UK girl's name
Jovita
A feminine Spanish name related to Jupiter, the bringer of joy.
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2016. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Jovita is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Jovita popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2016 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5785, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2006, with 4 births.
This profile covers 29 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 2001 to 2016. 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 75% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 29 living people in the UK are called Jovita. 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 2017 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Jovita ranked #5785 for girls in England and Wales in 2016, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2006, when 4 girls were registered as Jovita.
- • About 29 living people in the UK are estimated to have Jovita as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5785
2016
Births in 2016
3
Latest year
Peak year
2006
4 births
Estimated living
29
2026
Meaning
What does Jovita mean?
The name Jovita is a feminine given name with origins in the Spanish and Portuguese languages. It is a variant of the Latin name Jovita, which was derived from the Roman name Jovius, meaning "of Jupiter" or "relating to Jupiter." Jupiter was the supreme deity in ancient Roman mythology, considered the god of sky and thunder.
The name Jovita has been in use since ancient times, particularly in regions with strong Roman cultural influence, such as the Iberian Peninsula and parts of Italy. It gained popularity during the spread of Christianity, as it was adopted by several early Christian martyrs and saints.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jovita can be found in the 4th century, when it was borne by Saint Jovita, a Christian martyr who was killed during the Diocletian persecution in Brescia, Italy. Another early figure named Jovita was Saint Jovita of Palermo, who lived in the 5th century and is revered as the patron saint of Palermo, Sicily.
Throughout the Middle Ages and Renaissance, the name Jovita maintained a presence in various regions of Europe, particularly in the Iberian Peninsula and Italy. Notable figures with this name include Jovita Díaz Muñoz (1917-2020), a Spanish teacher and writer who lived to be one of the oldest people in Spain.
In the 19th century, the name gained prominence in Latin American countries, particularly in Mexico and Central America. One prominent bearer was Jovita Idar (1885-1946), a Mexican-American journalist and civil rights activist who played a significant role in the Mexican-American community in Texas.
Another notable figure was Jovita Carranza (1949-2021), an American businesswoman and government official who served as the Administrator of the Small Business Administration under President Donald Trump from 2019 to 2021.
Other historical figures with the name Jovita include Jovita Fuentes (1920-1998), a Mexican-American author and educator known for her contributions to Chicano literature, and Jovita Idár (1885-1946), a Mexican-American journalist and activist who fought for civil rights and women's rights in Texas.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Jovita over time
The chart below shows babies named Jovita registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2001 to 2016. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Jovita, the clearest high point is 2006. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2016, compared with 4 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jovita by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Jovita 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | #5728 | 9 | 3 |
| 2000s | #4369 | 20 | 6 |
Related
Names similar to Jovita
- Jessica 105,041
- Jasmine 35,227
- Jade 19,646
- Julia 11,780
- Jennifer 11,529
- Jodie 9,357
- Jemima 6,454
- Josephine 5,889
- Jessie 5,418
- Josie 5,284
- Jasmin 4,706
- Jenna 4,646
FAQ
Jovita: questions and answers
How popular is the name Jovita in the UK right now?
In 2016, Jovita was ranked #5785 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Jovita most popular?
The peak year on record was 2006, with 4 babies registered as Jovita in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Jovita?
A feminine Spanish name related to Jupiter, the bringer of joy.
How many people are called Jovita in the UK?
A total of 29 babies have been registered as Jovita across the 9 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.