| Anita | Valeria | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | grace, favour | to be strong, healthy |
| Origin | spanish | spanish |
| Gender | Girl | Girl |
| Pronunciation | uh-NEE-tuh | vah-LEH-ree-ah |
| Syllables | 3 | 3 |
| First appeared | 0 | 1881 |
| Peak year | 1957 (5,811) | 2008 (4,206) |
| In 2025 | 0 | 1,835 |
| Trend | Vintage | Declining |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Anita | Valeria |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 929 | 11,194 |
| 2010s | 1,695 | 21,392 |
| 2000s | 2,471 | 26,216 |
| 1990s | 4,571 | 7,795 |
| 1980s | 8,594 | 1,749 |
| 1970s | 18,834 | 1,344 |
| 1960s | 44,416 | 2,052 |
| 1950s | 47,588 | 1,922 |
| 1940s | 32,531 | 1,012 |
| 1930s | 22,224 | 1,182 |
| 1920s | 18,052 | 1,901 |
| 1910s | 9,555 | 1,592 |
| 1900s | 2,149 | 360 |
| 1890s | 1,191 | 243 |
| 1880s | 365 | 98 |
A Spanish and Portuguese diminutive of Ana, ultimately from Hebrew 'Channah' (Hannah) meaning grace or favour.
The feminine of the Roman family name Valerius, from the Latin valere 'to be strong, to be healthy'. Shares its root with Valentina and the word 'valiant'.
Valeria is more popular than Anita today: about 1,835 US babies were given the name Valeria in 2025, compared with 0 named Anita.
Anita means grace, favour (spanish origin), while Valeria means to be strong, healthy (spanish origin).
In US records, Anita first appears in 0 and Valeria in 1881, so Anita has the longer recorded history.