Girl · #742 in 2026

Monica

Monica is a female given name with many variant forms, including Monica (Italian), Mónica, Mônica, Monique (French), Monika, Moonika (Estonian), and Mónika (Hungarian).

  • English
  • Italian
  • Romanian
  • Swedish
Current Rank
#742
Peak Rank
#39 (1979)
Total Babies
252K
5-Yr Trend
-14%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1979
Peak Year
#39
Peak Rank
252K
Total Count
146
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Monica

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Monica is a female given name with many variant forms, including Monica (Italian), Mónica, Mônica, Monique (French), Monika, Moonika (Estonian), and Mónika (Hungarian).

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
  • Italian
  • Romanian
  • Swedish
  • Norwegian
  • Danish
  • Dutch
  • Finnish
  • Late Roman
  • Spanish
  • Portuguese
  • Catalan
Origin & history
The etymology of Monica is unknown. Its earliest known attestation is as the name of Saint Monica , mother of Saint Augustine , in the Latin language. St. Monica was born in Roman Africa , but was also a citizen of Carthage , hence the name may be of Punic or Berber origin. It has also been associated with the Greek word monos , meaning "alone". One of the early occurrences of the name in modern literature is the character Monica Thorne in the 1858 novel Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope .

The Story of Monica

Monica first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 6 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 1979: 6,585 births, good for #40 nationwide. About 25% of every Monica on record arrived during the 1970s, its defining decade. As of 2026, Monica ranks #742 for baby girls with 380 births, gradually falling (-14%). All told, over 252K Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1880s to the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of Monica

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Monica. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Notable people named Monica

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Monica Abbott (born 1985), American softball player
  • Mónica Aguilar Bonilla (born 1980), Costa Rican archaeologist
  • Mònica Aguilera Viladomiu (born 1974), Spanish mountain and raid runner
  • Monica Aksamit (born 1990), American fencer
  • Monica Aldama (born 1972), American cheerleading coach
  • Mónica Alemán , Ecuadorian politician
  • Monica Ali (born 1967), British author
  • Monica Allanach (1920–2013), British actuary

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Monica

Phonetically similar names — useful when Monica is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Monica

What does the name Monica mean?
Monica is a female given name with many variant forms, including Monica (Italian), Mónica, Mônica, Monique (French), Monika, Moonika (Estonian), and Mónika (Hungarian).
What is the origin of the name Monica?
Monica has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, Italian, Romanian, Swedish, Norwegian, Danish, Dutch, Finnish, Late Roman, Spanish, Portuguese, Catalan.
How popular is Monica in 2026?
In 2026, Monica ranks #742 among girls' names in the U.S., with 380 babies given the name that year.
When was Monica most popular?
Monica reached its peak popularity in 1979, ranking #39 that year with 6,585 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Monica most popular?
Monica has historically been most popular in New Mexico, Texas, Arizona. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Monica.
Is Monica a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Monica is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Monica?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Monica include Bernice, June, Lorraine. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of Monica?
Common variants and related forms of Monica include Mona, Monika. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

Similar Names

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Bernice
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June
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Lorraine
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Marlene
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👧
Stella
Peak #38
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Katie
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Claire
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Emilia
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About the name Monica

Monica is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 252K births in the dataset. Monica's peak popularity came in 1979 when it ranked #39. Use the chart and map above to compare Monica's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.