Monia
A feminine name of uncertain origin, possibly French or Arabic diminutive.
Name Census estimates that about 292 living Americans carry the first name Monia. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Monia today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Monia births was 1987 (13 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Monia. 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.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Monia with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
292
~ 1 in 1,173,816 Americans
Peak year
1987
13 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
2007 SSA rank
#13,527
Tracked since 1920
Census
Monia in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 525 people with the first name Monia, which placed it at #19,901 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name at the time of the Census.
The SSA sections elsewhere on this page answer a different question: how often parents gave the name to babies over time. The "people living today" figure on this page is different again: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two numbers are not expected to match exactly.
2020 Census rank
#19,901
National first-name rank
People counted
525
525 in the published race/origin table
Per 100,000
0.2
People with this name in 2020
Largest reported group
White
43.4% of people with this name
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Monia
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Monia is White at 43.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.5%) and Hispanic (8.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself.
The bar chart below shows how people with the first name Monia described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given name, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown so the breakdown is easy to read across every published category. Because the 2020 Census first-name file also includes raw headcounts for each group, Name Census can show those alongside the percentages in the legend and hover tooltip.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A first name does not determine a person's race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the name Monia at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White43.4% · 228
- Black or African American38.5% · 202
- Hispanic or Latino8.2% · 43
- Asian and Pacific Islander5.7% · 30
- Two or more races3.8% · 20
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.4% · 2
Popularity
Monia: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Monia from the 1920s through to the 2000s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1990s, with 81 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1990s peak, Monia remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Monia 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 Monia 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 Monia
The name Monia has its origins in ancient Greece, derived from the Greek word "monios," which means "enduring" or "lasting." It first emerged during the Hellenistic period, which spanned from the 4th to the 1st century BC.
This feminine name was particularly popular among the upper classes of Greek society, as it represented the virtues of resilience and perseverance. It was often bestowed upon daughters with the hope that they would embody these qualities throughout their lives.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Monia can be found in the writings of the ancient Greek historian Plutarch, who mentioned a woman named Monia from the city of Corinth in his work "Parallel Lives." This text, written in the late 1st century AD, provides valuable insight into the use of the name during that era.
Throughout the Byzantine Empire, which lasted from the 4th to the 15th century AD, the name Monia continued to be used, albeit less frequently than in ancient Greece. It appeared in several Byzantine chronicles and manuscripts, indicating its enduring presence in the region.
One notable figure bearing the name Monia was a Byzantine noblewoman who lived in the 10th century AD. She was known for her philanthropic efforts and her support of the arts, making her a prominent figure in the cultural and social circles of the time.
During the Renaissance period, the name Monia experienced a resurgence in popularity, particularly in Italy. A famous Italian painter named Monia Guidi, born in 1498, gained recognition for her remarkable artistic skills and her contribution to the development of Renaissance art.
In the 18th century, a French philosopher and writer named Monia Diderot, born in 1712, made significant contributions to the Enlightenment movement. Her works explored themes of reason, freedom, and the pursuit of knowledge, reflecting the ideals of her era.
Another notable figure named Monia was a Russian ballerina born in 1875. Monia Pavlova was celebrated for her exceptional grace and artistry on the stage, and she is widely regarded as one of the most influential dancers of the early 20th century.
Despite its ancient origins and historical significance, the name Monia has remained relatively uncommon in modern times. However, its rich cultural heritage and symbolic meaning continue to attract those who appreciate its enduring qualities.
People
Monia + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Monia 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
Monia: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Monia?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 292 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Monia 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 1,173,816 US residents.
Is Monia a common name?
We classify Monia as "Very Rare". It ranks above 78.9% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 366 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Monia most popular?
The single biggest year for Monia was 1987, when 13 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Monia is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
How common was Monia in the 2020 Census?
The published 2020 Census first-name tables recorded 525 people with the name Monia, or 0.17 per 100,000 residents. That placed it at #19,901 in the national Census ranking for first names.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census figure is a count of people who had the name Monia in 2020. The living estimate aims to answer a current question instead: how many people with the name are alive today, based on SSA birth records and age-based survival rates. Since one number is a 2020 snapshot and the other is a present-day estimate, they are not expected to be identical.
What does the Census say about the gender split for Monia?
In the 2020 Census sex table, Monia appears almost entirely female. Of the 524 people counted with this name, 99.4% were female and only a very small share were male. The Census view is a snapshot of people living with the name in 2020, while the SSA section above tracks births across time.
What does the Census say about the background of people named Monia?
In the 2020 Census race and Hispanic-origin table, the largest reported group for people named Monia is White at 43.4%. The next largest groups are Black (38.5%) and Hispanic (8.2%). These figures describe the people who had the name in 2020, not any inherent property of the name itself. The percentages in the chart above come from self-reported race and Hispanic-origin responses in the 2020 Census.
Which group reports the name Monia most often in the Census?
White is the largest reported group for people named Monia in the 2020 Census, accounting for 43.4% (228 people in the published table).
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census Bureau published separate 2020 tables for sex and for race/Hispanic origin, and the released figures can differ slightly because of privacy protection in the public files. That is why this page treats the gender section and the race/origin section as two related snapshots instead of forcing them into one identical total.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only includes names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files have no Census demographic snapshot. When that happens, the SSA trend, gender history, and state sections still appear, but the 2020 Census demographic sections are omitted.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Monia in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Monia a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Monia 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.
Is Monia still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Monia in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Monia can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
How many people are named Monia?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.