Mona (name)
| Mona | |
|---|---|
| Pronunciation | /ˈmoʊnə/ MOH-nə |
| Gender | Female |
| Origin | |
| Meaning | various |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Monica, Ramona, Simona |
Mona is a female, and sometimes male, given name and a surname of multiple origins.
Given name
As a given name, Mona can have the following meanings and origins;
| Language | Source | Meaning | Variant forms | Gender |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arabic | Variant transliteration of Muna (مُنى) | Wishes[1] | Muna, Mouna | Female |
| Gaelic/Irish | Anglicized form of Muadhnait | Noble One | Monah, Monna, Monya | Female |
| Greek | Monos (μονος) | Solitary, One | Female | |
| Ancient Italian | Contraction of the title Madonna | My lady | Female | |
| Miwok | Gathered of the seed of a jimson weed. | Male and Female | ||
| Nepalese | Bud | Muna | Female | |
| Old English | Moon | Female | ||
| Persian | An adjective for God, derives from Mana, means who lasts forever | Female | ||
| Scottish | Female form of Tormod, derived from Norman | Northman, Viking [2] | Female | |
| Sanskrit | Alone,unique | Female | ||
| Teutonic | Loner | Female |
In northern Europe, where the name is much more popular, Mona is interpreted as a diminutive of Monika or, rarely, of Ramona or Simona. It is sometimes associated with the title of Leonardo da Vinci's painting Mona Lisa, although in that context the word Mona is actually a title rather than a name. The word mona also means cute, monkey and doll in Spanish. In Sweden, Mona's name day is May 4.[3]
Mona was a relatively popular given name in the United States in the 1930s, 1950s and 1960s. The highest ranking it ever reached in the US was #230, in 1950.[4]
Notable people
- Mona Barthel (born 1990), German professional tennis player
- Mona Charen (born 1957), American columnist and political analyst
- Mona Ghoneim (born 1955), Egyptian composer
- Mona Grudt (born 1971), former Miss Universe from Norway
- Mona Hatoum (born 1952), British artist of Palestinian origin
- Mona Hofland (born 1929), Norwegian actress
- Mona Mahmudnizhad (1965-1983), Iranian teen executed for membership in the Bahá'í faith
- Mona Marshall (born 1947), American voice actress
- Mona Sahlin (born 1957), Swedish politician
- Mona Siddiqui (born 1963), British Muslim academic
- Mona Simpson (born 1957), American novelist of Syrian and German descent
- Mona von Bismarck (1897–1983) American socialite and fashion icon
- Mona Zaki, Egyptian actress
- Mona Gotz, Famous Romanian manager
- Mona Karim, Lebanese actress
Fictional characters
- Mona Bergeron, main character in the 1985 French film Vagabond (Sans Toit ni Loi)
- Mona Dearly, a character played by Bette Midler in the 2000 film Drowning Mona
- Mona Mayfair, in several novels by Anne Rice
- Mona McCluskey, main character in television sitcom of the same name
- Mona Aamons Monzano, in Kurt Vonnegut's novel Cat's Cradle
- Mona Parker, the main character from the animated television series Mona the Vampire and the book of the same name
- Mona Ramsey, from the Tales of the City books by Armistead Maupin
- Mona Robinson, mother of Angela Bower in the television series Who's the Boss?
- Mona Sax, in the Max Payne franchise
- Mona Simpson (The Simpsons), Homer Simpson's estranged mother
- Mona Stevens, in the novel Landfall: A Channel Story by Nevil Shute and the film adaptation
- Mona Vanderwaal, in the Pretty Little Liars novel series
- Mona, Ross Geller's girlfriend in the television series Friends, played by Bonnie Somerville
- Mona, a young prostitute in the novel Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson
- Mona from the WarioWare series of video games
Nickname
- Maria Mona Keijzer (born 1968), Dutch politician
- Monica Mona Mårtenson (1902-1956), Swedish film actress
- Simeona Mona Pasquil (born 1962), American politician
Surname
As a surname, Mona can have two origins. In Italian and Greek, it is a feminine form of Moni which is a short form of Simone, the Italian form of Simon. In arabic countries, it is derived from the given name Muna, meaning " unreachable wishes". It is the plural form of the word Munia (مـُـنيه).[5]
Notable people with the surname include:
- Domenico Mona (1550-1602), Italian late-Renaissance painter
- István Móna (1940-2010), Hungarian modern pentathlete and Olympic champion
- Khwezi Mona (born 1992), South African rugby union player
See also
References
- ↑ "Mona". Behind the Name. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ↑ "Tormod - Meaning of the name". Babynamespedia.com. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ↑ "Name days for Mona". Behind the Name. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ↑ "Popularity for Mona". Behind the Name. Retrieved 18 December 2011.
- ↑ "The Mona Surname". Ancestry.com. Retrieved 18 December 2011.