Monica (given name)

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Monica
Pronunciation/ˈmɒnɪkə/
GenderFemale
Origin
Word/nameuncertain
Meaningunique, to advise, alone, nun, solitary
Other names
Related namesMonika, Monique, Moonika, Mona

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. 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[]

Fictional characters[]

See also[]

References[]

  1. ^ Norman, Teresa (2003). A World of Baby Names. Perigee. p. 213. ISBN 0-399-52894-6.
  2. ^ a b Room, Adrian (2002). Cassell's Dictionary of First Names. Sterling Publishing. pp. 467–8. ISBN 0-304-36226-3.
  3. ^ "Popular Baby Names", United States Social Security Administration, search term: "Monica". Retrieved 21 July 2011.
Retrieved from ""