Alita
Feminine
Alita may be a Spanish diminutive meaning little wing, a form of Alida, or a modern coinage — and no source settles it.
How old is the name Alita?
Alita first appears in US birth records in 1914 — 111 years ago. The typical Alita alive today was born around 1987, making them about 38 years old. About 2,300 people named Alita are estimated to be alive in the US today.
When was the name Alita most popular?
Alita peaked in 2020, reaching #1256 nationally. Today it ranks #2256, 1,000 places below that high. See the whole 2020 chart.
Where it comes from
Origin, sound and short forms
Our story of Alita
Our story of Alita is a story of a word that reads too neatly. Spanish ala is a wing and alita a little one — a diminutive any Spanish speaker hears immediately, though it is not recorded as a traditional given name. Alida, from the Germanic for noble, shortens to nearly the same sound. And a 1990s manga carried the name into wider use. Alita appears in American records in that decade, and which door it came through is not recorded.
Meaningscholars disagree
Not established
Unsettled. It reads in Spanish as alita, 'little wing', from ala. It may also be a form of Alida, from Adelaide and the Germanic adal, 'noble'. Or a modern coinage. The Spanish word is genuine; whether it is the source of the name is not documented.
Pronouncing Alita
ah-LEE-tah
Three syllables, stress in the middle. Spanish says it the same way.
Nicknames for Alita
Moderate
What the data says
146 years of official birth records
The long climb, and where it stands now
The same years in position rather than babies
- First recorded
- 1914
- Most girls named
- 2021116 — the highest on record
- Peak rank
- #1256reached in 2020
- Change vs 2023
- −27.7%81 in 2025, from 112
Rank is a position, a count is a headcount, and they move independently — a name can hold its rank while the number of babies behind it falls. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration.
Alita in other languages
The same name elsewhere
- Alita in Spanish — same name
- Alida in English — related form
- Aleta in English — spelling variant
Strongest US states over the last decade: California, Texas, Florida.
Alitas among us
people named Alita are estimated to be alive in the US today
About 1 girl in 19,843 born in 2025 was named Alita
Estimated from SSA birth records and published actuarial life tables. Method
Is it right for you
What happens to a name after it peaks
The Leslye test
Every popular name lives one long story — a climb, a peak, a slow settling back. Alita's later chapters haven't been written yet, so we borrowed them: Leslye climbed just as high around 1952, and its whole arc is on record. Line the two peaks up, and Leslye's path sketches the road Alita is walking now.
Alita sits in the calm middle of the cycle — neither chasing a wave nor sliding off one. Middle-of-the-cycle names age slowly and predictably.
A scored estimate from 146 years of naming cycles — not a prophecy. Great names outlive statistics. How this is scored
Where Alita is headed
Alita should hold steady through 2030 — the curve is flat, and flat curves are the most predictable kind. Its history is short or jumpy, though, so read this as a sketch rather than a promise.
Low confidence — fitted on official counts through 2025.
A damped-trend projection of the official birth data — a sketch of momentum, not a promise. Every name's forecast, ranked.
Alita beside its neighbors
The names ranked closest to Alita in 2025, in babies rather than position — the bars are to scale.
US girls given each name in 2025.
The trade-off
- The little-wing reading is charming and immediately audible in Spanish.
- Ali and Lita are two short forms, both with real use.
- Three syllables of open vowels, which carries unusually well.
- No single origin is established.
- One manga and film dominate the association for many.
- Alida and Alita are close enough to confuse.
Nobody names a baby alone.
Put Alita to the vote.
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What they receive
Someone added a name to your list
Alita
Feminine · #2256 in the U.S.
Frequently asked
- How many Alitas are there in the world?
- No country counts the world's names, so there is no worldwide figure — anyone quoting one is estimating. About 2,300 people named Alita are estimated to be alive in the US today.
- How popular is the name Alita in 2025?
- Alita ranks #2256 among US girl names in 2025, with 81 babies given the name.
- How rare is the name Alita?
- About 1 in every 19,843 US girls born in 2025 was named Alita — 81 in all.
- Will my child share the name Alita with classmates?
- Alita will almost certainly be the only one in school.
Ranked beside Alita
Names sitting at a similar level of popularity right now.
Miabella#2256 · Leonor#2256 · Toni#2256 · Jensen#2256 · Lillyana#2256 · Daylin#2256 · Linden#2256 · Flor#2256
Looking for what else is popular rather than what resembles Alita? See the current top 100.
Choosing between Alita and another name?
See them side by side — full stats, history and a gentle verdict.
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Weighing a whole shortlist? Add the rest in the builder, or settle it with a bracket.
Cast your vote
Which one would you pick?
Your gut first, the numbers after — the split shows once you pick.
US figures from the Social Security Administration. 1880–2025. Data & methodology
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