls · 59 births · 1 in 763 girlsMARhode Island: fewer than 5 girls named Rita, so not publishedRIOregon: #323 for girls · 7 births · 1 in 1,894 girlsORNevada: #134 for girls · 6 births · 1 in 486 girlsNVWyoming: #108 for girls · 5 births · 1 in 343 girlsWYSouth Dakota: #117 for girls · 11 births · 1 in 430 girlsSDIowa: #167 for girls · 27 births · 1 in 781 girlsIAIndiana: #100 for girls · 99 births · 1 in 425 girlsINOhio: #137 for girls · 127 births · 1 in 671 girlsOHPennsylvania: #145 for girls · 126 births · 1 in 711 girlsPANew Jersey: #153 for girls · 72 births · 1 in 717 girlsNJConnecticut: #154 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 760 girlsCTCalifornia: #159 for girls · 203 births · 1 in 757 girlsCAUtah: #241 for girls · 8 births · 1 in 1,103 girlsUTColorado: #148 for girls · 25 births · 1 in 606 girlsCONebraska: #133 for girls · 19 births · 1 in 557 girlsNEMissouri: #113 for girls · 64 births · 1 in 540 girlsMOKentucky: #57 for girls · 106 births · 1 in 234 girlsKYWest Virginia: #102 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 435 girlsWVVirginia: #123 for girls · 66 births · 1 in 519 girlsVAMaryland: #151 for girls · 37 births · 1 in 739 girlsMDDelaware: fewer than 5 girls named Rita, so not publishedDEArizona: #115 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 441 girlsAZNew Mexico: #78 for girls · 32 births · 1 in 272 girlsNMKansas: #116 for girls · 29 births · 1 in 494 girlsKSArkansas: #94 for girls · 36 births · 1 in 387 girlsARTennessee: #66 for girls · 112 births · 1 in 271 girlsTNNorth Carolina: #109 for girls · 82 births · 1 in 484 girlsNCSouth Carolina: #112 for girls · 43 births · 1 in 494 girlsSCDistrict of Columbia: #159 for girls · 16 births · 1 in 688 girlsDCOklahoma: #105 for girls · 35 births · 1 in 447 girlsOKLouisiana: #144 for girls · 52 births · 1 in 616 girlsLAMississippi: #71 for girls · 63 births · 1 in 310 girlsMSAlabama: #65 for girls · 102 births · 1 in 271 girlsALGeorgia: #115 for girls · 77 births · 1 in 502 girlsGAHawaii: fewer than 5 girls named Rita, so not publishedHITexas: #109 for girls · 198 births · 1 in 464 girlsTXFlorida: #187 for girls · 48 births · 1 in 893 girlsFL

Hover or tap a state for its numbers.

Top states · girls
  1. Kentucky#57 · 1 in 234
  2. Alabama#65 · 1 in 271
  3. Tennessee#66 · 1 in 271
  4. Mississippi#71 · 1 in 310
  5. New Mexico#78 · 1 in 272

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

Show every state
StateRankBirthsShare
Kentucky#571061 in 234
Alabama#651021 in 271
Tennessee#661121 in 271
Mississippi#71631 in 310
New Mexico#78321 in 272
Arkansas#94361 in 387
Indiana#100991 in 425
West Virginia#102291 in 435
Oklahoma#105351 in 447
Wyoming#10851 in 343
North Carolina#109821 in 484
Texas#1091981 in 464
South Carolina#112431 in 494
Missouri#113641 in 540
North Dakota#113121 in 386
Arizona#115291 in 441
Georgia#115771 in 502
Kansas#116291 in 494
South Dakota#117111 in 430
Virginia#123661 in 519
Illinois#1331451 in 607
Nebraska#133191 in 557
Nevada#13461 in 486
Minnesota#136461 in 638
Vermont#13651 in 568
Ohio#1371271 in 671
Massachusetts#138591 in 763
Wisconsin#138531 in 671
Michigan#1421061 in 694
Louisiana#144521 in 616
Pennsylvania#1451261 in 711
Colorado#148251 in 606
Maryland#151371 in 739
New Jersey#153721 in 717
Connecticut#154291 in 760
New York#1581901 in 768
California#1592031 in 757
District of Columbia#159161 in 688
Iowa#167271 in 781
Idaho#17861 in 725
Florida#187481 in 893
Montana#19261 in 755
Maine#20371 in 1,102
Washington#235191 in 1,125
Utah#24181 in 1,103
Oregon#32371 in 1,894
Alaska———
Delaware———
Hawaii———
New Hampshire———
Rhode Island———

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 1966

girls
#135
2,688 births · 1 in 630 girls
boys
#2,216
13 births · 1 in 137,189 boys

Top girls' names in 1966

  1. #1Lisa56,918
  2. #2Kimberly32,232
  3. #3Mary28,890
  4. #4Michelle27,159
  5. #5Karen25,450
  6. #6Susan23,776
  7. #7Patricia20,112
  8. #8Tammy18,621
  9. #9Angela18,532
  10. #10Jennifer18,215
  11. #135Rita2,688

Top boys' names in 1966

  1. #1Michael79,985
  2. #2David66,408
  3. #3James65,163
  4. #4John65,016
  5. #5Robert59,317
  6. #6William38,237
  7. #7Mark34,801
  8. #8Richard34,457
  9. #9Jeffrey30,200
  10. #10Thomas29,003
  11. #2,216Rita13
More about 1966

girls

1,692,177 girls got a published name in 1966; 1 in 630 of them was named Rita, which outranked 98.2% of the 7,624 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 16.0% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Rita
  1. #132Joanne2,727
  2. #133Joan2,721
  3. #134Sheri2,720
  4. #135Rita2,688
  5. #136Dorothy2,664
  6. #137Traci2,657
  7. #138Jamie2,656
Biggest movers since 1965
Risers
  1. ↑ 6,121Tabatha#6,539 → #418
  2. ↑ 1,469Tabitha#1,993 → #524
  3. ↑ 1,325Joell#2,247 → #922
  4. ↑ 1,047Tatia#1,715 → #668
  5. ↑ 969Nichole#1,829 → #860
Fallers
  1. ↓ 398Barb#815 → #1,213
  2. ↓ 310Jewell#952 → #1,262
  3. ↓ 288Roxie#944 → #1,232
  4. ↓ 284Aretha#818 → #1,102
  5. ↓ 280Kecia#392 → #672

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

boys

1,783,461 boys got a published name in 1966; 1 in 137,189 of them was named Rita, which outranked 51.2% of the 4,540 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 28.2% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).

Ranked beside Rita
  1. #2,132Virginia14
  2. #2,132Vladimir14
  3. #2,132Ysidro14
  4. #2,216Rita13
  5. #2,216Adriano13
  6. #2,216Albin13
  7. #2,216Allie13
  8. #2,327Adonis12
  9. #2,327Adrien12
  10. #2,327Albino12

Tied with 110 names at #2,216; 3 shown. Tied names share a rank, as in SSA's lists.

Biggest movers since 1965
Risers
  1. ↑ 1,207Jarrod#1,720 → #513
  2. ↑ 893Heath#1,254 → #361
  3. ↑ 467Illya#1,294 → #827
  4. ↑ 419Jarrett#1,294 → #875
  5. ↑ 399Reynold#1,360 → #961
Fallers
  1. ↓ 464Quint#986 → #1,450
  2. ↓ 303Dario#934 → #1,237
  3. ↓ 299Darran#1,000 → #1,299
  4. ↓ 281Artie#897 → #1,178
  5. ↓ 268Daryn#716 → #984

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

See the top 100 for 1966 →