Dominica
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "belonging to the Lord".
Name Census estimates that about 1,730 living Americans carry the first name Dominica. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Dominica today is around 38 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Dominica births was 1979 (56 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Dominica. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
1.7K
~ 1 in 198,124 Americans
Peak year
1979
56 babies that year
Average age
38
years old
2024 SSA rank
#10,465
Tracked since 1909
Popularity
Dominica: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Dominica from the 1900s through to the 2020s, spanning 13 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 451 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1980s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Dominica by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Dominica during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Dominicas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. New York, California, Texas recorded the most babies named Dominica, while Pennsylvania, Louisiana, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 49 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Dominica
The name Dominica originates from the Latin word "Dominicus", meaning "belonging to the Lord" or "of the Lord". It is derived from the Latin word "Dominus", which means "lord" or "master". The name has its roots in the Christian tradition and was initially used as a feminine form of the masculine name Dominic.
The name Dominica gained popularity in the Middle Ages, particularly among Catholic communities. It was often given to girls born on Sundays, as Sunday was considered the "Lord's Day" in Christian tradition. The name was also associated with the Dominican Order, a Catholic religious order founded by Saint Dominic in the 13th century.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Dominica can be found in the life of Saint Dominica of Tropea, a 5th-century Italian nun and mystic. Another notable figure was Dominica Krzhitskaya, a 16th-century Russian noblewoman and saint in the Russian Orthodox Church.
Throughout history, several notable women have borne the name Dominica. Dominica de Paradis (1824-1849) was a French composer and pianist who was blind from an early age but achieved recognition for her musical talents. Dominica Petruchio (c. 1455-1495) was an Italian Renaissance painter and the daughter of the renowned artist Pietro Vannucci, known as Perugino.
In the literary world, Dominica Ruta (born 1963) is an American writer and memoirist known for her acclaimed works such as "With or Without You" and "Last Day". Dominica Diogo (born 1968) is a Portuguese novelist and short story writer who has received numerous literary awards in her home country.
Another notable figure is Dominica Remón (1767-1853), a Spanish painter and engraver who gained recognition for her religious and historical works. She was one of the few female artists of her time to achieve significant success and acclaim.
While the name Dominica has its roots in the Christian tradition, it has been adopted and embraced by various cultures and communities worldwide, reflecting its enduring appeal and timeless quality.
People
Dominica + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Dominica as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with D
Other first names starting with D with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Dominica: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Dominica?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,730 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Dominica going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 198,124 US residents.
Is Dominica a common name?
We classify Dominica as "Rare". It ranks above 93.1% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 2,332 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Dominica most popular?
The single biggest year for Dominica was 1979, when 56 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Dominica is about 38 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Dominica a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Dominica in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.