Jonica
A feminine name of unknown meaning and origin.
Name Census estimates that about 582 living Americans carry the first name Jonica. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Jonica today is around 41 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jonica births was 1982 (23 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jonica. 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
582
~ 1 in 588,925 Americans
Peak year
1982
23 babies that year
Average age
41
years old
2015 SSA rank
#15,356
Tracked since 1957
Popularity
Jonica: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jonica from the 1950s through to the 2010s, spanning 7 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 169 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
Jonica 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 Jonica during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jonica
The name Jonica has its roots in the ancient Greek language and culture, dating back to the 5th century BCE. It is believed to be derived from the word "Ionikos," which referred to the Ionian region of ancient Greece, comprising the central part of the western coast of modern-day Turkey. The name may also have connections to the Greek goddess Ionic, who was associated with the moon and fertility.
One of the earliest known references to the name Jonica can be found in the writings of the Greek historian Herodotus, who documented the Ionian Revolt against the Persian Empire in 499 BCE. In his work, he mentioned a woman named Jonica, who was said to be a priestess of the goddess Ionic at the temple of Miletus.
Throughout the centuries, the name Jonica has been borne by several notable individuals. In the 3rd century BCE, Jonica of Cyzicus was a renowned Greek philosopher and mathematician who made significant contributions to the study of geometry and optics. Her work on conic sections laid the foundation for later developments in calculus and modern physics.
During the Byzantine era, Jonica Comnena (1088-1149) was a princess of the Comnenus dynasty and a renowned scholar. She is best known for her historical work, the "Alexiad," which chronicled the life and reign of her father, Emperor Alexios I Komnenos.
In the Renaissance period, Jonica Veronese (1542-1617) was an Italian painter and engraver from Verona. She is celebrated for her proficient use of chiaroscuro and her ability to capture the essence of her subjects in her portraits.
Another notable figure was Jonica Martínez (1845-1918), a Cuban writer, and poet who played a significant role in the country's literary and cultural renaissance in the late 19th century. Her works often explored themes of social justice, feminism, and national identity.
More recently, Jonica Newby (born 1968) is an Australian science journalist, author, and television presenter. She has hosted several popular science programs on Australian television, including "Catalyst" and "The New Inventors," and has received numerous awards for her work in promoting scientific understanding and literacy.
Overall, the name Jonica has a rich history spanning various cultures and eras, reflecting the diverse backgrounds and achievements of those who have borne it throughout the centuries.
People
Jonica + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jonica as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jonica: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jonica?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 582 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jonica 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 588,925 US residents.
Is Jonica a common name?
We classify Jonica as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 628 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jonica most popular?
The single biggest year for Jonica was 1982, when 23 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jonica is about 41 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jonica a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jonica 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.