Denise vs Rita
Denise 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.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2020, Denise was ranked #834 and Rita #375 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Denise was ranked #4843 and Rita #625 among girls in England and Wales.
Denise and Rita over time
Denise and Rita appear together in 2 published lists, across 76 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
- Longest-running competitions
Denise and Rita were both ranked in Republic of Ireland · Girls for 47 years, from 1964 to 2020, ending at #834 and #375.
- Started together, ended far apart
In 1964 they stood at #56 and #59 in Republic of Ireland · Girls, 3 places apart; by 2020 they were #834 and #375.
List by list
Republic of Ireland · Girls47 shared years, 1964–2020
Denise held the stronger position in 37 of those years, Rita in 4.
Highest recorded here: Denise #31 in 1981, Rita #59 in 1964.
The order changed in 2012: Rita moved ahead. In 2011 they stood at #663 and #758; by 2012 that had become #612 and #612.
Most recent shared year, 2020: Denise #834, Rita #375.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Denise held the stronger position in 9 of those years, Rita in 20.
Highest recorded here: Denise #664 in 1998, Rita #573 in 2016.
The order changed in 2006: Rita moved ahead. In 2005 they stood at #1243 and #1406; by 2006 that had become #1386 and #1325.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Denise #4843, 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 | Denise | 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 | |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE, NZ | GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #4843 (2024) | 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
- Denise has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Rita.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, GB-NIR, IE.
How each name got here
Denise
Popularity journey
First recorded1952
First recorded at #24 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1952 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1952–1969
Highest recorded position: #22 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1953 (recorded 1952–1969).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4843 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