Anita
A Spanish diminutive of Ana, Hebrew Channah, “grace.”
Popularity, 1880–2025
Anita appears in the national records from the very first year, 1880. It has ranked among the top 100 names for American girls in 30 different years between 1937 and 1967. Its biggest year was 1957, when 5,811 newborn girls received the name, ranking it No. 81 nationally. Its best ranking came in 1963, at No. 77. All told, 215,849 Americans have been given the name since 1880.
Related names
Other spellings on record: Annetta (8,814), Annita (1,376), Aneta (845), Anetta (569) (total births since 1880)
Explore Anita interactively →By the decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 365 | No. 285 |
| 1890s | 1,191 | No. 207 |
| 1900s | 2,149 | No. 199 |
| 1910s | 9,555 | No. 137 |
| 1920s | 18,052 | No. 125 |
| 1930s | 22,224 | No. 93 |
| 1940s | 32,531 | No. 84 |
| 1950s | 47,588 | No. 81 |
| 1960s | 44,416 | No. 77 |
| 1970s | 18,834 | No. 127 |
| 1980s | 8,594 | No. 223 |
| 1990s | 4,571 | No. 404 |
| 2000s | 2,471 | No. 736 |
| 2010s | 1,695 | No. 1229 |
| 2020s | 929 | No. 1341 |
Births and rank shown for girls, the sex more often given the name. The Social Security Administration omits name–year combinations with fewer than five births.
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Data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby-name file, 1880–2025.