Nameling

Monica

Gender
Girl
Say it
MON-i-ka
Origin
Latin
UK rank, 2025
#1,280 for girls
US rank, 2025
#736 for girls

Monica is a girls' name of Latin origin. In 2025 it ranked 1,280th for girls in the UK (26 babies) and 736th for girls in the US (371 babies).

What does Monica mean?

Latin: Latin form, possibly of North African origin

St Monica, mother of St Augustine of Hippo, was born in 4th-century North Africa.

More on Wiktionary.

Is Monica a girl's or a boy's name?

Monica is a girls' name. In 2025, it was given to 26 girls in the UK and 371 girls in the US. Too few boys were given it to be listed.

How popular is Monica in the UK?

Rank in 2025
#1,280among girls
Babies in 2025
26about 1 in 11,000 girls
Five-year trend
Steadydown 10% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 26 girls in the UK were named Monica, making it the 1,280th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 1,180th. Its busiest year was 1997, with 177 girls.

Half of all the girls named Monica in the UK since 1996 were born between 1999 and 2012. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier girls aren't counted.

In 2025, 32 girls in the UK were given Monica or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #1,002, up from #1,280 for this spelling alone.

Among girls in 2025, it was 1,229th in England and Wales.

In the England and Wales top 100 for girls, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1924 (#87), 1934 (#99) and 1944 (#89).

1996Busiest: 177 in 19972025
Monica in the UK, year by year
YearGirlsRank
202526#1,280
202425#1,356
202327#1,285
202225#1,363
202137#1,011
202030#1,180
201925#1,368
201832#1,148
201739#1,009
201648#850
201551#812
201449#850
201335#1,096
201228#1,259
201143#903
201057#705
200949#797
200859#681
200764#617
200666#585
200566#555
2004104#394
200384#451
200266#501
200184#424
2000122#318
199991#393
1998176#259
1997177#250
1996119#329

How popular is Monica in the US?

Rank in 2025
#736among girls
Babies in 2025
371about 1 in 4,300 girls
Five-year trend
Steadydown 16% in five years
Same name in a class
under 1%chance among 15 girls

In 2025, 371 girls in the US were named Monica, making it the 736th most popular name for girls. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 696th. Its busiest year was 1979, with 6,585 girls.

2025 had fewer girls named Monica than any year since 1944.

Half of all the girls named Monica in the US since 1880 were born between 1967 and 1989, the years shaded on the chart below.

In 2025, 389 girls in the US were given Monica or a name that sounds the same. With every name's spellings counted this way, that ranks #720, up from #736 for this spelling alone.

1880Busiest: 6,585 in 19792025
Monica in the US, year by year
YearGirlsRank
2025371#736
2024390#723
2023386#729
2022389#744
2021415#695
2020404#696
2019459#638
2018498#606
2017473#625
2016522#587
2015557#559
2014577#539
2013597#503
2012724#431
2011780#403
2010887#361
2009972#339
20081,064#316
20071,192#285
20061,363#248
20051,409#238
20041,512#225
20031,613#207
20021,778#180
20011,796#182
20001,991#167
19992,134#151
19983,230#105
19974,223#79
19964,326#82
19953,970#87
19943,912#88
19933,901#86
19924,590#77
19914,156#85
19904,453#76
19894,502#68
19884,463#70
19874,809#64
19865,013#59
19854,990#61
19845,131#58
19835,405#53
19825,734#52
19815,782#49
19806,034#45
19796,585#40
19785,867#42
19776,366#39
19765,978#45
19755,476#49
19746,281#43
19736,380#40
19726,133#47
19716,426#48
19706,188#56
19696,032#59
19685,221#68
19674,966#70
19664,722#75
19655,113#72
19644,655#90
19633,994#110
19624,010#115
19613,391#136
19603,088#140
19592,594#160
19582,414#160
19572,491#151
19562,162#169
19551,817#182
19541,823#181
19531,600#193
19521,464#197
19511,298#209
19501,059#231
1949826#266
1948847#262
1947615#311
1946457#354
1945400#339
1944342#382
1943299#425
1942325#396
1941261#425
1940285#407
1939256#425
1938269#407
1937292#379
1936273#387
1935332#352
1934259#406
1933213#440
1932215#451
1931192#468
1930168#521
1929182#499
1928218#466
1927189#512
1926190#506
1925198#499
1924223#466
1923199#491
1922206#479
1921247#434
1920215#461
1919178#507
1918223#444
1917252#399
1916278#371
1915196#437
1914156#434
1913164#378
1912130#406
191183#446
191079#449
190971#440
190862#456
190761#458
190652#472
190553#464
190454#438
190336#539
190233#571
190144#448
190039#543
189930#550
189841#481
189734#497
189636#487
189520#703
189422#628
189325#561
189227#526
189125#514
189017#642
188914#687
188813#724
188713#633
188610#731
188510#695
18848#793
18835#920
18820–
188110#539
18806#738

Names like Monica

Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.

Francesca Jessica Melissa Marina Maria Emily Diana Martina Serena Victoria Laura Georgina

Other spellings of Monica

Monika

More Latin names

Oliver Olivia Leo Roman Aurora Florence Mabel Luna Nora Rosie Emilia Max Nova Lucy Julian Clara

Every Latin name

Sources

Figures from Baby names in England and Wales (Office for National Statistics), Babies' first names (National Records of Scotland), Baby names (Northern Ireland Statistics and Research Agency) and Popular Baby Names (US Social Security Administration). Nameling last updated them on 20 October 2026. How the figures are worked out, and the data to download.

To cite this page: Nameling, “Monica: name meaning, origin and popularity”, https://www.nameling.co.uk/names/monica, updated 20 October 2026.