- Origin: Possibly Latin
- Usage: Chechen, English, Estonian, Finnish, French, German, Portuguese, Swedish, Spanish.
The name is of uncertain origin or meaning, it is more than likely derived from the Latin, elitus (elite).
It has been used across Europe for centuries. It appears in records in France and Strasbourg during the 16th-century, and was not unheard of in 18th-century America. In the latter case, it may have been used among Calvinist families.
The name is also used in Latvia, likely introduced in the mid 18th-century and experienced popularity in the 1960s, peaking at #27 in 1965.
It was borne by American actress, Elita Proctor Otis (1861-1927); Latvian actress, Elita Kļaviņa (b. 1956); Latvian politician, Elita Krūmiņa (b. 1965) and Latvian journalist, Elita Veidemane (b. 1955).
Early French vernacular forms are Élita and Élite.
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