Smita

♀ Girl

Pronounced SMEE-tuh /ˈsmiːtə/Medium

Meaning: Smita is a Sanskrit name meaning 'smiled' or 'smiling,' suggesting one who is cheerful or 'smiled upon.' It is a well-established girl's name in India.Medium

In 30 seconds: Smita is a Sanskrit girl's name meaning 'smiling' or 'smiled upon.' Rare in the US, it peaked around 1981 (said SMEE-tuh).

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Origin MediumSanskrit, Indian

MeaningSmita is a Sanskrit name meaning 'smiled' or 'smiling,' suggesting one who is cheerful or 'smiled upon.' It is a well-established girl's name in India.

U.S. rank (1999)#14189 ↘ Falling

1999 U.S. births6 girls (0.00% of U.S. girls)

Peak year1981

Total births (all-time)≈ 134

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

SSA data updated May 2026. How we source & verify this data.

History & Origin

Smita is a Sanskrit name meaning 'smiled' or 'smiling,' carrying the warm sense of a person who is cheerful or 'smiled upon' by fortune. Long popular in India, it reached American records with Indian immigrant families, and its most famous bearer, the actress Smita Patil, gave it wide recognition in South Asian culture.

In the United States it has always been rare, given to only about sixteen girls a year at its peak around 1981, chiefly within Indian American families. It is valued for its bright, gentle meaning.

Did you know? Smita is closely associated with Smita Patil, one of the most acclaimed actresses of Indian parallel cinema in the nineteen-seventies and eighties.

Overall data confidence 60%

References - Smita — Sanskrit 'smiling/smiled upon'; bearer Smita Patil (Indian actress)

Variations

SmithaSumitaSmit

Nicknames

SmiMita

Famous Bearers

★Smita Patil (1955-1986)
Acclaimed Indian actress of parallel and mainstream cinema, remembered as one of the finest performers of her generation.

If you like Smita…

Sunita— a like Sanskrit girl's name

Anita— a similar Indian girl's name

Sita— lands in the same popularity range

Shreshta— shares Smita's Indian roots

Sreshta— lands in the same popularity range

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Frequently Asked

What does the name Smita mean?

In Sanskrit it means 'smiled' or 'smiling,' a person who is cheerful or smiled upon.

How do you pronounce Smita?

It is said SMEE-tuh /ˈsmiːtə/, two syllables with the stress on the first.

Is Smita a boy or girl name?

Smita is used as a girl's name.

How popular is Smita?

It has always been rare in the United States, appearing mainly with Indian families and peaking gently in the early nineteen-eighties.