Fun Facts About the Name Mona
- More than 45 thousand babies named Mona: U.S. records list 45,814 babies given the name Mona from 1880 through 2025. Even 31 boys received the name Mona - about 1 boy for every 1,477 girls.
What Does the Name Mona Mean?
Mona has more than one independent origin. In Arabic the name is usually written Muna or Muná (منى) and means "wish," "desire," or "longing." It comes from the Arabic root m-n-y, and the place name Mina near Mecca, where pilgrims on the hajj perform part of the rites, is traditionally connected with the same root.
In Irish, Mona is an anglicized form of the older female name Muadhnait. That name is built from the adjective muadh, meaning "noble" or "good," with a diminutive ending, so it is commonly rendered "little noble one."
In English and Italian use, Mona also serves as a short form of longer names ending in -mona, such as Ramona, the Italian Simona, and Monica. Used this way it carries no meaning of its own; it is simply a clipped form of the parent name.
Mona Name History & Origins
Mona reached English through several separate routes. In Arabic-speaking countries, Muna or Mona has long been a girl's name taken directly from the Arabic word for a wish or desire. In Ireland, Mona appears in the modern period as an English-language form of Muadhnait, a name found in older Irish tradition.
In the English-speaking world, Mona is also a shortened form of Ramona and Monica. Ramona is the feminine form of the Spanish Ramón (Raymond), while Monica is an early North African name of uncertain meaning; clipping either of these produced a short, independent English name.
The best-known appearance of the word in art is Leonardo da Vinci's Mona Lisa. There, Mona is not a given name at all: it is a contraction of the Italian ma donna, "my lady," used as a courtesy title. The sitter is generally identified as Lisa Gherardini, wife of Francesco del Giocondo, which is why the painting is also known as La Gioconda.
Separately, Mona is a literary name for the Isle of Man, as in the phrase "Mona's Isle." Roman writers, however, used Mona for the island of Anglesey off Wales, called Ynys Môn in Welsh. These place names belong to a different tradition from the personal name and are generally treated as unrelated to it.
How Popular is the Name Mona?
Mona recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 1957. Its best rank was #230 in 1950.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,806 | 61 | 0.0038% |
| 2024 | #2,224 | 85 | 0.0053% |
| 2023 | #2,116 | 91 | 0.0057% |
| 2022 | #2,166 | 88 | 0.0054% |
| 2021 | #2,020 | 96 | 0.0059% |
| 2020 | #1,940 | 99 | 0.0061% |
| 2019 | #1,897 | 106 | 0.0063% |
| 2018 | #1,861 | 109 | 0.0064% |
| 2017 | #1,797 | 116 | 0.0067% |
| 2016 | #1,752 | 119 | 0.0067% |
| 2015 | #1,902 | 107 | 0.0060% |
| 2014 | #2,029 | 97 | 0.0054% |
| 2013 | #1,787 | 115 | 0.0066% |
| 2012 | #2,491 | 74 | 0.0042% |
| 2011 | #2,064 | 94 | 0.0053% |
| 2010 | #2,196 | 89 | 0.0050% |
| 2009 | #2,563 | 73 | 0.0040% |
| 2008 | #2,182 | 92 | 0.0049% |
| 2007 | #2,240 | 88 | 0.0046% |
| 2006 | #2,122 | 92 | 0.0048% |
| 2005 | #1,871 | 104 | 0.0056% |
| 2004 | #2,190 | 82 | 0.0045% |
| 2003 | #2,040 | 88 | 0.0048% |
| 2002 | #1,850 | 97 | 0.0054% |
| 2001 | #1,829 | 97 | 0.0054% |
| 2000 | #1,467 | 126 | 0.0069% |
| 1999 | #1,608 | 105 | 0.0059% |
| 1998 | #1,523 | 111 | 0.0063% |
| 1997 | #1,463 | 113 | 0.0065% |
| 1996 | #1,200 | 151 | 0.0086% |
| 1995 | #1,447 | 112 | 0.0064% |
| 1994 | #1,540 | 101 | 0.0057% |
| 1993 | #1,333 | 126 | 0.0070% |
| 1992 | #1,309 | 129 | 0.0070% |
| 1991 | #1,152 | 154 | 0.0082% |
| 1990 | #1,297 | 126 | 0.0066% |
| 1989 | #1,173 | 140 | 0.0076% |
| 1988 | #1,102 | 142 | 0.0080% |
| 1987 | #1,094 | 139 | 0.0080% |
| 1986 | #971 | 163 | 0.0095% |
| 1985 | #993 | 154 | 0.0089% |
| 1984 | #1,131 | 122 | 0.0072% |
| 1983 | #966 | 152 | 0.0091% |
| 1982 | #916 | 165 | 0.0097% |
| 1981 | #861 | 181 | 0.0109% |
| 1980 | #951 | 157 | 0.0095% |
| 1979 | #826 | 190 | 0.0118% |
| 1978 | #680 | 235 | 0.0153% |
| 1977 | #705 | 220 | 0.0143% |
| 1976 | #608 | 258 | 0.0176% |
| 1975 | #598 | 270 | 0.0185% |
| 1974 | #551 | 305 | 0.0208% |
| 1973 | #487 | 365 | 0.0250% |
| 1972 | #427 | 454 | 0.0298% |
| 1971 | #449 | 459 | 0.0276% |
| 1970 | #377 | 633 | 0.0362% |
| 1969 | #341 | 691 | 0.0410% |
| 1968 | #367 | 608 | 0.0371% |
| 1967 | #338 | 681 | 0.0412% |
| 1966 | #281 | 903 | 0.0534% |
| 1965 | #305 | 874 | 0.0495% |
| 1964 | #309 | 890 | 0.0470% |
| 1963 | #290 | 1,009 | 0.0524% |
| 1962 | #296 | 967 | 0.0492% |
| 1961 | #277 | 1,092 | 0.0541% |
| 1960 | #276 | 1,080 | 0.0534% |
| 1959 | #255 | 1,183 | 0.0585% |
| 1958 | #265 | 1,089 | 0.0541% |
| 1957 | #242 | 1,232 | 0.0602% |
| 1956 | #240 | 1,186 | 0.0591% |
| 1955 | #249 | 1,093 | 0.0559% |
| 1954 | #233 | 1,192 | 0.0614% |
| 1953 | #249 | 1,061 | 0.0564% |
| 1952 | #255 | 950 | 0.0512% |
| 1951 | #232 | 1,106 | 0.0614% |
| 1950 | #230 | 1,088 | 0.0635% |
| 1949 | #341 | 513 | 0.0300% |
| 1948 | #369 | 455 | 0.0268% |
| 1947 | #379 | 446 | 0.0252% |
| 1946 | #365 | 427 | 0.0272% |
| 1945 | #364 | 366 | 0.0280% |
| 1944 | #382 | 342 | 0.0258% |
| 1943 | #384 | 359 | 0.0257% |
| 1942 | #340 | 418 | 0.0309% |
| 1941 | #307 | 444 | 0.0368% |
| 1940 | #292 | 470 | 0.0411% |
| 1939 | #270 | 523 | 0.0477% |
| 1938 | #250 | 641 | 0.0581% |
| 1937 | #253 | 623 | 0.0586% |
| 1936 | #243 | 656 | 0.0631% |
| 1935 | #243 | 670 | 0.0639% |
| 1934 | #246 | 635 | 0.0608% |
| 1933 | #244 | 614 | 0.0609% |
| 1932 | #249 | 613 | 0.0574% |
| 1931 | #280 | 496 | 0.0466% |
| 1930 | #276 | 540 | 0.0480% |
| 1929 | #291 | 499 | 0.0447% |
| 1928 | #324 | 422 | 0.0366% |
| 1927 | #346 | 376 | 0.0315% |
| 1926 | #348 | 369 | 0.0311% |
| 1925 | #379 | 322 | 0.0265% |
| 1924 | #377 | 329 | 0.0263% |
| 1923 | #389 | 292 | 0.0242% |
| 1922 | #400 | 274 | 0.0228% |
| 1921 | #386 | 301 | 0.0244% |
| 1920 | #411 | 262 | 0.0219% |
| 1919 | #406 | 253 | 0.0224% |
| 1918 | #423 | 245 | 0.0212% |
| 1917 | #355 | 313 | 0.0289% |
| 1916 | #395 | 253 | 0.0242% |
| 1915 | #370 | 265 | 0.0269% |
| 1914 | #362 | 212 | 0.0278% |
| 1913 | #366 | 174 | 0.0279% |
| 1912 | #372 | 156 | 0.0280% |
| 1911 | #393 | 105 | 0.0251% |
| 1910 | #394 | 101 | 0.0255% |
| 1909 | #394 | 87 | 0.0251% |
| 1908 | #396 | 85 | 0.0254% |
| 1907 | #430 | 70 | 0.0220% |
| 1906 | #407 | 71 | 0.0240% |
| 1905 | #379 | 80 | 0.0274% |
| 1904 | #389 | 73 | 0.0265% |
| 1903 | #411 | 59 | 0.0225% |
| 1902 | #418 | 55 | 0.0208% |
| 1901 | #464 | 42 | 0.0175% |
| 1900 | #400 | 69 | 0.0230% |
| 1899 | #385 | 57 | 0.0245% |
| 1898 | #393 | 61 | 0.0236% |
| 1897 | #378 | 59 | 0.0252% |
| 1896 | #380 | 56 | 0.0235% |
| 1895 | #388 | 53 | 0.0227% |
| 1894 | #383 | 54 | 0.0242% |
| 1893 | #355 | 58 | 0.0272% |
| 1892 | #389 | 47 | 0.0221% |
| 1891 | #382 | 44 | 0.0237% |
| 1890 | #458 | 33 | 0.0173% |
| 1889 | #463 | 29 | 0.0163% |
| 1888 | #441 | 32 | 0.0179% |
| 1887 | #486 | 22 | 0.0151% |
| 1886 | #391 | 31 | 0.0214% |
| 1885 | #533 | 17 | 0.0128% |
| 1884 | #495 | 18 | 0.0140% |
| 1883 | #493 | 16 | 0.0142% |
| 1882 | #590 | 11 | 0.0102% |
| 1881 | #466 | 14 | 0.0152% |
| 1880 | #463 | 14 | 0.0154% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1969 | #4,810 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1967 | #4,359 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1939 | #3,368 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1937 | #3,868 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1935 | #3,998 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1933 | #3,997 | 5 | 0.0005% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Mona Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You have psychic power. You can carry on for others with joy. You have a receptive nature and may bear burdens for others. You are pragmatic, thorough, strong-willed, practical and stubborn at times. You are hard working, often martyr to duty. You like home and security above all. You are frank, methodical and believe in law, system and order.
You are very intuitive. You have a reservoir of inspired wisdom combined with inherited analytical ability, which could reward you through expressions of spiritual leadership, business analysis, marketing, artistic visions, and scientific research. Operating on spiritual side of your individuality can bring you to the great heights, and drop you off if you neglect your spiritual identity. You are always looking for an opportunity to investigate the unknown, to use and show your mental abilities, to find the purpose and meaning of life. You want to grow wise and to understand people and things. You need privacy to replenish your energy. You have a unique way of thinking, intuitive, reflective, absorbing.
✦ Mona's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Mona's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.