Fun Facts About the Name Monica
- An established favorite: Monica held a place in the U.S. top 100 for 34 consecutive years, from 1964 through 1997.
- More than 252 thousand babies named Monica: U.S. records list 252,254 babies given the name Monica from 1880 through 2025. Even 983 boys received the name Monica - about 1 boy for every 256 girls.
What Does the Name Monica Mean?
Monica is a feminine name whose meaning is uncertain. The explanation most often repeated connects it to the Latin verb monere, "to advise" or "to warn," which yields the customary sense "advisor" or "counselor." That link is a traditional interpretation rather than a demonstrated etymology, and it may have grown from the name's resemblance to Latin words rather than from its actual source.
Because the name is associated with Roman North Africa, several scholars have proposed a Punic (Phoenician) or Berber origin instead. No specific word in either language has been securely identified as the source, so the question remains open. The name is not related to Latin monachus ("monk") or Greek monos ("alone"), despite the similar sounds.
Monica Name History & Origins
The name is known chiefly through Saint Monica (c. 331 - 387), the mother of Saint Augustine of Hippo. She was born in Roman North Africa, in the town of Tagaste in what is now Algeria, and was of Berber descent. Augustine's Confessions describes her persistent patience with her pagan husband, her tearful prayers over her son's early life, and her death at Ostia in Italy while the two were traveling home to Africa. Her veneration carried the name through Christian Europe, and it took root in Italy, Spain, and Portugal as Monica, Mónica, and Mônica.
The name also passed into English use. Its best-known geographic trace is the California city of Santa Monica, named for the saint. In modern popular culture the name is familiar through the character Monica Geller of the television series Friends, a use that kept the name in wide circulation in the 1990s and after.
How Popular is the Name Monica?
Monica remained among the top 100 girl names in the U.S. from 1964 to 1997. Its highest annual birth count was in 1979, and people born that year turn 47 in 2026.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #737 | 371 | 0.0231% |
| 2024 | #726 | 388 | 0.0241% |
| 2023 | #729 | 386 | 0.0241% |
| 2022 | #744 | 389 | 0.0237% |
| 2021 | #695 | 415 | 0.0253% |
| 2020 | #697 | 404 | 0.0250% |
| 2019 | #638 | 459 | 0.0274% |
| 2018 | #608 | 498 | 0.0293% |
| 2017 | #626 | 472 | 0.0273% |
| 2016 | #587 | 522 | 0.0295% |
| 2015 | #559 | 557 | 0.0312% |
| 2014 | #539 | 577 | 0.0323% |
| 2013 | #504 | 597 | 0.0340% |
| 2012 | #431 | 724 | 0.0411% |
| 2011 | #405 | 779 | 0.0443% |
| 2010 | #361 | 887 | 0.0499% |
| 2009 | #339 | 972 | 0.0529% |
| 2008 | #317 | 1,064 | 0.0563% |
| 2007 | #285 | 1,192 | 0.0620% |
| 2006 | #248 | 1,363 | 0.0717% |
| 2005 | #238 | 1,409 | 0.0763% |
| 2004 | #225 | 1,512 | 0.0823% |
| 2003 | #207 | 1,613 | 0.0883% |
| 2002 | #180 | 1,778 | 0.0990% |
| 2001 | #182 | 1,796 | 0.0997% |
| 2000 | #167 | 1,992 | 0.1097% |
| 1999 | #151 | 2,134 | 0.1203% |
| 1998 | #105 | 3,229 | 0.1828% |
| 1997 | #79 | 4,223 | 0.2426% |
| 1996 | #82 | 4,326 | 0.2468% |
| 1995 | #87 | 3,969 | 0.2257% |
| 1994 | #88 | 3,912 | 0.2191% |
| 1993 | #86 | 3,901 | 0.2156% |
| 1992 | #77 | 4,590 | 0.2489% |
| 1991 | #85 | 4,156 | 0.2217% |
| 1990 | #76 | 4,453 | 0.2346% |
| 1989 | #68 | 4,502 | 0.2442% |
| 1988 | #70 | 4,463 | 0.2506% |
| 1987 | #64 | 4,809 | 0.2766% |
| 1986 | #59 | 5,014 | 0.2923% |
| 1985 | #61 | 4,989 | 0.2899% |
| 1984 | #58 | 5,132 | 0.3048% |
| 1983 | #54 | 5,404 | 0.3235% |
| 1982 | #52 | 5,734 | 0.3386% |
| 1981 | #49 | 5,782 | 0.3466% |
| 1980 | #45 | 6,035 | 0.3635% |
| 1979 | #40 | 6,585 | 0.4102% |
| 1978 | #42 | 5,867 | 0.3830% |
| 1977 | #39 | 6,366 | 0.4152% |
| 1976 | #45 | 5,979 | 0.4081% |
| 1975 | #49 | 5,476 | 0.3756% |
| 1974 | #43 | 6,281 | 0.4280% |
| 1973 | #40 | 6,379 | 0.4375% |
| 1972 | #47 | 6,133 | 0.4032% |
| 1971 | #48 | 6,427 | 0.3863% |
| 1970 | #56 | 6,188 | 0.3540% |
| 1969 | #59 | 6,034 | 0.3577% |
| 1968 | #68 | 5,219 | 0.3182% |
| 1967 | #70 | 4,966 | 0.3008% |
| 1966 | #75 | 4,722 | 0.2791% |
| 1965 | #72 | 5,113 | 0.2897% |
| 1964 | #90 | 4,655 | 0.2457% |
| 1963 | #110 | 3,996 | 0.2073% |
| 1962 | #115 | 4,007 | 0.2037% |
| 1961 | #136 | 3,392 | 0.1681% |
| 1960 | #140 | 3,088 | 0.1527% |
| 1959 | #160 | 2,593 | 0.1281% |
| 1958 | #160 | 2,415 | 0.1201% |
| 1957 | #151 | 2,491 | 0.1218% |
| 1956 | #169 | 2,162 | 0.1077% |
| 1955 | #182 | 1,817 | 0.0929% |
| 1954 | #181 | 1,824 | 0.0939% |
| 1953 | #193 | 1,600 | 0.0850% |
| 1952 | #197 | 1,464 | 0.0789% |
| 1951 | #209 | 1,298 | 0.0721% |
| 1950 | #231 | 1,058 | 0.0618% |
| 1949 | #267 | 826 | 0.0483% |
| 1948 | #262 | 847 | 0.0499% |
| 1947 | #311 | 615 | 0.0347% |
| 1946 | #355 | 457 | 0.0291% |
| 1945 | #339 | 400 | 0.0306% |
| 1944 | #383 | 342 | 0.0258% |
| 1943 | #426 | 299 | 0.0214% |
| 1942 | #398 | 325 | 0.0241% |
| 1941 | #425 | 261 | 0.0216% |
| 1940 | #409 | 285 | 0.0249% |
| 1939 | #425 | 256 | 0.0233% |
| 1938 | #409 | 269 | 0.0244% |
| 1937 | #380 | 292 | 0.0274% |
| 1936 | #387 | 273 | 0.0262% |
| 1935 | #352 | 332 | 0.0317% |
| 1934 | #407 | 259 | 0.0248% |
| 1933 | #440 | 213 | 0.0211% |
| 1932 | #451 | 215 | 0.0201% |
| 1931 | #468 | 192 | 0.0180% |
| 1930 | #522 | 168 | 0.0149% |
| 1929 | #500 | 182 | 0.0163% |
| 1928 | #467 | 218 | 0.0189% |
| 1927 | #512 | 189 | 0.0158% |
| 1926 | #507 | 190 | 0.0160% |
| 1925 | #500 | 198 | 0.0163% |
| 1924 | #467 | 223 | 0.0179% |
| 1923 | #494 | 199 | 0.0165% |
| 1922 | #480 | 206 | 0.0172% |
| 1921 | #434 | 247 | 0.0200% |
| 1920 | #462 | 215 | 0.0179% |
| 1919 | #509 | 178 | 0.0158% |
| 1918 | #444 | 223 | 0.0193% |
| 1917 | #399 | 252 | 0.0233% |
| 1916 | #373 | 278 | 0.0266% |
| 1915 | #437 | 196 | 0.0199% |
| 1914 | #439 | 156 | 0.0205% |
| 1913 | #378 | 164 | 0.0263% |
| 1912 | #409 | 130 | 0.0233% |
| 1911 | #449 | 83 | 0.0198% |
| 1910 | #454 | 79 | 0.0199% |
| 1909 | #441 | 71 | 0.0204% |
| 1908 | #460 | 62 | 0.0185% |
| 1907 | #460 | 61 | 0.0191% |
| 1906 | #475 | 52 | 0.0176% |
| 1905 | #470 | 53 | 0.0182% |
| 1904 | #441 | 54 | 0.0196% |
| 1903 | #547 | 36 | 0.0137% |
| 1902 | #581 | 33 | 0.0125% |
| 1901 | #450 | 44 | 0.0184% |
| 1900 | #553 | 39 | 0.0130% |
| 1899 | #561 | 30 | 0.0129% |
| 1898 | #482 | 41 | 0.0158% |
| 1897 | #504 | 34 | 0.0145% |
| 1896 | #496 | 36 | 0.0151% |
| 1895 | #719 | 20 | 0.0086% |
| 1894 | #639 | 22 | 0.0099% |
| 1893 | #566 | 25 | 0.0117% |
| 1892 | #537 | 27 | 0.0127% |
| 1891 | #519 | 25 | 0.0135% |
| 1890 | #661 | 17 | 0.0089% |
| 1889 | #710 | 14 | 0.0078% |
| 1888 | #744 | 13 | 0.0073% |
| 1887 | #652 | 13 | 0.0089% |
| 1886 | #759 | 10 | 0.0069% |
| 1885 | #728 | 10 | 0.0075% |
| 1884 | #833 | 8 | 0.0062% |
| 1883 | #1,008 | 5 | 0.0045% |
| 1881 | #572 | 10 | 0.0109% |
| 1880 | #813 | 6 | 0.0066% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | #7,970 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 2001 | #10,122 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1998 | #5,087 | 13 | 0.0007% |
| 1997 | #6,446 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1996 | #3,965 | 17 | 0.0009% |
| 1995 | #5,013 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1994 | #3,298 | 21 | 0.0011% |
| 1993 | #2,917 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1992 | #2,898 | 24 | 0.0012% |
| 1991 | #2,660 | 26 | 0.0013% |
| 1990 | #3,267 | 19 | 0.0009% |
| 1989 | #2,017 | 36 | 0.0018% |
| 1988 | #2,340 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1987 | #1,926 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1986 | #1,714 | 37 | 0.0020% |
| 1985 | #2,050 | 28 | 0.0015% |
| 1984 | #2,082 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 1983 | #1,645 | 36 | 0.0020% |
| 1982 | #1,584 | 39 | 0.0021% |
| 1981 | #1,845 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 1980 | #1,462 | 43 | 0.0024% |
| 1979 | #1,698 | 34 | 0.0020% |
| 1978 | #1,743 | 31 | 0.0019% |
| 1977 | #1,696 | 32 | 0.0019% |
| 1976 | #1,592 | 34 | 0.0022% |
| 1975 | #1,586 | 33 | 0.0021% |
| 1974 | #1,645 | 30 | 0.0019% |
| 1973 | #1,285 | 42 | 0.0027% |
| 1972 | #1,754 | 26 | 0.0016% |
| 1971 | #1,622 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 1970 | #1,486 | 33 | 0.0018% |
| 1969 | #1,629 | 26 | 0.0015% |
| 1968 | #3,281 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1967 | #3,159 | 8 | 0.0005% |
| 1966 | #2,415 | 12 | 0.0007% |
| 1965 | #2,141 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1964 | #2,279 | 14 | 0.0007% |
| 1963 | #2,800 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1962 | #2,622 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1961 | #2,497 | 12 | 0.0006% |
| 1960 | #3,250 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1959 | #3,490 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1958 | #3,479 | 7 | 0.0003% |
| 1948 | #4,020 | 5 | 0.0003% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore Name Lists Featuring Monica
Carl appears in several baby name collections based on U.S. popularity records, naming trends, and name characteristics. Explore these lists to discover other names with similar histories, styles, or features.
Established Favorite Girl Names
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How the Name Monica Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are always looking for a chance to do your own thing, to be your own person, and to have things done your own way.
✦ Monica's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Monica's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.