Mona vs Monica
Mona and Monicacompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Norway · Girls
In 2017, Mona was ranked #267 and Monica #542 among girls in Norway.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2017, Mona was ranked #873 and Monica #734 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Mona was ranked #3318 and Monica #1449 among girls in England and Wales.
Mona and Monica over time
Mona and Monica appear together in 3 published lists, across 119 years of shared records. Monica held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Mona in 1.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Monica reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 2 of those lists, Mona in 1. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Longest-running competitions
Mona and Monica were both ranked in Norway · Girls for 69 years, from 1946 to 2017, ending at #267 and #542.
List by list
Norway · Girls69 shared years, 1946–2017
Mona held the stronger position in 44 of those years, Monica in 25.
Highest recorded here: Mona #9 in 1968, Monica #3 in 1971.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Mona #267, Monica #542.
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Mona held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Monica in 29.
Highest recorded here: Mona #1065 in 2008, Monica #274 in 1997.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Mona #3318, Monica #1449.
Republic of Ireland · Girls21 shared years, 1965–2017
Mona held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Monica in 21.
Highest recorded here: Mona #282 in 1970, Monica #68 in 1965.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Mona #873, Monica #734.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Mona | Monica |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Precise meaning uncertain — most likely of Berber or Phoenician origin; since the Middle Ages popularly associated with Latin 'moneo' ('to advise') and Greek 'monos' ('one, single'). Borne by the 4th-century North African saint who was mother of Saint Augustine. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Uncertain (Berber or Phoenician) |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /ˈmoː.ni.kaː/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Monika, Mona |
| Recorded regional usage | GB-ENW, IE, NO | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | Norway · Girls #413 (2025) | Scotland · Girls #790 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 88/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | high |
What the data shows
- Monica has a recorded origin (Uncertain (Berber or Phoenician)); Mona does not have one recorded yet.
- Mona has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Monica.
- A meaning is recorded for Monica; Mona doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, IE, NO.
- The available evidence gives Mona a "medium" Data Confidence level and Monica a "high" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
Mona
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #98 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2025
Highest recorded position: #9 among girls in Norway, in 1968 (recorded 1945–2025).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #413 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls
Monica
Popularity journey
First recorded1946
First recorded at #315 among girls in Norway in 1946 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1946–2017
Highest recorded position: #3 among girls in Norway, in 1971 (recorded 1946–2017).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #1449 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls