# Monica (first name)

Source: https://namelineage.com/first-name/monica/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. US counts from the Social Security Administration; England and Wales counts from the Office for National Statistics; meaning and etymology from Wiktionary. Data updated 2026-11-11.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Usually given to | girls |
| Origin | Latin |
| Meaning | not recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɑ.nɪ.kə/, 3 syllables |
| Nicknames | Mon, Mons |
| Variant spellings | Monika |
| US babies named this | 252,257 since 1880 |
| Boys / girls in the US | 983 / 251,274 (100% girls) |
| Babies in England and Wales | 1,629, 1996 to 2025 |

## Etymology

From Latin Monica, name of the mother of St. Augustine, of uncertain meaning but probably Berber or Phoenician origin.

## Popularity

The last 15 years of each series. A year is missing when too few babies were given the name for the agency to publish it: five in the US, three in England and Wales.

### United States, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 780 | 404 |
| 2012 | 724 | 431 |
| 2013 | 597 | 504 |
| 2014 | 577 | 539 |
| 2015 | 557 | 559 |
| 2016 | 522 | 587 |
| 2017 | 473 | 626 |
| 2018 | 498 | 608 |
| 2019 | 459 | 638 |
| 2020 | 404 | 697 |
| 2021 | 415 | 695 |
| 2022 | 389 | 744 |
| 2023 | 386 | 729 |
| 2024 | 390 | 724 |
| 2025 | 371 | 737 |

### United States, boys

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 1986 | 37 | 1,714 |
| 1987 | 33 | 1,926 |
| 1988 | 26 | 2,340 |
| 1989 | 36 | 2,017 |
| 1990 | 19 | 3,267 |
| 1991 | 26 | 2,660 |
| 1992 | 24 | 2,898 |
| 1993 | 24 | 2,918 |
| 1994 | 21 | 3,299 |
| 1995 | 12 | 5,013 |
| 1996 | 17 | 3,965 |
| 1997 | 9 | 6,446 |
| 1998 | 13 | 5,089 |
| 2001 | 6 | 10,122 |
| 2004 | 9 | 7,972 |

### England and Wales, girls

| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2011 | 36 | 973 |
| 2012 | 26 | 1,253 |
| 2013 | 33 | 1,075 |
| 2014 | 43 | 877 |
| 2015 | 48 | 794 |
| 2016 | 42 | 881 |
| 2017 | 38 | 968 |
| 2018 | 31 | 1,111 |
| 2019 | 24 | 1,316 |
| 2020 | 28 | 1,164 |
| 2021 | 31 | 1,102 |
| 2022 | 23 | 1,383 |
| 2023 | 26 | 1,255 |
| 2024 | 22 | 1,449 |
| 2025 | 26 | 1,229 |

## In other languages

- Catalan: Mònica
- Chinese: 莫妮卡
- Czech: Monika
- Danish: Monica
- Dutch: Monique
- Esperanto: Moniko
- Estonian: Monika
- French: Monique
- German: Monika
- Greek: Μόνικα
- Hungarian: Mónika
- Indonesian: Monika
- Italian: Monica
- Japanese: モニカ
- Latvian: Monika
- Lithuanian: Monika
- Norwegian: Monika
- Polish: Monika
- Portuguese: Mónica, Mônica
- Russian: Мо́ника

## People named Monica

- Monica Lewinsky, American activist and writer (born 1973)
- Monica of Hippo, Christian saint; mother of St. Augustine (c.332-387)
- Monica Barbaro, American actress (born 1990)
- Monica, American singer and rapper (born 1980)
- Monica Ali, British writer, novelist (born 1967)
- Monica Bleibtreu, Austrian actress and screenwriter (1944–2009)
- Monica Iozzi, Brazilian actress and reporter
- Monica Raymund, American actress
- Monica Keena, American actress
- Monica Roșu, artistic gymnast from Romania
- Mônica Carvalho, Brazilian actress and former model
- Monica Aksamit, American fencer

## How to read these numbers

A count is babies registered with that name in that year, not people alive now, so a name common a century ago can have a large total and few recent births.