NameCensus.

UK girl's name

Banita

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "little daughter" or "daughter".

For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2006. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.

Banita is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Banita popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2006 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5061, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2001, with 6 births.

This profile covers 28 England and Wales registrations across 7 recorded years from 1997 to 2006. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.

The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.

We estimate that about 28 living people in the UK are called Banita. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2007 or 2026.

Key insights

  • Banita ranked #5061 for girls in England and Wales in 2006, with 3 registrations.
  • The name peaked in 2001, when 6 girls were registered as Banita.
  • About 28 living people in the UK are estimated to have Banita as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.

Latest rank (E&W)

#5061

2006

Births in 2006

3

Latest year

Peak year

2001

6 births

Estimated living

28

2026

Meaning

What does Banita mean?

The given name Banita is believed to have originated from the Sanskrit language, which is an ancient Indo-Aryan tongue that was widely spoken in the Indian subcontinent. The name is thought to be derived from the Sanskrit word "vanita," which translates to "woman" or "female."

While the exact origins of the name Banita are somewhat unclear, it is possible that it was used as a name for girls in parts of ancient India, particularly in regions where Sanskrit was the predominant language. However, there is little evidence of the name's usage in ancient Sanskrit texts or religious scriptures.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Banita can be found in the historical records of the Mughal Empire, which ruled over parts of the Indian subcontinent from the 16th to the 19th centuries. During this period, a woman named Banita Begum was known to be a prominent courtier and companion of the Mughal Empress Nur Jahan.

In more recent history, Banita Kaur was a notable Indian actress and dancer who was born in 1925 and appeared in several Bollywood films in the 1940s and 1950s. She was particularly renowned for her performances in classical Indian dance forms.

Another notable figure with the name Banita was Banita Sandhu, an Indian-British actress and model who was born in 1997. She gained recognition for her role in the 2018 film "October," and has since appeared in several other Indian and international productions.

In the world of sports, Banita Sandhu was also the name of an Indian cricketer who played for the Indian women's national cricket team in the early 2000s. She was a right-handed batter and wicket-keeper who represented India in various international tournaments.

Banita Bissoyi is another individual who bears mentioning. She is an Indian social activist and entrepreneur who has been working towards empowering women and promoting sustainable livelihoods in rural areas of the country.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

Popularity

Banita over time

The chart below shows babies named Banita registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1997 to 2006. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.

For Banita, the clearest high point is 2001. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2006, compared with 6 at the peak.

Babies born per year

Banita
02356199720012006

Decades

Banita by decade

Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Banita was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.

Decade Average rank Total births Years covered
2000s #3929 19 5
1990s #2972 9 2

Related

Names similar to Banita

FAQ

Banita: questions and answers

How popular is the name Banita in the UK right now?

In 2006, Banita was ranked #5061 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.

When was Banita most popular?

The peak year on record was 2001, with 6 babies registered as Banita in England and Wales.

What is the meaning and origin of Banita?

A feminine name of Arabic origin meaning "little daughter" or "daughter".

How many people are called Banita in the UK?

A total of 28 babies have been registered as Banita across the 7 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.

Which records is this page based on?

The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.