Total births
9,810
Girls' name · since 1942
Monika
Since 1942, U.S. Social Security records show 9,810 babies named Monika, peaking in 1990. See the year-by-year trend, decade totals, and state rankings below, sourced from federal birth data.
- #8040
- among girls today
- 9,810
- born since 1942
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other girls
Yes -- Monika is the #8040 most popular girls' name in the U.S. today, with 9,810 recorded since 1942.
Social Security Administration records show Monika recorded 9,810 times among girls since 1942, holding rank #8040 nationally today, ahead of 55% of girls, peaking in the 1990s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1942 to 2025.
- #8040 among girls today
- 9,810 born since 1942
- 1990s peak decade
- 55% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Monika is currently the #8040 girls' name in America, more common than 55% of girls - 9,810 born since 1942, peaking in the 1990s.
- #8040
- among girls today
- 9,810
- born since 1942
- 1990s
- peak decade
- 55%
- more common than other girls
Monika vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#8040
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 55% of names given to girls today.
1990s
Peak decade
23% of everyone ever named Monika was born in this single decade.
1990
Single peak year
257 babies were named Monika in 1990 - its busiest year on record.
How Monika compares
9,810 Top 9% higher than 91% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Monika's all-time total is 26x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Monika | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 9,810 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 257 | 48 | 19,840 |
Monika's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Monika's full recorded timeline at 1986, 51% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 49% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1942, with just 5 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1990 peak of 257 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Monika at a glance
Outside the top 1,000Peak year
1990
Current rank
#8,040
Active since
1942
Monika popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1942–2025
- Peak year (1990)
- 257
- Annual births at peak, across 84 years of records
Monika by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1990s was Monika's strongest decade.
2,280 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 23% of all-time use.
Monika births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1940s 30
1940s
30 births
- 1950s 374
1950s
374 births
- 1960s
1960s
1,337 births
- 1970s
1970s
1,866 births
- 1980s
1980s
2,162 births
- 1990s
1990s
2,280 births
- 2000s
2000s
1,128 births
- 2010s 481
2010s
481 births
- 2020s 152
2020s
152 births
What this shows Peak: 1990s at 2,280 births (23% of all-time use).
How Monika compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Monika's total volume
Monika vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Monika by state
Where Monika concentrates geographically, total births since 1942
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 1,469 | 15.0% |
| #2 | Illinois | | 879 | 9.0% |
| #3 | New York | | 833 | 8.5% |
| #4 | Texas | | 762 | 7.8% |
| #5 | Michigan | | 337 | 3.4% |
| #6 | New Jersey | | 331 | 3.4% |
| #7 | Ohio | | 326 | 3.3% |
| #8 | Florida | | 312 | 3.2% |
California share of Monika's total US births 15.0%
Even split
1,469 of 9,810 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 31 reporting states.
Monika appears in 31 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Monika? ▼
Since 1942, Social Security records show 9,810 babies named Monika. Today it holds rank #8040 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 1990, with 257 births.
When was Monika most popular? ▼
Monika was most popular in the 1990s decade with 2,280 total births. The single peak year was 1990.
Where is Monika most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Monika are California (1,469 births), Illinois (879 births), New York (833 births).
How long has the name Monika been used? ▼
Records for Monika go back to 1942, giving 84 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Monika? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Monica, Monique, Mona, Montana, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Monika's data
- Monika's decade-level peak was the 1990s (2,280 total births); usage has since declined to 152 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Monikas (1,469 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Monika
Nearby Names Like Monika
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Monika
Monica Girl
#723 251,274 births
Monique Girl
#2934 78,783 births
Mona Girl
#2204 45,787 births
Montana Girl
#1057 8,815 births
Monserrat Girl
#1303 8,070 births
Compare Monika side by side: Monika vs Monica Monika vs Monique Monika vs Mona
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Monika
Aundrea #8039
4,762 births · Peak 2006
Melonie #8041
5,462 births · Peak 1973
Marielena #8038
1,374 births · Peak 1992
Elyn #8042
568 births · Peak 2010
Neena #8037
1,775 births · Peak 2004
Tasha #8043
35,528 births · Peak 1980
Danelle #8036
7,109 births · Peak 1974
Kelcie #8044
3,298 births · Peak 1993
Data Sources
Data as of June 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, 1942–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Monika: #8040 Girls' Name - 9,810 Births, Peak 1990." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/monika. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
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 Monika 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 June 2026.