Anita
Girl name · Czech · English · Hebrew · Latin · Scandinavian · Spanish
Meaninggrace · Spanish form of Anna
- US rank
- #1,341
- Syllables
- 3
- Peak
- #77 in 1963
165 babies were named Anita in the US in 2025. It has climbed 192 places in five years.
Found on lists
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US births per million girls, 1880–2025
Most popular states (2025)
Similar names
Popularity: U.S. Social Security Administration (babies with 5+ births per year).
Did you know?
A few things about Anita you might not know, from US birth records and Wikipedia. Handy for convincing a partner, or a grandparent.
Famous Anita
Anita Desai
Indian novelist, University professor (born 1937)
Choose Anita and your child shares a first name with Anita Desai, an Indian novelist, University professor. A ready-made answer when someone asks “Anita, like who?” Anita Desai's Wikipedia article is available in 49 languages, a good sign of just how widely known they are.
Read about Anita Desai on Wikipedia (opens in a new tab)- How commonAbout 1 in every 9,737 baby girls born in the US in 2025 was named Anita, 165 babies in all. In a typical school of 500 kids, your Anita would very likely be the only one.
- HistoryAnita has been in use since at least 1880, the first year US birth records were kept. That's 145 years of Anitas, and counting.
- Best yearIt was far more popular in 1963, when it ranked #77. Today it's #1,341, so it could be due a comeback.
- TrendAnita has climbed 192 places in the US rankings over the last five years and now sits at #1,341. Fast risers like this often keep climbing, so expect to hear it more.
- Where it's lovedAnita is most popular in Wisconsin, where it ranks #564, followed by Oregon (#619) and Washington (#679). It's in the top 1,000 in 4 states.
- MeaningAnita is a Spanish form of Anna, which means “grace”. Our records link it to Czech, English and Hebrew roots.
- OriginAnita is the #6 most popular Czech girl name in the US. That's out of 22 Czech girl and unisex names in our list.
About the name Anita
Anita is a girl name of Czech, English and Hebrew origin meaning “grace”. It has 5 letters and 3 syllables, starting with A and ending in “-ita”. US birth records list Anita for girls from 1880 to 2025, in 146 of those 146 years. Its best year was 1963, when it ranked #77 among girl names. In 2025 it ranked #1,341, with 165 babies.
Origin:Czech namesEnglish namesHebrew namesLatin namesScandinavian namesSpanish names
| Decade | Babies per million | About 1 in |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 266 | 3,758 girls |
| 1890s | 525 | 1,904 girls |
| 1900s | 731 | 1,369 girls |
| 1910s | 1,106 | 904 girls |
| 1920s | 1,512 | 661 girls |
| 1930s | 2,081 | 480 girls |
| 1940s | 2,248 | 445 girls |
| 1950s | 2,460 | 406 girls |
| 1960s | 2,403 | 416 girls |
| 1970s | 1,212 | 825 girls |
| 1980s | 503 | 1,988 girls |
| 1990s | 253 | 3,958 girls |
| 2000s | 134 | 7,458 girls |
| 2010s | 97 | 10,310 girls |
| 2020s | 96 | 10,471 girls |
More Czech girl names
- Girl name: Ana · grace
- Girl name: Juliana · of the Julius family
- Girl name: Annika · grace
- Girl name: Magda · from Magdala
- Unisex name: Dana
- Girl name: Krisha
- Unisex name: Bela
- Unisex name: Brandeis
Questions about the name Anita
What does the name Anita mean?
Anita means “grace” in Spanish, as a form of Anna.
What is the origin of the name Anita?
Anita has Czech, English, Hebrew, Latin, Scandinavian, Spanish roots in our records. Other Czech names include Ana, Juliana, Annika.
Is Anita a boy or girl name?
Anita is a girl name.
How popular is the name Anita?
Anita ranked #1,341 for US girls in 2025, given to 165 babies. Its best year was 1963 (#77).