| Pronunciation | /ˈmɒnɪkə/ |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | uncertain |
| Meaning | unique, to advise, alone, nun, solitary |
| Other names | |
| Related names | |
Monica is a female given name with many variant forms, including Mónica (Italian, Spanish and Portuguese), Mônica (Brazilian Portuguese), Monique (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 in North Africa, but was also a citizen of Carthage, hence the name may be of Punic or Berber origin.[1] It has also been associated with the Greek word monos, meaning "alone".[2] 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 by Anthony Trollope.[2]
Popularity
In the United States, 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.[3]
Name day
In the European tradition of name day celebration, the date for the name Monica or Monika varies from country to country:
- 4 May: Hungary, Sweden
- 7 May: Slovakia
- 21 May: Czech Republic
- 15 June: Finland, Greece
- 27 August: Italy, Poland, Portugal, Spain
- 6 October: Latvia
In Finland the version with one "o" belongs to the name day calendar of Swedish-speaking population, for Finland is a bilingual country. Name written with double-o i.e. "Moonika" (as it would be pronounced anyway) has an unofficial name day in the same day, but double-o version is less common.[4]
Notable people
- Monica Aksamit (born 1990), American fencer
- Monica Aldama, American cheerleading coach
- Monica Ali (born 1967), British author
- Monica Arnold (born 1980), American singer, professionally known as "Monica"
- Monica Aspelund (born 1946), Finnish singer
- Monica Bandini (1964–2021), Italian road racing cyclist
- Monica Barbaro (born 1990), American actress
- Monica Barham (1920 - 1983), New Zealand architect
- Monica Bedi (born 1975), Indian actress and television presenter
- Monica Bellucci (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 (born 1976), Spanish journalist and novelist
- Monica Cole (1922–1994), English geographer
- Mónica Astorga Cremona (born 1967), Argentine nun
- Mónica Cruz (born 1977), Spanish actress
- Monica Dickens (1915–1992), British author of books for adults and children
- Monica Edwards (1912–1998), British children's author
- Monica Evans (born 1940), British actress
- Mónica Falcioni (born 1968), Uruguayan long and triple jumper
- Mónica Feria Tinta (born 1966), British/Peruvian barrister, public international law specialist
- Monica Goodling (born 1973), former Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Justice
- Monica Hickmann Alves (born 1987), Brazilian footballer
- Monica De Gennaro (born 1987), Italian volleyball player
- Monica Horan (born 1963), American actress
- Monica of Hippo (322–387), Numidian saint, the mother of Saint Augustine
- Monica Iozzi (born 1981), Brazilian actress and reporter
- Monica Keena (born 1979), American actress
- Mónica Kräuter (born 1967), Venezuelan chemist and professor
- Monica Lewinsky (born 1973), American White House intern and scandal celebrity
- Monica Lierhaus (born 1970), German sports journalist and television host
- Mónica López (politician), Argentine politician
- Monica Macovei, Romanian politician
- Mónica Martínez (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, American socialite
- Monica Niculescu (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 (born 1961), Chilean long-distance runner
- Monica Rial, American voice actress and ADR director
- Mônica Rodrigues (born 1967), Brazilian volleyball player
- Monica Ruwanpathirana, Sri Lankan poet
- Monica Simpson, American reproductive rights activist
- Monica Seles (born 1973), American-Serbian tennis player
- Monica VanDieren, American mathematician
- Mónica Vergara (born 1983), Mexican footballer
- Monica Vitti (1931–2022), Italian actress
- Monica Yunus (born 1979), Bangladeshi-Russian-American opera singer
- Monica Zetterlund (1937–2005), Swedish singer and actress
Fictional characters
- Monica Geller in the TV series Friends
- Monica Gallagher in the TV series Shameless (UK) and Shameless (US)
- Monica Madden in George Gissing's 1893 novel The Odd Women
- Monica Quartermaine in the TV series General Hospital
- Monica Rambeau in Marvel Comics
- Monica Reeves in the film Bad Hair Day
- Monica Vandham in Xenoblade Chronicles 3
- Monica in the film Baby Driver
- Monica in the animated series Oggy and the Cockroaches
- Monica in Monica's Gang
- Monica, a crossing guard in The Angry Birds Movie
- Monica in the TV series Touched by an Angel
- Monica in the video game Dead or Alive Xtreme 3
See also
References
- ↑ Norman, Teresa (2003). A World of Baby Names. Perigee. p. 213. ISBN 0-399-52894-6.
- 1 2 Room, Adrian (2002). Cassell's Dictionary of First Names. Sterling Publishing. pp. 467–8. ISBN 0-304-36226-3.
- ↑ "Popular Baby Names", United States Social Security Administration, search term: "Monica". Retrieved 21 July 2011.
- ↑ "Monika nimipäivä - milloin nimipäivä?". www.nimipaivat.fi.