Anita

Meaning: Grace, favor
Origin: Hebrew — Spanish diminutive of Ana

Girl's name · #1342 in the US (2025) · Vintage

Popularity over time

Anita reached its best rank, #77, in 1963 and ranked #1342 in 2025. About 215,000 girls have carried it since 1880. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where Anita is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 11 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how Anita ranks in other countries and regions.

#34 in Italy (2024) · #168 in Poland (2025) · #459 in Norway (2025) · #545 in Switzerland (2025) · #818 in France (2025) · #1,050 in Austria (2025) · #1,200 in Sweden (2025) · #1,241 in Ecuador (2025) · #1,668 in Canada (2025) · #2,278 in England & Wales (2025) · #1,371 in Belgium (2023) · #905 in Ireland (2022) and 7 more.

Famous Anitas

Anita Ekberg — Swedish actress (1931–2015)
Anita Desai — Indian novelist (born 1937)
Anita Włodarczyk — Polish hammer thrower (born 1985)
Anita Brookner — English novelist and art historian (1928–2016)
Anita Borg — American computer scientist (1949–2003)
Anita Pallenberg — German actress, artist and model (1942–2017)
Anita Baker — American singer (born 1958)
Anita Bryant — American singer and Christian activist (1940–2024)
Anita Mui — Hong Kong singer and actress (1963–2003)
Anita Loos — American screenwriter, playwright, author, actress and television producer (1888–1981)

In stories & tradition

Anita Diminuta — Anita Diminuta (comics)
Anita Blake — Anita Blake: Vampire Hunter (novel series)
Anita Dendermonde^nl — Goede tijden, slechte tijden (TV series)

What Anitas become

Among 2,069 notable people named Anita:

Entertainers appear 1.54× more often than among typical names — e.g. Anita Ekberg, Swedish actress (1931–2015).

Similar names: Ana · Janice · Annette · Rita · Dina · Juanita

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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