Girls' name · since 1996
Monifah
Since 1996, U.S. Social Security records show 135 babies named Monifah, peaking in 1996. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #23,887 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 135
- born since 1996
- 1990s
- peak decade
Monifah is not among the current top-ranked girls names; 135 have been recorded since 1996.
Monifah has 135 recorded births among girls since 1996, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, though it falls outside today's most-used girls names, busiest in the 1990s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1996 to 2001.
- #23,887 of 72,339 all-time among girls
- 135 born since 1996
- 1990s peak decade
Data updated Aug 2026
The verdict
According to the U.S. Social Security Administration, Monifah ranks #23,887 of 72,339 girls' names by all-time recorded births (highest first). 135 born since 1996, peaking in the 1990s.
- #23,887 of 72,339
- all-time among girls
- 135
- born since 1996
- 1990s
- peak decade
Monifah's 135 recorded births place it above 66.92% of the 72,339 girls names in the full SSA archive.
The state file records this name in 4 jurisdictions, led by New York.
Monifah's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Monifah splits its recorded history at 1999: 21% of all births land in the more recent half, 79% in the earlier half, leaning more toward its earlier era than today's. The single quietest year was 2001 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1996 peak of 61 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Monifah popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1996–2001
- Peak year (1996)
- 61
- Annual births at peak, across 6 years of records
Monifah by decade
1990s is the heaviest window (124 births, 92% of the file).
1990s was Monifah's strongest decade.
124 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 92% of all-time use.
Monifah births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1990s
1990s
124 births
- 2000s 11
2000s
11 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 124 births (92% of all-time use).
Monifah by state
Where Monifah concentrates geographically, total births since 1996
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 19 | 14.1% |
| #2 | South Carolina | | 7 | 5.2% |
| #3 | Georgia | | 5 | 3.7% |
| #4 | North Carolina | | 5 | 3.7% |
19 of 135 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 4 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What to do with Monifah's data
- Monifah's decade-level peak was the 1990s (124 total births); usage has since declined to 11 in the 2000s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Monifahs (19 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Monifah
Nearby Names Like Monifah
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Monifah
Compare Monifah side by side: Monifah vs Monica Monifah vs Monique Monifah vs Mona
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Nationwide names with similar peak year or record span
Two nationwide peer axes for Monifah: closest SSA peak year, and closest first→latest record span. Distinct from the spelling and current-rank neighborhoods above.
Similar peak year (~1996)
Similar record span (~5 yrs)
Peak year is the single SSA year with the most births for that name; record span is first-to-latest year in the national files, not a recommendation or shared origin claim.
Data Sources
Data as of August 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1996–2001 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Monifah draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of August 2026.