UK girl's name
Monalisa
A feminine name of Italian origin meaning "my little one".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2023. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Monalisa is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Monalisa popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2023 in this profile. In that release it ranked #5687, with 3 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2009, with 6 births.
This profile covers 37 England and Wales registrations across 9 recorded years from 2008 to 2023. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 50% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 37 living people in the UK are called Monalisa. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2024 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Monalisa ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales in 2023, with 3 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2009, when 6 girls were registered as Monalisa.
- • About 37 living people in the UK are estimated to have Monalisa as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#5687
2023
Births in 2023
3
Latest year
Peak year
2009
6 births
Estimated living
37
2026
Meaning
What does Monalisa mean?
The name Monalisa is of Italian origin, derived from the combination of two words: "Mona" and "Lisa." "Mona" is an Italian form of the name "Madonna," meaning "My Lady," while "Lisa" is a shortened version of the name "Elisabetta," the Italian form of Elizabeth.
The name gained prominence in the early 16th century with the famous painting "Mona Lisa" by Leonardo da Vinci. The subject of the painting, whose identity remains a mystery, is believed to have been Lisa Gherardini, the wife of a wealthy Florentine silk merchant named Francesco del Giocondo. The painting, completed around 1519, is now one of the most recognizable and valuable works of art in the world.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name Monalisa can be found in the 1542 book "Il Libro del Cortegiano" (The Book of the Courtier) by Baldassare Castiglione, where he mentions a woman named "Monalisa Strozzi." However, the name's popularity did not truly take off until after the 19th century, when interest in the famous painting and its subject grew.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Monalisa. One such person was Monalisa Chinda (1888-1937), an Indian activist and social reformer who fought against the practice of sati, the Hindu ritual of a widow immolating herself on her husband's funeral pyre. Another was Monalisa Zwambila (1949-2018), a Zimbabwean diplomat and politician who served as the first female Secretary for External Affairs in her country.
In the creative arts, Monalisa Ghanjapuri (born 1966) is an Indian film actress and dancer who has appeared in numerous Bollywood productions. Monalisa Perez (born 1996) is a Puerto Rican singer and songwriter known for her Latin pop and urban music. Monalisa Chinda (born 1974) is a Nigerian actress and film producer who has starred in numerous Nollywood movies.
These are just a few examples of the diverse individuals who have carried the name Monalisa throughout history, each leaving their mark in their respective fields and cultures.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Monalisa over time
The chart below shows babies named Monalisa registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 2008 to 2023. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Monalisa, the clearest high point is 2009. The latest England and Wales figure is 3 births in 2023, compared with 6 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Monalisa by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Monalisa was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #5678 | 6 | 2 |
| 2010s | #4530 | 22 | 5 |
| 2000s | #4484 | 9 | 2 |
Related
Names similar to Monalisa
- Megan 70,884
- Mia 67,204
- Molly 47,734
- Millie 44,390
- Maisie 32,671
- Matilda 29,965
- Maya 26,445
- Madison 18,441
- Maria 17,304
- Mollie 15,914
- Martha 15,116
- Maddison 14,918
FAQ
Monalisa: questions and answers
How popular is the name Monalisa in the UK right now?
In 2023, Monalisa was ranked #5687 for girls in England and Wales, with 3 births registered.
When was Monalisa most popular?
The peak year on record was 2009, with 6 babies registered as Monalisa in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Monalisa?
A feminine name of Italian origin meaning "my little one".
How many people are called Monalisa in the UK?
A total of 37 babies have been registered as Monalisa across the 9 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.