| Sources | Pronunciation guide |
(Main) gender: Male, can be female as well
Pronunciation: rʸee-tah [ɾʲí.tà]
Etymology and/or ways to write:
Most of the kanji used for this name are listed in the table below (majority gender is marked for the 2nd element):
| ri (り) | ta (た) |
| 理 “reason, logic” | 汰 “wash, scour” |
| 莉 part of 茉莉 (matsuri) “Arabian jasmine” | 太 “plump, thick” |
| 璃 part of 瑠璃 (ruri) “lapis lazuli” | 大 “large, big” |
| 俐 “clever” | 他 “other” |
| 利 “advantage, benefit” | 樹 “tree” |
| 里 “village” | 楽 “enjoyment” |
| 李 “Japanese/Chinese plum” | 多 “many, much” |
| 梨 “pear” | 珠 “gem, jewel” |
| 吏 “officer” | |
| 凌 “endurance” | |
| 凛/凜 “cold; dignified” |
Female usage of this name is, obviously, an influence from the Pan-European name Rita.
Popularity:
Usage of this name for both genders is relatively recent. From the start of the 1990s to the end of the 2000s, usage for girls was stable though very rare with percentages mainly around 0.001%. For boys, it saw a very small increase from around 0.001% in the beginning to just over 0.005% at the end.
From late 2015 onwards, it increased in popularity, especially for boys with percentages peaking at over 0.09% in 2018 and 2019, based on Baby Calendar rankings data and my preliminary 2014-20 names research. Female usage rose a tad bit at around the same time to an average of just under 0.01%. The recent increase is likely influenced by a live action film adaptation of the manga series ‘Heroine Shikkaku’ which featured a male character going by this name.
If you would like to add in your thoughts about this name, please share them in the comments below.
Beyond Sakura and Hiroshi 