Monroe
Monroe was the 467th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 658 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 254 places. More babies were named Monroe in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning Meaning disputed · Scottish Gaelic
Say it mun-ROH /mənˈroʊ/
- Rank in 2025
- #467 girls, up 74 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 658girls
- Girls and boys
- 79% girls, 21% boys2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2025658 babies
- Total since 1880
- 24,360babies recorded
What does the name Monroe mean?
Monroe is a Scottish surname, also spelled Munro. Its origin is disputed: Wiktionary records a Gaelic meaning "foot of a hill" and a traditional derivation "man from the River Roe" in Ireland, while Harrison (1918) proposed Gaelic words for "red marsh". President James Monroe and actress Marilyn Monroe made it famous; it is used as a first name for girls and boys.
How sure is this? Disputed. Several conflicting explanations of the Gaelic surname.
Related names: Munro, Munroe, Roe.
See also: Scottish names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Monroe', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Henry Harrison, Surnames of the United Kingdom: A Concise Etymological Dictionary, vol. 2 (1918), s.v. 'MONROE', Morland Press (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- Dictionary.com Unabridged (based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary), with Collins English Dictionary, s.v. 'Monroe', Dictionary.com / Random House / HarperCollins
- CMU Pronouncing Dictionary (cmudict), Carnegie Mellon University
Monroe popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (girls) | Rank (boys) | Babies (girls) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #467 | #1,262 | 658 | 157 |
| 2020 | #541 | #1,484 | 557 | 115 |
| 2010 | #2,112 | #3,057 | 94 | 38 |
| 2000 | #12,708 | #2,901 | 7 | 31 |
| 1990 | — | #2,002 | — | 38 |
| 1980 | — | #1,533 | — | 40 |
| 1970 | — | #965 | — | 70 |
| 1960 | — | #889 | — | 74 |
| 1950 | — | #615 | — | 125 |
| 1940 | — | #413 | — | 197 |
| 1930 | — | #351 | — | 261 |
| 1920 | — | #300 | — | 359 |
| 1910 | — | #277 | — | 78 |
| 1900 | — | #207 | — | 89 |
| 1890 | — | #228 | — | 53 |
| 1880 | — | #224 | — | 53 |
How popular is Monroe, counting every spelling?
Monroe has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #483 for girls in 2025, against #467 on the official list, because Jazlyn/Jazlynn/Jazzlyn and Arlette/Arlet/Arlett and Camryn/Kamryn/Kamrynn move ahead once their spellings are combined.
How many kids will share the name Monroe?
658 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Monroe (0.18 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Monroe born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 13 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Monroe.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Monroe?
About 7,200 people born in the US named Monroe are alive today, with a median age of 7; half are between 4 and 11. That makes Monroe a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Monroe by state
How common Monroe was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Utah (5.3×), Nebraska (3.6×), Idaho (2.9×), Kansas (2.7×), Iowa (2.3×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in New Jersey, Connecticut, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Monroe: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Monroe, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Monroe · Sibling names for Monroe
Questions about the name Monroe
What does Monroe mean?
The meaning of Monroe is disputed: several conflicting explanations of the Gaelic surname.
How popular is the name Monroe?
Monroe was the 467th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 658 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 254 places. More babies were named Monroe in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Monroe a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, 79% girls, 21% boys given the name Monroe in the US.
Where is Monroe most popular?
In 2021–2025, Monroe was most common in Utah (1.91 per 1,000 girls), followed by Nebraska and Montana.