Given name & surname · also Greek
Monica
“a solitary woman”·“one who advises others”
Monica is used as a given name and a surname. Interpretations include “a solitary woman” and “one who advises others”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Original GreekΜόνικα
Meaning & origin
What it means
Interpretations include “a solitary woman” and “one who advises others”. These belong to different or overlapping naming contexts.
Where it comes from
A possible origin is Latin, although the derivation remains uncertain.
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
Monica through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 252,257
- 983 boys · 251,274 girls
- Most popular year
- 1979
- 6,619 babies
- 2025
- 371
- #737 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −17%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 371 U.S. birth records for girls, ranking No. 737 among girls’ names. Average annual use for girls was 17.2% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for girls was 6,585 in 1979. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for girls with this name (59). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 264,966 as a first name in 2020; 1,210 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.
Monica’s family of names
In Norwegian usage, Monica has a short form in Mona. Monica shares a linguistic root with Monique. In Danish usage, Monica has an alternative spelling in Monika.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Monica has relatives in 29 languages. Lines run from its Latin roots to each of them.
22 related names in 29 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 13
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 2
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 16
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Monica
- Monica BellucciItalian actress and model (born 1964)
- Monica LewinskyAmerican activist and writer (born 1973)
- Monica VittiItalian actress (1931–2022)
- Saint MonicaChristian saint; mother of St. Augustine (c.332-387)
- Monica BarbaroAmerican actress (born 1990)
- Monica NiculescuRomanian tennis playerborn 1987
- MonicaAmerican singer and rapper (born 1980)
- Monica PotterAmerican actressborn 1971
- Monica AliBritish writer, novelist (born 1967)
Characters named Monica: Monica Geller (Friends), Monica (Monica's Gang comic book character).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Monica, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
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