Monica (given name)
Encyclopedia
Monica is a female given name
with many variant forms, including Monca, Monicka, Monika, Monike, Moniqua, Monique
, Moneca, Mónika and Monnica.
n origin, and its etymology is unknown. It has also been posited that it may have been derived from the Latin monere, meaning "to advise". 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 Phoenician origin. It has also been associated with the Greek word monos, meaning "alone".
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
.
, 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.
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 Poland it is celebrated on 27 August and 4 May. In Latvia it is celebrated on October 6 and in Greece on June 15.
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
with many variant forms, including Monca, Monicka, Monika, Monike, Moniqua, Monique
Monique
Monique is a female given name, the original form of Monica. It has also been regularly used in English speaking countries since at least the 1950s.-Notable women named Monique:In acting:...
, Moneca, Mónika and Monnica.
History
Monica is an ancient name, possibly of North African or PhoeniciaPhoenicia
Phoenicia , was an ancient civilization in Canaan which covered most of the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent. Several major Phoenician cities were built on the coastline of the Mediterranean. It was an enterprising maritime trading culture that spread across the Mediterranean from 1550...
n origin, and its etymology is unknown. It has also been posited that it may have been derived from the Latin monere, meaning "to advise". Saint Augustine's mother was named Monica, and she was born in Numidia
Numidia
Numidia was an ancient Berber kingdom in part of present-day Eastern Algeria and Western Tunisia in North Africa. It is known today as the Chawi-land, the land of the Chawi people , the direct descendants of the historical Numidians or the Massyles The kingdom began as a sovereign state and later...
, North Africa, although she also was a citizen of Carthage
Carthage
Carthage , implying it was a 'new Tyre') is a major urban centre that has existed for nearly 3,000 years on the Gulf of Tunis, developing from a Phoenician colony of the 1st millennium BC...
, hence the possibility it may be of Phoenician origin. It has also been associated with the Greek word monos, meaning "alone".
Saint Monica
Monica of Hippo
Saint Monica is a Christian saint and the mother of Augustine of Hippo, who wrote extensively of her virtues and his life with her in his Confessions.-Life:...
'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
Doctor Thorne
Doctor Thorne is the third novel in Anthony Trollope's series known as the "Chronicles of Barsetshire".It is mainly concerned with the romantic problems of Mary Thorne, niece of Doctor Thomas Thorne , and Frank Gresham, the only son of the local squire, although Trollope as...
by Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope
Anthony Trollope was one of the most successful, prolific and respected English novelists of the Victorian era. Some of his best-loved works, collectively known as the Chronicles of Barsetshire, revolve around the imaginary county of Barsetshire...
.
Popularity
In the United StatesUnited States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, 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.
Name day
In the European tradition of name dayName day
A name day is a tradition in many countries in Europe and Latin America that consists of celebrating the day of the year associated with one's given name....
celebration, the date for the name Monica or Monika varies from country to country. In Hungary
Name days in Hungary
This is a calendar of name days in Hungary.-External links:* - this is a sortable list allowing one to list alphabetically or chronologically...
it is 4 May, as it is in Sweden
Name days in Sweden
This is the old Swedish name day calendar, sanctioned by the Swedish Academy in 1901, with official status until 1972. Some days still refer to traditional or religious feasts rather than personal names. Some of the names below are linked to the original saints or martyrs from which they originate...
. In Slovakia
Name days in Slovakia
In Slovakia, each day of the year corresponds to a personal name . People celebrate their name days on the date corresponding to their own given names. Slovak culture has accorded similar importance to a person's name day to his or her birthday...
it is 7 May, and in the Czech Republic
Name days in the Czech Republic
In the Czech Republic, each day of the year except national holidays corresponds to a personal name. People celebrate their name day on the date corresponding to their own given name....
it is celebrated on 21 May. In Poland it is celebrated on 27 August and 4 May. In Latvia it is celebrated on October 6 and in Greece on June 15.
Notable people named Monica
- Monica ArnoldMonica (singer)Monica Denise Brown , and professionally known as Monica, is an American singer-songwriter, record producer, and actress. Born and raised in College Park, Georgia, Monica began performing as a child and became part of a traveling gospel choir, by the time she was ten...
(born 1980), American singer, professionally known as "Monica" - Monica AspelundMonica Aspelund-Life/ career:Born into a family of Swedish speaking Finlanders, Aspelund danced and sang in talent shows from an early age making her recording debut at age fourteen with "Katso, kenguru loikkaa" a children's song recorded in the autumn of 1960...
(born 1946), Finnish singer - Monica BandiniMonica BandiniMonica Bandini is a retired female racing cyclist from Italy. Her biggest achievement was winning the world title in the women's team time trial , alongside Maria Canins, Roberta Bonanomi, and Francesca Galli.-References:...
(born 1964), Italian road racing cyclist - Monica BellucciMonica BellucciMonica Anna Maria Bellucci is an Italian actress and fashion model.-Early life:Bellucci was born in Città di Castello, Umbria, Italy as the only child of Luigi Bellucci, who was born in the British protectorate of Zanzibar, East Pakistan...
(born 1968), Italian actress - Monica CruzMónica CruzMónica Cruz Sánchez is a Spanish actress and dancer. She is the youngest sister of fellow actress Penélope Cruz and Spanish singer Eduardo Cruz.-Early life:...
(born 1977), Spanish actress - Monica DickensMonica DickensMonica Enid Dickens, MBE was an English writer, the great-granddaughter of Charles Dickens.-Biography:...
(1915-1992), British author of books for adults and children - Monica EdwardsMonica EdwardsMonica Edwards 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:...
(1912-1998), British children's author - Monika FagerholmMonika FagerholmMonika Kristina Fagerholm is a Swedish-speaking Finnish author living in Ekenäs, Finland. She is the daughter of professor Nils-Erik Fagerholm and library assistant Kristina Herrgård. Fagerholm has studied psychology and literature at the University of Helsinki. In 1987, she received her...
, Finnish author - Mónica FalcioniMónica FalcioniMónica Jacqueline Falcioni Costa is a retired long and triple jumper from Uruguay.Falcioni represented her native country at the 2000 Summer Olympics in Sydney, Australia. There she was the flag bearer for her native country at the opening ceremony.-References:*...
(born 1968), Uruguayan long and triple jumper - Monika FikerleMonika FikerleMonika Fikerle is an Australian musician and multi-instrumentalist, most noted for her "energetic, quirky" drumming style.Fikerle began her music career in Hobart in 1995, becoming Sea Scouts' drummer after having taken up the drums 'about a week' earlier. She later played in Surgery and 1001101...
(born 1974), Australian musician - Monica GoodlingMonica GoodlingMonica Marie Goodling is a former United States government lawyer and political appointee in the George W. Bush administration who became known in 2007 in the midst of a political controversy surrounding the firings of several United States Attorneys...
(born 1973), former Director of Public Affairs for the U.S. Department of Justice - Monica HoranMonica HoranMonica Horan is an American actress from Darby, Pennsylvania.-Biography:Horan graduated from Archbishop Prendergast Catholic High School for Girls in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania in 1980. She attended Hofstra University in Hempstead, New York, graduating with a degree in Theater Performance in 1984...
(born 1963), American actress - Monica of HippoMonica of HippoSaint Monica is a Christian saint and the mother of Augustine of Hippo, who wrote extensively of her virtues and his life with her in his Confessions.-Life:...
(322-387), Numidian saint, the mother of Saint Augustine - Monica IozziMonica IozziMonica Iozzi de Castro is a Brazilian actress and reporter. Currently the program integrates Custe o Que Custar, the Rede Bandeirantes.- Career :...
(born 1981), Brazilian actress and reporter. - Monica KeenaMonica KeenaMonica C. Keena is an American actress, known for her roles as Abby Morgan on Dawson's Creek, Rachel Lindquist on the short-lived comedy Undeclared, Kristin on HBO's Entourage, and as Lori Campbell in Freddy vs. Jason....
(born 1979), American actress - Monica LewinskyMonica LewinskyMonica Samille Lewinsky is an American woman with whom United States President Bill Clinton admitted to having had an "improper relationship" while she worked at the White House in 1995 and 1996...
(born 1973), former White House intern who had an affair with U.S. President Bill Clinton - Monica MayMonica MayMonica May is an American television and film actress, known for her role as Elizabeth 'Z' Delgado on the series Power Rangers: S.P.D..-Early life:...
(born 1984), American actress - Monica NaisenMonica NaisenMonica Naisen, a native of Japan, was arrested for sheltering Blessed John Baptist Zola and was beheaded at Nagasaki with her husband, Blessed John Naisen. Monica was beatified in 1867.-Sources:*http://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=5160...
(died 1626), Japanese Roman Catholic martyr beatified in 1867 - Monica NaranjoMonica NaranjoMónica Naranjo Carrasco is a Spanish singer born in Figueras, a village in Spain to Andalusian parents. She has sold over 8 million albums worldwide.- Biography :...
(born 1974), Spanish singer - Monica NiculescuMonica NiculescuMonica Niculescu is a Romanian tennis player. As of October 24, 2011 she is ranked No. 29 at the WTA Tour Singles Ranking. Her highest WTA ranking is currently her present ranking in singles, reached on 24 Oct 2011, and No. 24 in doubles, reached on June 7, 2010.Niculescu was born in Slatina,...
(born 1987), Romanian tennis player - Mónica PontMónica PontMónica Pont Chafer is a former long-distance runner from Spain, who won the Rotterdam Marathon on April 23, 1995 clocking 2:30:34. She represented her native country at the 1996 Summer Olympics in the women's marathon race, where she finished in 14th place...
(born 1969), Spanish long-distance runner - Monica PotterMonica PotterMonica Potter is an American film and television actress.-Early life:Potter, one of four daughters, was born in Cleveland, Ohio, to an Irish American Roman Catholic family. Her father, Paul Brokaw, was the inventor of the first flame-resistant car wax, and her mother, Nancy, was a secretary....
(born 1971), American actress - Monica RaymundMonica RaymundMonica Raymund is an American stage performer and actress best known for playing Ria Torres in the TV show Lie to Me.-Personal life:...
(born 1986), American actress - Monica RegonesiMonica RegonesiMónica Patricia Regonesi Muranda is female 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. Regonesi set her personal best in the classic distance in 1988...
(born 1961), Chilean long-distance runner - Monica RialMonica RialMonica Jean Rial is an American voice actress, ADR Director, and Script Writer who works for Funimation Entertainment, ADV Films, Seraphim Digital, and OkraTron 5000...
, American voice actress and ADR director - Mônica RodriguesMonica RodriguesMônica Rodrigues is a Brazilian volleyball player. She won the silver medal in the inaugural women's beach volleyball tournament at the 1996 Summer Olympics, partnering Adriana Samuel. She plays for the FIVB, a volleyball association. She has played for eleven years, and has collected eleven...
(born 1967), Brazilian volleyball player - Monica SelesMonica SelesMonica Seles is a former world no. 1 professional tennis player and a member of the International Tennis Hall of Fame. She was born in Novi Sad, Serbia, former Yugoslavia to Hungarian parents. She became a naturalized United States citizen in 1994 and also received Hungarian citizenship in June 2007...
(born 1973), American-Serbian tennis player - Mónica VergaraMónica VergaraMónica Vergara Rubio is a Mexican footballer. She competed for her native country at the 2004 Summer Olympics in Athens, Greece, where she finished in 8th place with the Women's National Team.-References:*...
(born 1983), Mexican female footballer - Monica VittiMonica VittiMonica Vitti is an Italian actress best known for her starring roles in films directed by Michelangelo Antonioni, her lover at that time, during the early 1960s...
(born 1931), Italian actress - Monica YunusMonica YunusMonica Yunus is a Bangladeshi-Russian-American operatic soprano who has performed with many of the world's finest opera companies and music ensembles...
(born 1979), Bangladeshi-Russian-American opera singer - Monica ZetterlundMonica ZetterlundEva Monica Zetterlund was a Swedish singer and actress.-Biography:Zetterlund was a singer particularly noted for her jazz work. She began by learning the classic jazz songs from radio and records, initially not knowing the language and what they sang about in English...
(1937- 2005), Swedish singer and actress
Fictional characters named Monica
- Monica Thorne in Trollope's 1858 novel Doctor ThorneDoctor ThorneDoctor Thorne is the third novel in Anthony Trollope's series known as the "Chronicles of Barsetshire".It is mainly concerned with the romantic problems of Mary Thorne, niece of Doctor Thomas Thorne , and Frank Gresham, the only son of the local squire, although Trollope as...
- Monica GellerMonica GellerMonica E. Geller Bing is a fictional character on the popular US television sitcom Friends, portrayed by Courteney Cox. Monica is known as the "Mother Hen" of the group and her Greenwich Village apartment was one of the group's main gathering places. She was also known for her obsessive personality...
, fictional character from the TV show Friends - Monica (Monica's Gang)Monica (Monica's Gang)Monica is the main character of Monica's Gang comic strips. She was created in 1963, and is a bright girl with powerful strength, which she uses to beat up boys who tease her. She is known by the other characters as the "owner of the street" . She is always carrying her blue rabbit toy called Samson...
, the lead character from the Brazilian comic book Monica's Gang - Monica Raybrandt, female protagonist character of the video game Dark ChronicleDark ChronicleDark Chronicle , released as Dark Cloud 2 in North America, is a role-playing video game for the PlayStation 2 video game console...
- Monica the angel in the TV show Touched by an AngelTouched by an AngelTouched by an Angel is an American drama series that premiered on CBS on September 21, 1994 and ran for 211 episodes and nine seasons until its conclusion on April 27, 2003. Created by John Masius and produced by Martha Williamson, the series stars Roma Downey, as an angel named Monica, and Della...
- Monika, protagonist in Ingmar Bergman's film Summer with MonikaSummer with MonikaSummer with Monika is a 1953 Swedish film directed by Ingmar Bergman. It sparked controversy abroad for its frank depiction of nudity, and along with the film One Summer of Happiness from the year before, directed by Arne Mattsson, it started the reputation of Sweden as a sexually liberated...
See also
- All pages beginning with "Monika"
- Mona (name)Mona (name)Mona is a rare female, and sometimes male, given name and a very rare surname of multiple origins.-Given name:As a given name, Mona can have the following meanings and origins;...
- MonicaMonicaMonica may refer to:*Monica , R&B singer and actress*Monica , the given name Monica*Saint Monica*Monica *Monica *Monica *Monica tail warning radar*Monicagate, a term for the Monica Lewinsky scandal...
(disambiguation page)