Angela vs Rita
Angela 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 2023, Angela was ranked #391 and Rita #264 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Norway · Girls
In 2022, Angela was ranked #437 and Rita #381 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2025, Angela was ranked #608 and Rita #718 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Angela was ranked #1198 and Rita #625 among girls in England and Wales.
Angela and Rita over time
Angela and Rita appear together in 3 published lists, across 145 years of shared records. Angela held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Rita in 1.
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.
Angela reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Rita in 1. 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
Angela and Rita changed places 5 times in England and Wales · Girls between 1996 and 2024, ending at #1198 and #625.
- Longest-running competitions
Angela and Rita were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 61 years, from 1947 to 2022, ending at #437 and #381.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Angela #21 in 1965, Rita #59 in 1964.
List by list
Norway · Girls61 shared years, 1947–2022
Angela held the stronger position in 10 of those years, Rita in 51.
Highest recorded here: Angela #229 in 1959, Rita #25 in 1963.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2022: Angela #437, Rita #381.
Republic of Ireland · Girls55 shared years, 1964–2025
Angela held the stronger position in 50 of those years, Rita in 4.
Highest recorded here: Angela #21 in 1965, Rita #59 in 1964.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2025: Angela #608, Rita #718.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Angela held the stronger position in 22 of those years, Rita in 7.
Highest recorded here: Angela #382 in 1996, Rita #573 in 2016.
The order changed in 2024: Rita moved ahead. In 2023 they stood at #794 and #851; by 2024 that had become #1198 and #625.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Angela #1198, 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 | Angela | 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 | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Republic of Ireland · Girls #608 (2025) | Republic of Ireland · Girls #718 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Angela has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Rita.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NO.
How each name got here
Angela
Popularity journey
First recorded1947
First recorded at #362 among girls in Norway in 1947 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1954–1998
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in New Zealand, in 1975 (recorded 1954–1998).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #608 among girls in Republic of Ireland, in 2025.
Republic of Ireland · 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