Monalee
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly meaning "my darling".
Name Census estimates that about 13 living Americans carry the first name Monalee. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Monalee today is around 80 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Monalee births was 1936 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Monalee. 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.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Monalee is about 80 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Monalees were born before 1956.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Monalee. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
13
~ 1 in 26,365,718 Americans
Peak year
1936
7 babies that year
Average age
80
years old
1960 SSA rank
#7,019
Tracked since 1932
Popularity
Monalee: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Monalee from the 1930s through to the 1960s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1930s, with 17 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1930s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Monalee 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 Monalee 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 Monalee
The name Monalee is a feminine given name of uncertain origins. It is believed to be derived from a combination of two older words or roots, but the exact linguistic sources are unclear.
Some theories suggest that the first part of the name, "Mona," may have its roots in Latin or Greek words meaning "alone" or "solitary." The latter part, "lee," could potentially be linked to Old English or Germanic words relating to meadows, pastures, or sheltered areas. However, the connection between these potential root words and the modern name Monalee is speculative.
There are no definitive records of the name Monalee appearing in ancient texts, religious scriptures, or historical records from major civilizations. The earliest known instances of the name seem to be from the late 19th or early 20th century, though exact dates are difficult to pinpoint.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Monalee was Monalee Brown, an American painter and artist born in 1888 in Kentucky. She was known for her landscape paintings and portraits, and her works were exhibited in various galleries throughout the early 20th century.
Another notable figure named Monalee was Monalee Kendrick, a British novelist and short story writer who lived from 1910 to 1992. She was renowned for her works exploring themes of family dynamics and social issues in mid-20th century Britain.
In the field of music, Monalee Carson was an American jazz singer and bandleader who performed in the 1940s and 1950s. She was known for her unique vocal style and her collaborations with notable jazz musicians of the era.
Monalee Roberts was an Australian archaeologist and anthropologist who made significant contributions to the study of indigenous cultures in the Pacific region. She conducted extensive field research and published several influential works between the 1950s and 1980s.
Finally, Monalee Jennings was a Canadian activist and advocate for women's rights and social justice. She was a prominent figure in the feminist movement in Canada during the latter half of the 20th century and played a crucial role in advancing various legislative reforms.
While the name Monalee remains relatively uncommon, these individuals from various fields and time periods have helped to establish its presence in historical records and cultural significance.
People
Monalee + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Monalee as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Monalee: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Monalee?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 13 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Monalee 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 26,365,718 US residents.
Is Monalee a common name?
We classify Monalee as "Very Rare". It ranks above 33.2% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 34 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Monalee most popular?
The single biggest year for Monalee was 1936, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Monalee is about 80 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Monalee a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Monalee 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.