Anita (given name)
Anita is a common given name for women. The name first developed as a Spanish diminutive of Ana, ultimately deriving from the Hebrew name Hannah, meaning "grace" or "favour". It was later adopted by English speakers in the 19th century.
The name and its variants are now common worldwide, especially in regions where Indo-European languages are spoken, namely Europe, South Asia, North America and South America.
People
Given name
- Anita W. Addison, American television and film director and producer
- Anita Álvarez de Williams, American anthropologist, photographer, and historian
- Anita Østby, Norwegian Liberal Party politician
- Anita Allen , American Olympic pentathlete
- Anita Alpern, American Internal Revenue Service official
- Anita Alvarez, American government official, State's Attorney of Cook County, Illinois
- Anita Among, Ugandan accountant, lawyer and politician
- Anita Anand, British radio presenter, and journalist
- Anita Anand, Canadian lawyer and current Member of Parliament currently serving as Minister of Public Services and Procurement
- Anita Andreassen, Norwegian mushing competitor
- Anita Apelthun Sæle, Norwegian politician
- Anita Arya, Indian politician
- Anita Asante, British footballer
- Anita Auglend, Norwegian singer
- Anita Augspurg, German lawyer, actor, writer, and feminist
- Anita B. Brody, American judge
- Anita Bärwirth, German gymnast
- Anita Baker, American R&B and soul singer and songwriter
- Anita Barone, American actress
- Anita Berber, German dancer, actress, and writer
- Anita Berrizbeitia, Venezuelan-born American landscape theorist, teacher, and writer
- Anita Best, Canadian teacher, broadcaster, and singer
- Anita Bitri-Prapaniku, Albanian pop singer and violinist
- Anita Björk, Swedish actress
- Anita K. Blair, American military judge
- Anita Błochowiak, Polish politician
- Anita Borg, American computer scientist
- Anita Bose Pfaff, Austrian economics professor, daughter of Indian politician Subhas Chandra Bose
- Anita Brenner, Mexican-born writer of children's literature and books on Mexican art and history
- Anita Briem, Icelandic actress
- Anita Brodén, Swedish Liberal People's Party politician
- Anita Brookner CBE, British novelist and art historian
- Anita Bryant, American singer
- Anita Bulath, Hungarian handballer
- Anita Buri, Swiss beauty pageant winner, crowned Miss Switzerland 1999
- Anita Bush, American stage actress and playwright
- Anita C. Hill, American cleric
- Anita H. Callan, Canadian holistic nutritionist
- Anita Calvert Lebourgeoise, American attorney, judge, genealogist, biographer, and feminist
- Anita Caprioli, Italian theater and film actress
- Anita Carey, British actress
- Anita Carter, American country and folk singer
- Anita Caspary, American nun, founder of Immaculate Heart of Mary Community
- Anita Cerquetti, Italian dramatic soprano
- Anita Chapman, British Paralympic archer
- Anita Christensen, Danish professional boxer
- Anita Cobby, Australian nurse and beauty pageant winner
- Anita Cifra, Hungarian handballer
- Anita Cochran, American country singer, songwriter, and record producer
- Anita Colby, American actress and model
- Anita Coleman, American librarian and researcher
- Anita Conti, French explorer, photographer and oceanographer
- Anita Cornwell, American gay rights advocate
- Anita Daher, Canadian writer of juvenile and teen books
- Anita Darian, American singer and actress
- Anita De Bauch, British model
- Anita de Braganza, American socialite and heiress
- Anita DeFrantz, American Olympic rower
- Anita De Sosoo
- Anita Delgado, Spanish flamenco dancer and singer
- Anita Desai, Indian novelist and academic
- Anita Diamant, American writer
- Anita Dobson, British television actress
- Anita Dolly Panek, Brazilian biochemist
- Anita Doreen Diggs, American editor, novelist, and lecturer
- Anita Doth, Dutch singer
- Anita Dunn, American political consultant
- Anita Ekberg, Swedish model and actress
- Anita Elberse, American academic
- Anita Elson, American dancer and singer
- Anita Fernandini de Naranjo, Peruvian politician
- Anita Fuentes, Puerto Rican-American Christian evangelist
- Anita Finlay, American actress
- Anita Görbicz, Hungarian handball player
- Anita Gaće, Croatian handballer
- Anita Gale, Baroness Gale, British politician
- Anita Galić, Croatian freestyle swimmer
- Anita Ganeri, British writer, the Horrible Geography series
- Anita Gara, Hungarian chess grand master
- Anita Garanča, Latvian singer and music teacher, mother of the famous operatic mezzo-soprano Elīna Garanča
- Anita Garibaldi, Brazilian-born revolutionary, wife of Giuseppe Garibaldi
- Anita Garvin, American actress and comedian
- Anita Gershman, American film producer
- Anita Gillette, American actress
- Anita Goel, American physicist and physician
- Anita Gradin, Swedish politician and ambassador
- Anita Grūbe, Latvian actress
- Anita Guha, Indian film actress
- Anita Gutwell, Austrian film actress
- Anita Håkenstad, Norwegian long-distance runner
- Anita Hagen, Canadian politician
- Anita Halpin, British politician
- Anita Hamilton, American journalist
- Anita Hansbo, Swedish mathematician and academic administrator
- Anita Harding, British neurologist
- Anita Harris, British actress and singer
- Anita Hegerland, Norwegian singer
- Anita Hegh, Australian actor
- Anita Heiss, Indigenous Australian writer
- Anita Hendrie, American actress
- Anita Hill, American academic
- Aníta Hinriksdóttir, Icelandic middle-distance runner
- Anita Hoffman, American activist and writer, wife of radical Abbie Hoffman
- Anita Howard, American sprinter
- Anita Huffington, American sculptor
- Anita Inder Singh, Indian international affairs analyst
- Anita Iseghohi, Nigerian businesswoman
- Anita Jönsson, Swedish Social Democratic politician
- Anita Johansson , Swedish figure skater
- Anita Johansson , Swedish Social Democratic politician
- Anita Jose, Indian-born educator and business strategist
- Anita Kanter, American tennis player ranked in World top 10
- Anita Kanwal, Indian television actress and producer
- Anita Kanwar, Indian film and television actor
- Anita Kazai, Hungarian handballer
- Anita Kelsey, British singer and songwriter
- Anita Kerr, American singer, composer, and music producer
- Anita Ellis , Canadian-born American singer and actress
- Anita King, American racecar driver, actress, and thoroughbred racehorse owner
- Anita Klein, Austrialina-born British painter and print-maker
- Anita Klemensen, Danish chef
- Anita Kulcsár, Hungarian handballer
- Anita Kuhlke, German rower
- Anita Kunz, Canadian-born artist and illustrator
- Anita L. Allen, American academic
- Anita Lallande, Puerto Rican Olympic swimmer
- Anita Lane, Australian singer and songwriter
- Anita Lasker-Wallfisch, German-born cellist and Holocaust survivor
- Anita Leocádia Prestes, Brazilian historian
- Anita Lerche, Danish singer, songwriter, and composer
- Anita Lerman, American politician
- Anita Liepiņa, Latvian race walker and long distance runner
- Anita Linda, Filipino film actor
- Anita Lipnicka, Polish singer and songwriter
- Anita Lizana, Chilean tennis player
- Anita Lo, American chef and restaurateur
- Anita Lonsbrough MBE, British swimmer
- Anita Loos, American screenwriter and playwright
- Anita Louise, American film actress
- Anita Louise Combe, Australian actress, singer, and dancer
- Anita Louise Suazo, Native-American potter
- Anita Márton, Hungarian shot putter
- Anita Madden, American sportswoman
- Anita Malfatti, Brazilian artist
- Anita Mann, American choreographer, dancer, and actress
- Anita Marks, American football player and radio personality
- Anita Martinez, American politician
- Anita Martini, American journalist
- Anita Mason, British writer
- Anita McNaught, British-born New Zealand journalist and television presenter
- Anita Meyer, Dutch singer
- Anita Miller , American author and publisher
- Anita Miller , American field hockey player and Olympic athlete
- Anita Miller Smith, American impressionist and regionalist painter
- Anita Moen, Norwegian cross-country skier
- Anita Mormand, French sprinter
- Anita Morris, American actress
- Anita Mui, Hong Kong singer and actress
- Anita Nüssner-Kobuss, German sprint canoeist
- Anita Nair, Indian-born writer
- Anita Nall, American Olympic swimmer
- Anita Neville MP, Canadian politician
- Anita Newcomb McGee, American physician
- Anita North, British shooter
- Anita Nyberg, Swedish academic
- Anita Nyman, Finnish cross-country skier
- Anita O'Day, American jazz singer
- Anita de Braganza, American socialite and heiress
- Anita Ondine Smith, Australian-born filmmaker
- Anita Orlund, Norwegian Labour Party politician
- Anita Ortega, Puerto Rican basketball player
- Anita Otto, German discus thrower
- Anita Pádár, Hungarian footballer
- Anita Page, American film actress
- Anita Palermo Kelly, American politician
- Anita Pallenberg, Italian-born actress, model, and fashion designer
- Annita Pania, Greek television hostess
- Anita Parkhurst Willcox, American artist, feminist, and pacifist
- Anita Peabody, American racehorse
- Anita Perez Ferguson, American speaker, consultant, and writer
- Anita Perras, Canadian country singer
- Anita Thigpen Perry, American healthcare advocate and First Lady of Texas
- Anita Phillips, Australian politician
- Anita Pistone, Italian runner
- Anita Pointer, American R&B/soul singer and songwriter, member of The Pointer Sisters
- Anita Pollitzer, American photographer
- Anita J. Prazmowska, British academic
- Anita Protti, Swiss track and field athlete
- Anita Punt, New Zealand field hockey player
- Anita Rachlis, Canadian AIDS researcher
- Anita Raj, Indian actress
- Anita Ramasastry, American academic
- Anita Rani, British radio and television presenter and journalist
- Anita Rapp, Norwegian footballer
- Anita Ratnam, Indian dancer and choreographer
- Anita Rau Badami, Indian-born Canadian writer
- Anita Reeves, Irish actress
- Anita Renfroe, American comedian
- Anita Roberts, American molecular biologist
- Anita Roddick DBE, British businesswoman, founder of The Body Shop
- Anita Rollin, Sri. Lankan snowboarder
- Anita Sarkeesian, Canadian-American feminist
- Anita Schätzle, German freestyle wrestler
- Anita Selvamalar known Horse Killer in Bali
- Anita Shapira, Israeli historian
- Anita Sheoran, Indian freestyle wrestler
- Anita Shreve, American writer
- Anita Sidén, Swedish Moderate Party politician
- Anita Silvers, American philosopher
- Anita Silvey, American editor and literary critic
- Anita Singhvi, Indian classical singer
- Anita Skorgan, Norwegian singer and songwriter
- Anita Smits, Dutch archer
- Anita Snellman, Finnish painter
- Anita Sokołowska, Polish actress
- Anita Stansfield, American writer
- Anita Stewart, American actress and film producer
- Anita Stewart , Canadian culinary writer and food activist
- Anita Strindberg, Italian actress
- Anita Summers, American educator
- Anita Thallaug, Norwegian actor and singer
- Anita Tijoux, French-born Chilean hip-hop musician
- Anita Tsoy, Russian singer
- Anita Turner, British script editor and television producer
- Anita Ušacka, Latvian judge and academic
- Anita Utseth, Norwegian engineer and politician
- Anita Uwagbale, Nigerian beauty queen and model
- Anita Valen, Norwegian cyclist
- Anita Vogel, American news reporter
- Anita Weiß, German middle-distance runner
- Anita Włodarczyk, Polish hammer thrower
- Anita Waage, Norwegian footballer
- Anita Wachter, Austrian alpine skier
- Anita Wagner, Austrian singer
- Anita Wall, Swedish actress
- Anita Ward, American singer
- Anita Werner, Polish television journalist
- Anita West, British actress and television presenter
- Anita Weyermann, Swiss middle-distance runner
- Anita Wood, American television performer
- Anita Yuen, Hong Kong actress
- Anita Zucker, American businesswoman, first female Governor of the Hudson's Bay Company
- Gurmayum Anita Devi, Indian mountaineer
- J. Anita Stup, American politician
- Jagat and Anita Nanjappa, Indian race-car drivers
- Princess Anita of Orange-Nassau, van Vollenhoven-van Eijk, Dutch royal
Characters
- Anita Blake, the protagonist of Laurell K. Hamilton's novel series '
- Anita, a video game character in '
- Anita Hailey, a character in the manga/anime Case Closed
- Anita Santos, character on the ABC daytime drama All My Children
- Anita Barnes, a character from the film ' played by Chantel Giacalone
- Anita Knight, from The Secret Show
- Anita Van Buren, character on the television crime drama Law & Order portrayed by S. Epatha Merkerson
- Anita, a comic book character in the works of Italian artist Guido Crepax
- Anita, a character in the musical West Side Story
- Anita Bircham, a character from ' portrayed by Sonya Maddox
- Anita, a recurring character in the British sit-com dinnerladies
- Anita "Needy" Lesnicki, a character in the black comedy horror film Jennifer's Body
- Anita, a girlfriend character in Need for Speed
- Anita Radcliffe, character in Disney's animated film 101 Dalmatians
- Anita, a character in the anime Hunter × Hunter episode 11
- Anita Robb, a character in the film played by Jere Fields
- Anita is the middle name of American Dad! character Steve Smith