Monica (given name)
| Pronunciation | /ˈmɒnɪkə/ |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | uncertain |
| Meaning | unique, to advise, alone, nun, solitary |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Monika, Monique, Mona |
Monica is a female given name with many variant forms, including Mónica (Italian, Spanish and Portuguese), Mônica (Brazilian Portuguese), Monique (French), Monika (German), and Mónika (Hungarian).
History
Monica is an ancient name of North African origin, the etymology of which is unknown. The earliest reference to the name is found in ancient Numidian inscriptions. The name might include a reference to the ancient Libyan god Mon, whose name was derived from the Egyptian god Amun. Saint Augustine's mother was named Monica, and she was born in Numidia, North Africa, although she also was a citizen of Carthage, hence the possibility it may be of Punic origin.[1] It has also been associated with the Greek word monos, meaning "alone".[2] Monica was also a name in Latin, deriving from the verb monere, meaning 'to advise.'
Saint Monica's feast day is 27 August, and Monica is the patron saint of married women.
One of the early occurrences of the name in 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. In Hungary it is 4 May, as it is in Sweden. In Slovakia it is 7 May, and in the Czech Republic 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 (born 1980), American singer, professionally known as "Monica"
- Monica Aspelund (born 1946), Finnish singer
- Monica Bandini (born 1964), Italian road racing cyclist
- 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
- Monica Cole (1922–1994), English geographer
- 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
- Monica Goodling (born 1973), former Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Justice
- Monica Hickmann Alves (born 1987), Brazilian footballer
- 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
- Monica Lewinsky (born 1973), former White House intern who had an affair with U.S. President Bill Clinton
- Monica Lierhaus (born 1970), German sports journalist and television host
- Mónica López (politician), Argentine politician
- Monica Macovei, Romanian politician
- 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 (born 1931), 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 show Friends
- Monica Gallagher in the TV shows Shameless (UK) and Shameless (US)
- Monica in Monica's Gang
- Monica Madden in George Gissing's 1893 novel The Odd Women
- Monica in Touched by an Angel
- Monica, a crossing guard in The Angry Birds Movie
See also
References
- ^ Norman, Teresa (2003). A World of Baby Names. Perigee. p. 213. ISBN 0-399-52894-6.
- ^ a b 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.
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