Rita is a common female first name, often a name in its own right, but mostly a shortened version of either Rachel or Margaret. The name may refer to:
[edit] People
[edit] Given name
- Rita of Armenia (1278–1333), Empress of Byzantium
- Rita of Cascia (1381–1457), Italian Augustinian saint
- Rita Abatzi (1914–1969), Greek singer
- Rita Angus (1908-1970), New Zealand painter
- Rita Atria (1974-1992), Italian anti-Mafia witness
- Rita Mae Brown (b. 1944), American writer and activist
- Rita R. Colwell (b. 1934), environmental microbiologist
- Rita Coolidge (b. 1945), American singer
- Rita Cosby (b. 1964), American journalist
- Rita Crockett (b. 1957), American volleyball player
- Rita Deverell (b. 1945), Canadian journalist
- Rita Donagh (b. 1939), British artist
- Rita Dove (b. 1952), American poet
- Rita Drávucz (b. 1980), Hungarian water polo player
- Rita Clay Estrada (b. 1941), romance novelist
- Rita Fan (b. 1945), politician in Hong Kong
- Rita Gorr (b. 1926), Belgian operatic mezzo-soprano
- Rita Guerra (b. 1967), Portuguese singer
- Rita Hayworth (1918–1987), American actress
- Rita Hosking (b. 1969), American singer-songwriter
- Rita Jenrette (b. 1949), former wife of disgraced U.S. Representative John Jenrette, posed for Playboy magazine
- Rita Jeptoo (born 1981), Kenyan marathon runner
- Rita Johnston (b. 1935), Canadian politician
- Rita Kalmbach, Canadian politician
- Rita Kassabian, Armenian composer
- Rita Lau (b. 1953), Hong Kong civil servant
- Rita Lee (b. 1947), Brazilian musician
- Rita Levi-Montalcini (b. 1909), Italian-American neurologist
- Rita de Acosta Lydig (1875-1929), American socialite
- Rita MacNeil (b. 1944), Canadian country and folk singer
- Rita Marley (b. 1946), Jamaican singer and widow of Bob Marley
- Rita Montone, a former American actress.
- Rita Moreno (b. 1931), Puerto Rican actress
- Rita Patel (b. 1987), Brit chica
- Rita Pavone (b. 1945), Italian singer
- Rita Reys (born 1924), Dutch jazz singer
- Rita Rudner (b. 1956), American comedian and writer
- Rita Sakellariou (1934–1999), Greek singer
- Rita Simons (b. 1977), English actress and singer
- Rita Streich (1920-1987), operatic soprano
- Rita Süssmuth (b. 1937), German politician
- Rita Tushingham (b. 1942), English actress
- Rita Verdonk (b. 1955), Dutch politician
- Rita Wilson (b. 1956), American actress and producer
[edit] Fictional characters
- Rita (Cypher), in the film Cypher
- Rita, in the franchise Jungledyret Hugo
- Rita Mordio, in Tales of Vesperia
- Rita Bennett, in the TV series Dexter
- Rita Repulsa, a villain in the TV series Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers
- Rita Skeeter, in the Harry Potter franchise
- Rita Stapleton, in the TV series The Guiding Light
- Rita Sullivan, in the TV series Coronation Street
- Rita or Susan White, in Educating Rita
- Rita, a Saluki dog in the 1988 Disney film Oliver & Company
- Rita, a female cat in the show Animaniacs
[edit] Surname
- Adam Rita (born 1947), Canadian Football League executive and former coach
- Jani Rita (born 1981), Finnish ice hockey player
[edit] Stage name
[edit] Locations
- Djarrit, also known as Rita, a community in the Marshall Islands
- 1180 Rita, an asteroid
[edit] Weather
[edit] Media and entertainment
[edit] Other meanings
[edit] See also
