Rosalita
A feminine name of Spanish origin meaning "little rose".
Name Census estimates that about 222 living Americans carry the first name Rosalita. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Rosalita today is around 50 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Rosalita births was 1944 (36 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Rosalita. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
222
~ 1 in 1,543,938 Americans
Peak year
1944
36 babies that year
Average age
50
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,888
Tracked since 1943
Popularity
Rosalita: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Rosalita from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 8 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1940s, with 128 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1940s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Rosalita by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Rosalita during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Rosalitas live
Origin
Meaning and history of Rosalita
Rosalita is a feminine given name with Spanish origins, derived from the combination of the Spanish words "rosa" meaning rose and "lita" a diminutive suffix. It is a variant of the name Rosalia, which itself stems from the Latin word "rosalia" meaning "little rose." The name is believed to have emerged during the Renaissance period in Spain and Italy, as a reflection of the cultural appreciation for the beauty and symbolism of the rose flower.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Rosalita can be found in the 16th century Spanish novel "La Araucana" by Alonso de Ercilla y Zúñiga, where a character named Rosalita is mentioned. This literary reference suggests that the name was already in use during the Golden Age of Spanish literature.
In religious contexts, the name Rosalita is associated with Saint Rosalia, a 12th-century Italian nun who is celebrated as the patron saint of Palermo, Sicily. Her devotion to the Virgin Mary and her acts of charity during a plague outbreak in Palermo led to her canonization in 1624, further popularizing the name among Catholic communities.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Rosalita. One such figure was Rosalita Mendoza (1889-1973), a Mexican actress and singer who gained fame during the Golden Age of Mexican cinema. Another prominent bearer of the name was Rosalita Quintero (1925-2014), a Cuban-American artist and ceramicist known for her vibrant works inspired by her Cuban heritage.
In the literary realm, Rosalita Bringas was the protagonist of the 19th-century Spanish novel "La de Bringas" by Benito Pérez Galdós, published in 1884. The character's name and the novel itself reflect the enduring popularity of the name during that period.
Additionally, Rosalita Forbes (1876-1967), an American writer and explorer, made significant contributions to travel literature with her books documenting her adventures across Asia and the Middle East in the early 20th century.
Rosalita has maintained its charm and significance as a given name throughout various eras, reflecting its Spanish roots and the cultural admiration for the beauty of the rose. Its rich history and associations with literature, art, and religion have contributed to its enduring appeal across different regions and cultures.
People
Rosalita + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Rosalita as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with R
Other first names starting with R with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Rosalita: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Rosalita?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 222 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Rosalita going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,543,938 US residents.
Is Rosalita a common name?
We classify Rosalita as "Very Rare". It ranks above 75.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 317 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Rosalita most popular?
The single biggest year for Rosalita was 1944, when 36 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Rosalita is about 50 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Rosalita a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Rosalita in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.