Monico
A masculine name of Spanish origin meaning "little monk".
Name Census estimates that about 571 living Americans carry the first name Monico. It is a predominantly male name (97.9% of registrations). The average person named Monico today is around 46 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Monico births was 1974 (20 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Monico. 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
571
~ 1 in 600,270 Americans
Peak year
1974
20 babies that year
Average age
46
years old
2024 SSA rank
#8,355
Tracked since 1912
Gender
Gender distribution for Monico
Monico leans heavily male at 97.9% of total registrations, but 17 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Monico as a male name
- Ranked #10,529 in 2024
- 7 male births in 2024
- Peak: 1977 (16 births)
Monico as a female name
- Ranked #8,355 in 1974
- 6 female births in 1974
- Peak: 1965 (6 births)
Popularity
Monico: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Monico from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1970s, with 124 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1970s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Monico 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 Monico during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Monicos live
Origin
Meaning and history of Monico
The name Monico is believed to have originated from the Latin name "Monicus," which itself is derived from the Latin word "monachus," meaning "monk." This suggests that the name may have initially been associated with monastic life or religious orders in early Christian communities.
The earliest recorded instances of the name Monico can be traced back to the 4th century, when it was borne by Saint Monico, a Christian martyr who was executed during the reign of the Roman Emperor Diocletian. Saint Monico's unwavering faith and sacrifice for his beliefs likely contributed to the name's enduring legacy within Christian traditions.
In the 5th century, the name Monico gained further prominence with the birth of Saint Monica, the mother of the renowned philosopher and theologian Saint Augustine of Hippo. Saint Monica's profound influence on her son's spiritual journey and her own devotion to the Christian faith cemented the name's association with piety and religious devotion.
During the Middle Ages, the name Monico was particularly popular in parts of Europe, including Italy and Spain. One notable figure from this period was Monico di Siena, an Italian painter and architect who lived in the 13th century and contributed to the construction of several churches and monasteries in Siena.
In the 16th century, Monico Moreno was a Spanish sailor and explorer who accompanied Ferdinand Magellan on his famous voyage around the world. Moreno's participation in this historic expedition further spread the name's reach and recognition.
Another significant bearer of the name Monico was the Italian monk and scholar Monico Beccaria, who lived in the 18th century and made valuable contributions to the field of physics, particularly in the study of electricity and electrostatic phenomena.
Throughout history, the name Monico has maintained its ties to religious and monastic traditions, often borne by individuals associated with Christian orders or those who led lives of spiritual devotion. While its popularity may have waxed and waned over time, the name's roots in the Latin word "monachus" have endured, reflecting the enduring influence of monastic life on various cultures and societies.
People
Monico + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Monico 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
Monico: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Monico?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 571 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Monico 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 600,270 US residents.
Is Monico a common name?
We classify Monico as "Very Rare". It ranks above 85.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 804 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Monico most popular?
The single biggest year for Monico was 1974, when 20 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Monico is about 46 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Monico a male name?
Yes, 97.9% of people registered as Monico in the SSA data are male. 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.