Find out how popular the last name Rita is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Rita.

Rita, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Rita surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Rita in America

Rita is the 17385th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Rita surname appeared 1,624 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Rita.

We can also compare 2010 data for Rita to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Rita

The surname Rita is believed to have originated in Italy, specifically in the region of Lombardy. It is thought to have derived from the Italian word "rito," which means "rite" or "ritual." This suggests that the name may have initially referred to someone involved in religious ceremonies or practices.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the surname Rita can be found in the Codice Diplomatico Longobardo, a collection of historical documents from the Lombard period in Italy, dating back to the 8th century. This suggests that the name has a long history and was present during the reign of the Lombards in the region.

In the 13th century, the name Rita appears in the Estimo Della Parte Guelfa, a tax record from the city of Florence. This document lists several individuals with the surname Rita, indicating that the name was well-established in the area by this time.

One notable individual with the surname Rita was Giovanna Rita, a 14th-century Italian painter from the city of Faenza. She was known for her religious paintings and is considered one of the earliest documented female artists in Italian history.

Another individual of historical significance was Giacomo Rita, a 15th-century Venetian merchant and trader. He was involved in the lucrative spice trade between Europe and the East, and his name is mentioned in several records from the Venetian Republic.

In the 16th century, the surname Rita can be found in the records of the Spanish Inquisition, as several individuals with this name were persecuted for their religious beliefs during this period.

During the 17th century, a notable figure with the surname Rita was Antonio Rita, an Italian architect and sculptor from the city of Genoa. He was responsible for the design and construction of several churches and palaces in the region, including the Chiesa di San Matteo in Genoa.

Another individual of historical note was Maria Rita, a 17th-century Italian painter from the city of Bologna. She was known for her religious and mythological paintings, and her works can be found in various churches and museums throughout Italy.

While the surname Rita is most commonly associated with Italy, it has also spread to other parts of the world, particularly through Italian immigration. However, the oldest and most well-documented instances of the name can be traced back to the regions of Lombardy and other parts of Northern Italy.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Rita

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Rita.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Rita was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Rita has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

The history and meaning of the name Rita was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Rita, please contact us.

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