Monica is a female

given name A given name (also known as a forename or first name) is the part of a personal name quoted in that identifies a person, potentially with a middle name as well, and differentiates that person from the other members of a group (typically a fa ...

with many variant forms, including Mónica (Italian, Spanish and Portuguese), Mônica (Brazilian Portuguese),

Monique Monique is a female given name. It is the French form of the name Monica. The name has enjoyed some popularity in the United States since about 1955, and is less common in other English-speaking countries except for Canada although mostly used ...

(French), Monika (German, Indian), Moonika (Estonia), and Mónika (Hungarian).

History

The etymology of ''Monica'' is unknown. Its earliest attestation known today is as the name of Saint Monica, mother of Saint Augustine. St. Monica was born in

Numidia Numidia ( Berber: ''Inumiden''; 202–40 BC) was the ancient kingdom of the Numidians located in northwest Africa, initially comprising the territory that now makes up modern-day Algeria, but later expanding across what is today known as Tunis ...

in North Africa, but was also a citizen of

Carthage Carthage was the capital city of Ancient Carthage, on the eastern side of the Lake of Tunis in what is now Tunisia. Carthage was one of the most important trading hubs of the Ancient Mediterranean and one of the most affluent cities of the classi ...

, hence the name may be of Punic or Berber origin. It has also been associated with the Greek word ''monos'', meaning "alone". Though etymologically unrelated, "Monica" was also a name in Latin, deriving from the verb ''monere'', meaning 'to advise.' One of the early occurrences of the name in modern literature is the character Monica Thorne in the 1858 novel ''

Doctor Thorne ''Doctor Thorne'' by Anthony Trollope (Chapman and Hall, London, 1858) is the third novel in the ''Chronicles of Barsetshire'' series, between ''Barchester Towers'' and ''Framley Parsonage''. The idea of the plot was suggested to Trollope by ...

'' by

Anthony Trollope Anthony Trollope (; 24 April 1815 – 6 December 1882) was an English novelist and civil servant of the Victorian era. Among his best-known works is a series of novels collectively known as the '' Chronicles of Barsetshire'', which revolves ar ...

Popularity

In the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

, the name's popularity reached a peak in 1977, when it was the 39th most popular female name for new births. The popularity has gradually waned since then, being 76th most popular in 1990, and 363rd in 2010.Popular Baby Names
, United States

Social Security Administration The United States Social Security Administration (SSA) is an Independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the Federal government of the United States, U.S. federal government that administers Social Security (United ...

, search term: "Monica". Retrieved 21 July 2011.

Name day

In the European tradition of name day celebration, the date for the name ''Monica'' or ''Monika'' varies from country to country. In

Hungary Hungary ( hu, Magyarország ) is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Spanning of the Carpathian Basin, it is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine to the northeast, Romania to the east and southeast, Serbia to the south, Croatia a ...

it is 4 May, as it is in

Sweden Sweden, formally the Kingdom of Sweden,The United Nations Group of Experts on Geographical Names states that the country's formal name is the Kingdom of SwedenUNGEGN World Geographical Names, Sweden./ref> is a Nordic country located on ...

. In

Slovakia Slovakia (; sk, Slovensko ), officially the Slovak Republic ( sk, Slovenská republika, links=no ), is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is bordered by Poland to the north, Ukraine to the east, Hungary to the south, Austria to the s ...

it is 7 May, and in the

Czech Republic The Czech Republic, or simply Czechia, is a landlocked country in Central Europe. Historically known as Bohemia, it is bordered by Austria to the south, Germany to the west, Poland to the northeast, and Slovakia to the southeast. The ...

it is celebrated on 21 May. In Italy, Poland, Portugal and Spain it is celebrated on 27 August. In Latvia it is celebrated on 6 October and in Greece on 15 June.

Notable people

* Monica Aksamit (born 1990), American fencer * Monica Aldama, American cheerleading coach * Monica Ali (born 1967), British author *

Monica Arnold Monica Denise Arnold (formerly Brown; born October 24, 1980) is an American singer, rapper and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, she began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir at the age of ten. Moni ...

(born 1980), American singer, professionally known as "Monica" * Monica Aspelund (born 1946), Finnish singer * Monica Bandini (1964–2021), Italian road racing cyclist *

Monica Bellucci Monica Anna Maria Bellucci (; born 30 September 1964) is an Italian actress and model. She began her career as a fashion model, modelling for Dolce & Gabbana and Dior, before making a transition to Italian films and later American and French ...

(born 1964), Italian actress * Monica Beltran (born 1985), American soldier * Monica Birwinyo (born 1990), Ugandan actress * Monica Brant (born 1970), American fitness/figure competitor and model *

Mónica Carrillo Mónica Carrillo Martínez (born 16 September 1976) is a Spanish journalist and writer who works for Antena 3 on its ''Antena 3 Noticias'' news bulletins. She has worked for Televisión Española on the 24 horas rolling news channel, co-founde ...

(born 1976), Spanish journalist and novelist * Monica Cole (1922–1994), English geographer *

Mónica Cruz Mónica Cruz Sánchez (born 16 March 1977) is a Spanish actress and dancer. She is the younger sister of actress Penélope Cruz. She has appeared in the films ''The Inquiry'' (2006), ''Last Hour'' (2008), ''Jerry Cotton'' (2010) and ''Iron Cro ...

(born 1977), Spanish actress *

Monica Dickens Monica Enid Dickens, MBE (10 May 1915 – 25 December 1992) was an English writer, the great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens. Biography Known as "Monty" to her family and friends, she was born into an upper-middle-class London family to Henry ...

(1915–1992), British author of books for adults and children *

Monica Edwards Monica Edwards (née Monica le Doux Newton; 8 November 1912 – 18 January 1998) was an English children's writer of the mid-twentieth century best known for her Romney Marsh and Punchbowl Farm series of children's novels. Early life She was ...

(1912–1998), British children's author * Monica Evans (born 1940), British actress *

Mónica Falcioni Mónica Jacqueline Falcioni Costa (born October 10, 1968) is a retired long and triple jumper from Uruguay. Career Falcioni represented her native country at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. There she was the flag bearer A ...

(born 1968), Uruguayan long and triple jumper * Mónica Feria Tinta (born 1966), British/Peruvian barrister, public international law specialist *

Monica Goodling Monica Marie Goodling (born August 6, 1973) is a former United States government lawyer and Republican political appointee in the George W. Bush administration who is best known for her role in the Dismissal of U.S. Attorneys Controversy in 2006. ...

(born 1973), former Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Justice * Monica Hickmann Alves (born 1987), Brazilian footballer *

Monica De Gennaro Monica De Gennaro Santarelli (born 8 January 1987) is an Italian professional volleyball player. She plays for Imoco Volley Conegliano and for the Italy women's national volleyball team. She competed at the 2012 Summer Olympics and 2016 Summer Oly ...

(born 1987), Italian volleyball player *

Monica Horan Monica Louise Horan (born January 29, 1963) is an American actress best known for her role as Amy MacDougall-Barone on the television sitcom ''Everybody Loves Raymond''. Life and career Horan was born in Darby, Pennsylvania, the daughter of Selm ...

(born 1963), American actress *

Monica of Hippo Monica ( – 387) was an early North African Christian saint and the mother of Augustine of Hippo. She is remembered and honored in the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, albeit on different feast days, for her outstanding Christian virtues, partic ...

(322–387), Numidian saint, the mother of Saint Augustine *

Monica Iozzi Monica Iozzi de Castro (Ribeirão Preto, November 2, 1981) is a Brazilian actress and reporter currently appearing on ''Big Brother Brasil''. She formerly was co-host of the afternoon program "Video Show" with Octaviano Costa on the Globo network ...

(born 1981), Brazilian actress and reporter * Monica Keena (born 1979), American actress *

Mónica Kräuter Mónica Kräuter (born 18 September 1967) is a Venezuelan chemist and professor of the Simón Bolívar University. Kräuter gained notability during the 2017 Venezuelan protests due to her study of tear gas canisters and her advice on how to pr ...

(born 1967), Venezuelan chemist and professor *

Monica Lewinsky Monica Samille Lewinsky (born July 23, 1973) is an American activist and writer. President Bill Clinton admitted to having an affair with Lewinsky while she worked at the White House as an intern in 1995 and 1996. The affair, and its repercus ...

(born 1973), American White House intern and scandal celebrity *

Monica Lierhaus Monica-Christiane Lierhaus (born 25 May 1970 in Hamburg) is a German sports journalist. In 1989 she passed her ''Abitur'' at the Charlotte-Paulsen-Gymnasium in Hamburg. She studied English and German literature at the University of Hamburg duri ...

(born 1970), German sports journalist and television host *

Mónica López (politician) Mónica López is an Argentine politician. she was a provincial deputy in Buenos Aires Province. In October 2011, she was the candidate for the provincial vice-governorship on Francisco de Narváez's ticket as part of the Union for Social Developm ...

, Argentine politician *

Monica Macovei Monica Luisa Macovei (; born 4 February 1959) is a Romanian politician, lawyer and former prosecutor, and former Member of the European Parliament from the European Conservatives and Reformists and formerly a member of the Romanian Democratic L ...

, Romanian politician *

Mónica Martínez Mónica Martínez Pascual (born 16 April 1975) is a Spanish journalist, model and television presenter. She began her television career presenting the ' youth programme at the age of 15, and has presented television programmes on the Antena 3, C ...

(born 1975), Spanish journalist, model and television presenter * Mónica Montañés (born 1966), Venezuelan screenwriter and journalist. * Monica Murnan (born 1966), American politician * Monica Naisen (died 1626), Japanese Roman Catholic martyr beatified in 1867 * Mónica Naranjo (born 1974), Spanish singer *

Monica von Neumann Monica Ann Neumann von Héthárs, also known as Baroness Monica von Neumann, (née Ford; June 15, 1964 – March 5, 2019), was an American socialite, philanthropist, and businesswoman. She worked as a fashion model and dancer before marrying Jo ...

, American socialite *

Monica Niculescu Monica Niculescu (born 25 September 1987) is a Romanian professional tennis player. She has been ranked by the Women's Tennis Association as high as 28 in singles and 11 in doubles. Niculescu has won several titles: three singles and ten doubles ...

(born 1987), Romanian tennis player * Mónica Pont (born 1969), Spanish long-distance runner * Monica Potter (born 1971), American actress * Monica Raymund (born 1986), American actress *

Mónica Regonesi Mónica Patricia Regonesi Muranda (born April 27, 1961) is long-distance runner from Chile. She competed for her native country at the 1984 Summer Olympics in Los Angeles, California. There she ended up in 32nd place in the women's marathon. Regone ...

(born 1961), Chilean long-distance runner *

Monica Rial Monica Jean Rial (born October 5, 1975) is an American voice actress and ADR script writer affiliated with Funimation and Seraphim Digital/Sentai Filmworks. She provides voices for English language versions of Japanese anime films and televisi ...

, American voice actress and ADR director *

Mônica Rodrigues Mônica Rodrigues (born September 20, 1967 in Rio de Janeiro) is a retired Brazilian female volleyball player. She won the silver medal in the inaugural women's beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics, partnering with Adriana Samu ...

(born 1967), Brazilian volleyball player *

Monica Ruwanpathirana Kala Keerthi Monica Ruwanpathirana ( si, මොනිකා රුවන්පතිරණ) (1946 – 2004) was a Sri Lankan poet and writer. She is considered one of the most acclaimed poets in modern Sinhala poetry. She has written 23 books, ...

, Sri Lankan poet * Monica Simpson, American reproductive rights activist * Monica Seles (born 1973), American-Serbian tennis player *

Monica VanDieren Monica M. VanDieren is an American mathematician specializing in mathematical logic and model theory. She is University Professor of Mathematics and Director of the University Honors Program at Robert Morris University. Education and career VanDie ...

, American mathematician *

Mónica Vergara Mónica Vergara Rubio (born 2 May 1983) is a Mexican professional football manager. Vergara is the former manager of the Mexico women's national football team. Before her manager career, Vergara was a member of the senior Mexico women's team, ...

(born 1983), Mexican footballer * Monica Vitti (born 1931), Italian actress *

Monica Yunus Monica Yunus (born 1979) is an American operatic soprano who has performed with many opera companies and music ensembles. She is the daughter of Bangladeshi social entrepreneur, banker, Noble Laurette economist Muhammad Yunus. About her singing q ...

(born 1979), Bangladeshi-Russian-American opera singer * Monica Zetterlund (1937–2005), Swedish singer and actress

Fictional characters

Monica Geller Monica E. Geller is a fictional character, one of the six main characters who appears on the American sitcom ''Friends'' (1994–2004). Created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, and portrayed by actress Courteney Cox, Monica appears in all of ...

in the TV series ''

Friends ''Friends'' is an American television sitcom created by David Crane and Marta Kauffman, which aired on NBC from September 22, 1994, to May 6, 2004, lasting ten seasons. With an ensemble cast starring Jennifer Aniston, Courteney Cox, Lisa ...

'' * Monica Gallagher in the TV series ''Shameless'' (UK) and ''Shameless'' (US) * Monica Madden in

George Gissing George Robert Gissing (; 22 November 1857 – 28 December 1903) was an English novelist, who published 23 novels between 1880 and 1903. His best-known works have reappeared in modern editions. They include ''The Nether World'' (1889), ''New Grub ...

's 1893 novel ''

The Odd Women ''The Odd Women'' is an 1893 novel by the English novelist George Gissing. Its themes are the role of women in society, marriage, morals and the early feminist movement. Title The novel's title is derived ostensibly from the notion that there wa ...

'' * Monica Quartermaine in the TV series ''

General Hospital ''General Hospital'' (often abbreviated as ''GH'') is an American daytime television soap opera. It is listed in ''Guinness World Records'' as the list of longest-running television shows by category, longest-running American soap opera in pro ...

'' *

Monica Rambeau Monica Rambeau is a fictional superhero appearing in American comic books published by Marvel Comics. Created by writer Roger Stern and artist John Romita Jr., the character debuted in ''The Amazing Spider-Man Annual'' #16 (October 1982). Monica w ...

Marvel Comics Marvel Comics is an American comic book publishing, publisher and the flagship property of Marvel Entertainment, a divsion of The Walt Disney Company since September 1, 2009. Evolving from Timely Comics in 1939, ''Magazine Management/Atlas Co ...

* Monica Reeves in the film ''

Bad Hair Day ''Bad Hair Day'' is the ninth studio album by "Weird Al" Yankovic, released on March 12, 1996. It was also Yankovic's last studio album for the Scotti Brothers label before it was purchased by Volcano Records in 1999 and his final studio album ...

'' * Monica Vandham in ''

Xenoblade Chronicles 3 ''Xenoblade Chronicles 3'' is a 2022 action role-playing game developed by Monolith Soft and published by Nintendo for the Nintendo Switch. Released on July 29, it is the fourth installment of the open-world ''Xenoblade Chronicles'' franchise, an ...

'' * Monica in the film ''

Baby Driver ''Baby Driver'' is a 2017 action film written and directed by Edgar Wright. It stars Ansel Elgort as a getaway driver seeking freedom from a life of crime with his girlfriend Debora (Lily James). Kevin Spacey, Jon Hamm, Eiza González, Jamie ...

'' * Monika in '' Doki Doki Literature Club'' * Monica in the animated series ''

Oggy and the Cockroaches ''Oggy and the Cockroaches'' (french: Oggy et les Cafards) is a French comedy-adventure animated television series produced by Gaumont Multimedia (first two seasons) and Xilam Animation (third season onwards), and created by Jean-Yves Raimbaud, ...

'' *

Monica Monica may refer to: People *Monica (actress) (born 1987), Indian film actress *Monica (given name), a given name (including a list of people and characters with the name) *Monica (singer) (born 1980), American R&B singer, songwriter, producer, ...

in ''

Monica's Gang ''Monica's Gang'' or ''Monica and Friends'' (Portuguese: ''Turma da Mônica''; British English: ''Monica & Friends'') is a Brazilian comic book series and media franchise created by Mauricio de Sousa. The series originated in a newspaper comic ...

'' * Monica, a crossing guard in '' The Angry Birds Movie'' * Monica in the TV series '' Touched by an Angel''

References