The moon is one of the oldest naming themes on earth, and almost every language has a word for it that has turned into a name. Luna and Selene are the famous pair, but the full list runs from Arabic and Persian to Hawaiian, Basque, Māori and Armenian.
This guide collects 40+ names that mean moon, each checked against its language of origin, for girls, boys and unisex use. Be careful with other lists: many mix up names that mean moon with names that are merely moon-themed. Samson means sun, Max means greatest, Celine means heavenly (not Selene), and names like Ophelia, Juliet and Bianca are moons of Uranus, not words for moon. We sort all of that out in a separate corrections table below. If you love Japanese styles, see our dedicated guide to Japanese names meaning moon.
Quick answer: the 12 best names that mean moon
| Name | Origin | Meaning | Why it works |
|---|---|---|---|
| Luna | Latin | Moon | The obvious classic – one of the most popular girl names in the US |
| Selene | Greek | Moon | The Greek moon goddess – elegant and less common than Luna |
| Chandra | Sanskrit | Shining, moon | The Hindu moon god – strong and unisex in spirit |
| Qamar | Arabic | Moon | Short, bold and used for any gender |
| Badr | Arabic | Full moon | A well-established boy name across the Arab world |
| Mahtab | Persian | Moonlight | Soft, lyrical and rare in the US |
| Ayla | Turkish | Moonlight, moon halo | Easy to say and increasingly popular in the US |
| Levana | Hebrew | White, moon | Rare, pretty and with two ancient roots |
| Metztli | Nahuatl | Moon | The Aztec moon deity – a striking, little-used pick |
| Marama | Māori | Moon, light | Warm and gender-neutral |
| Máni | Old Norse | Moon | The Norse moon god, chased across the sky by a wolf |
| Mahina | Hawaiian | Moon | Simple, musical and meaningful |
Girl names that mean moon
| Name | Origin | Meaning & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Luna | Latin | Moon; also the Roman moon goddess. See SSA baby name data for current US popularity |
| Selene | Greek | Moon; the Greek titan goddess who drove the moon across the sky. Selene on Wikipedia |
| Selena | English, Spanish | A later form of Selene, with the same meaning |
| Mene | Greek | The Greek word for moon and a lesser-known moon goddess |
| Levana | Hebrew | From levanah, “white” and “moon”. A Roman goddess of the same name has an unrelated Latin root |
| Neoma | Greek (disputed) | Popularly “new moon” from Greek neomenia, though it is also treated as a variant of Naomi, “pleasantness” |
| Ayla | Turkish | Moonlight or moon halo (ay, moon). Ayla also exists as an unrelated name in other languages |
| Aylin | Turkish | Moon halo, the ring seen around a bright moon |
| Aysel | Turkish | Moon flood (ay, moon + sel, flood) |
| Badriya | Arabic | Like the full moon – the feminine of Badr |
| Mahtab | Persian | Moonlight (mah, moon + tab, glow) |
| Mahsa | Persian | Like the moon |
| Mahnoor | Persian, Urdu | Light of the moon (mah + noor, light) |
| Mahrukh | Persian, Urdu | Moon-faced – a classic compliment for beauty |
| Chandni | Hindi | Moonlight |
| Chandrika | Sanskrit | Moonlight |
| Lusine | Armenian | Moon (from lusin) |
| Hena | Albanian | Moon (from hënë) |
| Ilargi | Basque | Moon – used in the Basque Country |
| Mahina | Hawaiian | Moon |
| Marama | Māori | Moon; also “light” |
| Metztli | Nahuatl | Moon; the name of the Aztec moon deity |
| Nguyệt | Vietnamese | Moon (from the Chinese character 月) |
| Bulan | Malay, Indonesian | Moon |
| Yue | Mandarin Chinese | Moon when written 月 (yuè). Many other characters share the sound, so check which one is used |
| Kuutar | Finnish | The Finnish moon goddess, from kuu, moon |
Boy names that mean moon
Boy names that mean moon exist in real numbers – they just come from outside Europe, where the moon was often a male god. Every name here is checked.
| Name | Origin | Meaning & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Qamar | Arabic | Moon. Used for boys and also for girls |
| Badr | Arabic | Full moon |
| Hilal | Arabic, Turkish | Crescent, the new moon. Used for both genders in Turkey |
| Máni | Old Norse | Moon; in Norse myth the moon is a male god who drives his chariot ahead of a pursuing wolf (see our names that mean wolf) |
| Chandra | Sanskrit | Shining, moon; the Hindu moon god |
| Soma | Sanskrit | Moon and moon god; also the name of a sacred ritual drink |
| Shashi | Sanskrit | Moon, literally “having a hare” after the hare seen on the moon. Used for boys and girls |
| Sudhanshu | Sanskrit | Moon, literally “one whose rays are nectar” |
| Mrigank | Sanskrit | Moon, literally “marked with a deer” |
| Ayhan | Turkish | Lord moon (ay, moon + han, lord) |
| Aybars | Turkish | Begins with ay, moon; the meaning of the second element is disputed |
| Dawa | Tibetan | Moon, and also the word for Monday. A common name for a child born on a Monday |
Unisex names that mean moon
| Name | Origin | Meaning & notes |
|---|---|---|
| Indu | Sanskrit | Moon, also “bright drop” |
| Mah | Persian | Moon – the root of dozens of Persian names |
| Tsuki | Japanese | Moon (月). See our Japanese moon names for the full set |
| Qamar | Arabic | Moon |
| Shashi | Sanskrit | Moon |
| Marama | Māori | Moon, light |
| Mahina | Hawaiian | Moon |
The word for moon in 20 languages
The easiest way to find a real moon name is to start from the word itself. These are the words most commonly turned into names.
| Language | Word for moon | Names built on it |
|---|---|---|
| Latin | luna | Luna |
| Greek | selene, mene | Selene, Selena, Mene |
| Hebrew | levanah | Levana |
| Arabic | qamar; badr (full); hilal (crescent) | Qamar, Badr, Hilal, Badriya |
| Persian | mah | Mah, Mahtab, Mahsa, Mahnoor, Mahrukh |
| Turkish | ay | Ayla, Aylin, Aysel, Ayhan, Aybars |
| Sanskrit | chandra, indu, shashi, soma | Chandra, Chandni, Chandrika, Indu, Shashi, Soma |
| Mandarin | yuè (月) | Yue |
| Japanese | tsuki (月) | Tsuki, Tsukiko, Mitsuki |
| Vietnamese | nguyệt (from 月), trăng | Nguyệt |
| Malay, Indonesian | bulan | Bulan |
| Tibetan | dawa | Dawa |
| Hawaiian | mahina | Mahina |
| Māori | marama | Marama |
| Nahuatl | metztli | Metztli |
| Quechua | killa (quilla) | Mama Quilla, the Inca moon goddess |
| Armenian | lusin | Lusine |
| Albanian | hënë | Hena |
| Basque | ilargi | Ilargi |
| Old Norse | máni | Máni |
| Finnish | kuu | Kuutar |
Moon gods and goddesses around the world
Mythology is where moon names get their drama. Not every deity name means moon, so the third column says which do and which do not.
| Name | Tradition | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Selene | Greek | Titan goddess of the moon; her name is the Greek word for moon |
| Luna | Roman | Roman moon goddess; her name is the Latin word for moon |
| Chandra | Hindu | Moon god; the name means shining or moon. Chandra on Wikipedia |
| Soma | Hindu | Moon god and also a sacred drink in the Vedas |
| Máni | Norse | Moon personified; a male god whose chariot is chased across the sky by a wolf |
| Khonsu | Egyptian | Moon god; his name means “traveller”, for the moon crossing the sky – the name itself does not mean moon |
| Thoth | Egyptian | God of writing, wisdom and the moon; the origin of his name is uncertain |
| Sin (Nanna) | Mesopotamian | Moon god worshipped in Ur; Nanna is the Sumerian name, Sin the Akkadian |
| Chang’e | Chinese | Moon goddess of the Mid-Autumn Festival legend |
| Mama Quilla | Inca | Mother moon; quilla means moon in Quechua |
| Metztli | Aztec | The moon deity; the name is the Nahuatl word for moon |
| Tsukuyomi | Shinto | Japanese moon god; see our Japanese moon names guide |
21 names wrongly listed as moon names
This is where most “names that mean moon” lists go wrong. These names appear on them often, but none of them is a word for moon. Many are the names of moons of other planets (Saturn, Uranus), a different kind of connection. Some are goddess names tied to the moon by myth, not meaning. Pick them for their charm, not for a meaning they do not have. See the full list of natural satellites.
| Name | Why it shows up on moon lists | What it actually means |
|---|---|---|
| Samson | Appears on some moon lists | Hebrew Shimshon, from shemesh, “sun” – the opposite luminary |
| Max | Appears on some moon lists | Short for Maximus or Maximilian, “greatest” |
| Celine | Sounds like Selene | French form of Latin Caelina, “heavenly” – not a form of Selene |
| Tatiana | Sometimes cited as a moon name | From the Roman family name Tatius; meaning uncertain |
| Tariq | Appears on some moon lists | Arabic for morning star or one who comes at night |
| Phoebe | A Titaness, a title of the moon goddess and a moon of Saturn | Greek for “bright, radiant” |
| Artemis | Later linked to the moon | A goddess of the hunt whose name is of uncertain origin; Selene was the earlier moon goddess |
| Diana | Roman goddess linked to the moon | Latin, usually connected with “divine, heavenly” |
| Cynthia | A title of Artemis | “Of Mount Kynthos” in Greek |
| Atlas | A moon of Saturn | The Titan who holds up the sky; usually explained as “to bear, endure” |
| Titan | Saturn’s largest moon | The Greek race of giants |
| Apollo | The moon landings | A Greek god of the sun, music and light; origin uncertain |
| Ophelia | A moon of Uranus | Greek for “help, aid” |
| Juliet | A moon of Uranus | French form of Julia, from the Roman family name Julius |
| Bianca | A moon of Uranus | Italian for “white” |
| Cordelia | A moon of Uranus | Shakespeare’s heroine; the origin is uncertain |
| Ariel | A moon of Uranus | Hebrew for “lion of God” |
| Tycho | A large lunar crater | Latinized from the Danish Tyge, from Greek for “fortune” |
| Francisco | Appears on some moon lists | Spanish form of Francis, “Frenchman” |
| Lucian | Appears on some moon lists | From Latin lux, “light” |
| Clementina | Appears on some moon lists | Latin for “merciful” |
How to choose a moon name
Decide how literal you want to be. If you want a name that truly means moon, stay with the first set of tables. If you only want a lunar mood, the correction table above is full of beautiful moon-themed picks – just know the real meaning.
Check how it travels. Luna, Selene, Ayla and Mahina are easy for English speakers. Names like Ilargi, Metztli or Nguyệt need a line of pronunciation guidance, which many parents consider part of the charm.
Respect the culture behind the name. Chandra, Qamar and Marama carry religious and cultural meaning for the communities they come from. Choose them with understanding, and be ready to explain them.
Pair it with another element. Moon names go with night and light. See our names that mean night and boy names that mean light for matching middle names, or silver names for the colour of moonlight.
Our takes: the best moon name for every situation
For a baby girl: Selene or Ayla. Selene has all of Luna’s meaning without the crowd, and Ayla is easy and rising.
For a baby boy: Qamar or Badr. Both are real moon words, short and meaningful.
For any gender: Marama or Indu. Warm, simple and truly about the moon.
For a character: Máni, Metztli or Khonsu. Names with built-in mythology and very few other people using them.
FAQs about names that mean moon
What name means moon? Luna (Latin) and Selene (Greek) are the best known. Qamar (Arabic), Chandra (Sanskrit), Marama (Māori), Mahina (Hawaiian) and Mah (Persian) are real moon words from other languages.
What boy names mean moon? Qamar, Badr, Hilal, Máni, Chandra, Soma and Ayhan are verified boy names with moon meanings. Many popular lists pad their boy section with names that do not mean moon at all.
Does Phoebe mean moon? No. Phoebe is Greek for “bright, radiant”. It is linked to the moon because Phoebe was a title of the moon goddess and is also the name of a moon of Saturn.
Does Samson mean moon? No – it comes from the Hebrew word for sun. If you want a sun name, see our guide to names that mean light.
Is Celine a form of Selene? It sounds like one, but it comes from the Latin Caelina, meaning “heavenly”. Selene is separate and does mean moon.
What is the most unique name that means moon? Ilargi (Basque), Lusine (Armenian), Metztli (Nahuatl), Marama (Māori) and Máni (Old Norse) are real moon names that almost no one else will have.
Is Luna still a popular name? Luna has been one of the most popular US girl names in recent years. Check the SSA baby names site for the latest rank.
What is a Japanese name that means moon? Tsukiko, Mitsuki and Tsuki are the classics. See our full guide to Japanese names meaning moon, with kanji for each.
More names to explore
The moon belongs to a bigger family of sky and nature names:
- Japanese Names Meaning Moon – kanji, lunar months and moon myths from Japan
- Names That Mean Night – the dark the moon lights up
- Boy Names That Mean Light – sunlight and moonlight together
- Names That Mean Dark – the new moon side of the sky
- Names That Mean Shadow – what the moon throws across the ground
- Names That Mean Cold – the chill of a clear night
- Names That Mean Ice – frost under the moon
- Names That Mean Storm – when the moon hides
- Names That Mean Blessing – for a baby born under a lucky moon
- Silver Names – the colour of moonlight
- Browse every meaning on the Name Meanings hub
Noah Callister is the founder of Naimez.com — a names resource he built after spending three frustrating weeks searching for a reliable name for his nephew. He covers everything from baby names to team names, with accuracy as the only standard that matters.