Given name & surname · also Gaelic
Mona
“one who is born into the nobility”·“a jealous man”
Mona is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “one who is born into the nobility” and “a jealous man” (African). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “one who is born into the nobility” and “a jealous man” (African). These may reflect different naming traditions.
Where it comes from
An origin associated with this spelling is African.
How it developed
In Scandinavian use, Mona is used as a shortened form of Monika.
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin.
From dated birth records
Mona through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 45,818
- 31 boys · 45,787 girls
- Most popular year
- 1957
- 1,231 babies
- 2025
- 61
- #2,806 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −23%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 61 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 2,806 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 23.0% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 1,231 in 1957. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (10). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 37,167 as a first name in 2020; 806 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Mona’s family of names
In Norwegian usage, Mona is a short form of Monica. Mona is a feminine form of Norman. Mona has a related form in Monalisa.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Mona has relatives in 6 languages. Lines run from its Irish roots to each of them.
9 related names in 6 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 12
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Ramonafull form · Norwegian
- Monicafull form · Norwegian, English
- Monikafull form · Swedish
- Monahvariant · English
- Monnavariant · English
- Monalisavariant
- Moinavariant · English
- Moningdiminutive · ceb
Show 4 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 7
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
See also 1
Names our sources mention alongside this one. They are related in story or meaning, not forms of this name.
People named Mona
- Mona BarthelGerman tennis playerborn 1990
- Mona SahlinSwedish politicianborn 1957
- Mona EltahawyEgyptian-American journalistborn 1967
- Mona SimpsonAmerican novelistborn 1957
- Mona HatoumPalestinian sculptor and installation artist (born 1952)
- Mona BrorssonSwedish female biathleteborn 1990
- Mona MalmSwedish actress (1935–2021)
- Mona SinghIndian actressborn 1981
- Mona GrudtNorwegian editor and modelborn 1971
Characters named Mona: Mona Simpson (The Simpsons franchise), Mona Sax (Max Payne), Mona Vanderwaal (the Pretty Little Liars book and television series).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
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