Monica is a name of uncertain origin; it was borne by Saint Monica, the North African mother of Saint Augustine, and was later linked to the Latin monere, "to advise" or "to warn", and to the Greek monos, "alone". Santa Monica in California is named for her. In the United States Monica was a top 100 name through the 1960s and 1970s and still ranked number 167 in 2000, but it has faded to number 737 in 2025.