Monica

Monica is a female given name with many variant forms, including Mónica (Italian, Spanish and Portuguese), Mônica (Brazilian Portuguese), Monique (French), Monika (German, Indian), Moonika (Estonia), and Mónika (Hungarian). History The etymology of Monica is unknown. Its earliest attestation known today is as the name of Saint Monica, mother of Saint Augustine. St. Monica was born in Numidia in North Africa, but was also a citizen of Carthage, hence the name may be of Punic or Berber origin. It has also been associated with the Greek word monos, meaning "alone". Though etymologically unrelated, "Monica" was also a name in Latin, deriving from the verb monere, meaning 'to advise.' One of the early occurrences of the name in modern literature is the character Monica Thorne in the 1858 novel Doctor Thorne by Anthony Trollope. Popularity