Alena vs Rita
Alena and Ritacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2021, Alena was ranked #350 and Rita #350 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Alena was ranked #834 and Rita #375 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Alena was ranked #1406 and Rita #625 among girls in England and Wales.
Alena and Rita over time
Alena and Rita appear together in 1 published list, across 29 years of shared records. Rita held the stronger position in more years in 1 of them, Alena in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Alena reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Rita in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Repeatedly exchanged positions
Alena and Rita changed places 7 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1406 and #625.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Alena held the stronger position in 5 of those years, Rita in 23.
Highest recorded here: Alena #928 in 2006, Rita #573 in 2016.
The order changed in 2011: Rita moved ahead. In 2010 they stood at #1180 and #1653; by 2011 that had become #1807 and #1067.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Alena #1406, Rita #625.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Alena | Rita |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #1406 (2024) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Alena has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Rita.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Alena
Popularity journey
First recorded1977
First recorded at #518 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1977 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded2020–2021
Highest recorded position: #350 among girls in Northern Ireland, in 2021 (recorded 2020–2021).
Northern Ireland · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1406 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Rita
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #116 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2024
Highest recorded position: #25 among girls in Norway, in 1963 (recorded 1945–2024).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · Girls