Monica vs Thora
Monica and Thoracompared 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, Monica was ranked #542 and Thora #515 among girls in Norway.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Monica was ranked #1449 and Thora #4192 among girls in England and Wales.
Monica and Thora over time
Monica and Thora appear together in 2 published lists, across 45 years of shared records. Monica held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Thora in 0.
The order between them changed and held in one of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
List by list
Norway · Girls28 shared years, 1946–2017
Monica held the stronger position in 27 of those years, Thora in 1.
Highest recorded here: Monica #3 in 1971, Thora #316 in 1947.
The order changed in 2017: Thora moved ahead. In 2016 they stood at #481 and #601; by 2017 that had become #542 and #515.
Most recent shared year, 2017: Monica #542, Thora #515.
England and Wales · Girls17 shared years, 2008–2024
Monica held the stronger position in 17 of those years, Thora in 0.
Highest recorded here: Monica #722 in 2008, Thora #1501 in 2022.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Monica #1449, Thora #4192.
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 | Monica | Thora |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | female | female |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Uncertain (Berber or Phoenician) | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /ˈmoː.ni.kaː/ | Not yet recorded |
| Syllables | 3 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Monika, Mona | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ | GB-ENW, NO |
| Most recent popularity observation | Scotland · Girls #790 (2024) | England and Wales · Girls #4192 (2024) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 88/100 | 94/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 60/100 |
| Data Confidence | high | medium |
What the data shows
- Monica has a recorded origin (Uncertain (Berber or Phoenician)); Thora does not have one recorded yet.
- Monica has 3 syllables, compared with 2 for Thora.
- A meaning is recorded for Monica; Thora doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in GB-ENW, NO.
- The available evidence gives Monica a "high" Data Confidence level and Thora a "medium" level — this reflects how complete and corroborated the underlying evidence is, not a judgement of either name.
How each name got here
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
Thora
Popularity journey
First recorded1945
First recorded at #366 among girls in Norway in 1945 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Norway · Girls
Highest recorded1945–2023
Highest recorded position: #316 among girls in Norway, in 1947 (recorded 1945–2023).
Norway · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #4192 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls