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Carita
How to Pronounce Carita
Pronounced kuh-REE-tuh /kΙΛriΛ.tΙ/Medium
Meaning: Carita comes from the Latin caritas, 'charity, dearness, Christian love' (the source of the English 'charity'), and is also a Scandinavian and Spanish given name meaning 'little dear one'. In America it also read as a blend of Charity or a form ending like Rita. The Latin 'dear/charity' sense is primary.Medium
Popularity in the U.S. Β· SSA data
U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880βpresent). Pink marker = peak year.
SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.
History & Origin
Carita derives from the Latin caritas, meaning 'charity', 'dearness' or 'love' β the root of the English word charity β and also serves as a Scandinavian and Spanish name for a 'little dear one'. In American use it sat near the virtue name Charity and the -ita family (Rita, Anita), a soft name with a warm, affectionate meaning.
It was always rare, appearing modestly across the twentieth century and reaching its faint high point surprisingly late, around 1972, before fading again. It reads as a gentle, meaning-rich name β 'dearness' itself β that has stayed uncommon in the U.S. rather than joining the mainstream.
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Frequently Asked
What does the name Carita mean?
Carita comes from the Latin caritas, meaning 'charity', 'dearness' or 'love', and reads as a 'little dear one'.
How do you pronounce Carita?
It's said kuh-REE-tuh /kΙΛriΛ.tΙ/ β three syllables, stress on the second.
Is Carita a boy or girl name?
Carita is used as a girl's name.
How popular is Carita?
Carita has always been rare in the U.S., a gentle vintage name seen modestly across the twentieth century.