Given name & surname
Vanita
“resembling a butterfly”
Vanita is a variant of Vanetta. In Greek use, Vanetta carries the interpretation “resembling a butterfly.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Vanita is a variant of Vanetta. In Greek use, Vanetta carries the interpretation “resembling a butterfly.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Vanita connects to the Vanessa name family through Vanetta. An origin associated with Vanessa is Greek.
Explained through its name family
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1913. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Vanita through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 2,056
- 0 boys · 2,056 girls
- Most popular year
- 1971
- 53 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- —
- Too few births to compare
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for girls is 5 in 2003. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for girls was 53 in 1971. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,978 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Vanita’s family of names
Vanita has a related form in Vanetta. In English usage, Vanita has a conventional equivalent in the Hindi form वनिता. In Greek usage, Vanita as a surname is a transliteration of Βανίτα.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 1
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Vanita
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Vanita, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Anissa
“one who is affectionate and friendly”
>99% girls
Angelita
“messenger” · “a heavenly messenger; an angel”
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Valencia
Valencia is used as a given name and a surname. One Spanish interpretation is “one who is powerful; strong; from the city of Valencia.”
>99% girls
Sarita
“princess”
>99% girls
Doria
“of the ancient Greek tribe, the Dorians” · “dorian woman”
>99% girls
Alisa
“noble” · “kind”
>99% girls
Rosita
“horse” · “fame”
>99% girls
Jeanna
“God is gracious”
>99% girls