Names That Mean Moon
The moon has inspired names in almost every language on Earth — soft ones like Luna and Selene, strong ones like the Arabic Badr (“full moon”), and poetic ones like the Persian Mahtab (“moonlight”). This list gathers more than 95 names that genuinely mean moon, moonlight, full moon or crescent, sorted into girl, boy and unisex names, plus the moon gods and goddesses behind many of them.
Lunar names pair beautifully with the rest of the night sky: browse our names that mean star, names that mean night and constellation names for matching sibling or twin names.
Girl names that mean moon
Luna has become a modern classic in the US, but there are lovely alternatives from around the world. For more celestial options, see our star names and nature names for girls.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Luna | “Moon” | Latin |
| Selene | “Moon”; the Greek moon goddess | Greek |
| Selena | Spanish and English form of Selene | Greek |
| Levana | “Moon” or “white” | Hebrew |
| Lusine | “Moon” | Armenian |
| Mahina | “Moon” | Hawaiian |
| Marama | “Moon; light” | Māori |
| Killa | “Moon” (also spelled Quilla) | Quechua |
| Ilargi | “Moon” | Basque |
| Kamaria | “Like the moon” | Swahili |
| Tsukiko | “Moon child” (月子) | Japanese |
| Mitsuki | “Beautiful moon” or “full moon,” depending on kanji | Japanese |
| Yue | “Moon” (月) | Chinese |
| Mingyue | “Bright moon” | Chinese |
| Indu | “Moon” | Sanskrit |
| Badria | “Like the full moon” | Arabic |
| Hala | “Halo around the moon” | Arabic |
| Mahsa | “Like the moon” | Persian |
| Mahin | “Of the moon, moonlike” | Persian |
| Mahrukh | “Moon-faced,” i.e., beautiful | Persian |
| Mahdokht | “Daughter of the moon” | Persian |
| Ayla | “Halo of light around the moon” | Turkish |
| Aylin | “Moon halo” | Turkish |
| Aysun | “Moonlike” | Turkish |
| Aizhan | “Moon soul” | Kazakh |
| Aisulu | “Moon beauty” | Kazakh |
| Aysima | “Moon-faced,” i.e., beautiful | Turkish |
| Ayten | “Moon-skinned,” fair as the moon | Turkish |
| Mahvash | “Moonlike” | Persian |
| Mahpari | “Moon fairy” | Persian |
| Chandramukhi | “Moon-faced” | Sanskrit |
| Chandrima | “Moon” | Bengali |
| Yueying | “Moon’s reflection” (月影) | Chinese |
Boy names that mean moon
In Arabic, Sanskrit and Turkic languages the moon is often a masculine symbol of beauty and calm, so there are more boy moon names than you might expect.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Badr | “Full moon” | Arabic |
| Hilal | “Crescent moon” | Arabic / Turkish |
| Ayhan | “Moon khan,” i.e., moon ruler | Turkish |
| Aytaç | “Moon crown” | Turkish |
| Aybek | “Moon lord” | Kazakh / Kyrgyz |
| Mahyar | “Friend of the moon” | Persian |
| Mayank | “Moon” | Sanskrit |
| Shashank | “Moon,” literally “marked with a hare” | Sanskrit |
| Himanshu | “Moon,” literally “cool-rayed” | Sanskrit |
| Sudhanshu | “Moon,” literally “nectar-rayed” | Sanskrit |
| Rakesh | “Lord of the full-moon night,” the moon | Sanskrit |
| Somnath | “Lord of the moon” | Sanskrit |
| Soma | “Moon; sacred nectar” | Sanskrit |
| Nishakar | “Maker of the night,” the moon | Sanskrit |
| Rajnikant | “Lord of the night,” the moon | Sanskrit |
| Chandran | “Moon” | Tamil |
| Chandresh | “Lord of the moon” | Sanskrit |
| Chandrakant | “Beloved of the moon”; also moonstone | Sanskrit |
| Shashi | “Moon” | Sanskrit |
| Qamaruddin | “Moon of the faith” | Arabic |
| Jericho | Possibly “moon city” (from Hebrew yareach, “moon”) | Hebrew |
Unisex names that mean moon
Moon names that work for any child. Find more options on our unisex names list.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Chandra | “Moon” | Sanskrit |
| Qamar | “Moon” | Arabic |
| Mizuki | Often written 美月, “beautiful moon” | Japanese |
| Tsuki | “Moon” (月) | Japanese |
| Jaci | “Moon” (also Jacy) | Tupi-Guarani |
| Mwezi | “Moon” | Swahili |
| Oydin | “Moonlit, bright” | Uzbek |
| Mahtab | “Moonlight” | Persian |
Names that mean moonlight, full moon or crescent
For a softer image, these names describe the moon’s glow or a particular phase.
| Name | Meaning | Origin |
|---|---|---|
| Chandni | “Moonlight” | Hindi |
| Chandrika | “Moonlight” | Sanskrit |
| Kaumudi | “Moonlight” | Sanskrit |
| Jyotsna | “Moonlight” | Sanskrit |
| Purnima | “Full moon” | Sanskrit |
| Aynur | “Moonlight” | Turkish |
| Nuray | “Bright moon” | Turkish |
| Mehtap | “Moonlight” | Turkish, from Persian |
| Aysel | “Moon flood,” i.e., a flood of moonlight | Turkish |
| Mahnoor | “Light of the moon” | Persian / Urdu |
Moon gods and goddesses
Many cultures personified the moon. These names carry a lunar meaning through mythology rather than direct translation — and make striking choices for characters and pets. See also our goddess names and Greek god names.
| Name | Moon connection | Culture |
|---|---|---|
| Artemis | Goddess of the hunt, later identified with the moon | Greek |
| Diana | Roman goddess of the hunt and the moon | Roman |
| Phoebe | “Bright”; a Titan and a poetic name for the moon | Greek |
| Cynthia | Epithet of Artemis as moon goddess, from Mount Kynthos | Greek |
| Hecate | Goddess of magic, often linked with the moon | Greek |
| Mene | Greek word for “moon,” personified as a goddess | Greek |
| Chang’e | Goddess who lives on the moon | Chinese |
| Tsukuyomi | God of the moon | Japanese |
| Máni | Personified moon, brother of the sun Sól | Norse |
| Khonsu | God of the moon; name means “traveler” | Egyptian |
| Thoth | God of wisdom, strongly linked with the moon | Egyptian |
| Nanna | Sumerian moon god, called Sin in Akkadian | Mesopotamian |
| Mama Killa | “Mother Moon,” goddess of the Inca | Inca |
| Coyolxauhqui | Goddess whose severed head became the moon | Aztec |
| Metztli | “Moon”; the moon deity | Aztec (Nahuatl) |
| Hina | Goddess associated with the moon | Polynesian |
| Ixchel | Goddess often linked with the moon, weaving and childbirth | Maya |
| Yarikh | God of the moon | Canaanite |
| Arianrhod | “Silver wheel”; goddess often linked with the moon | Welsh |
Moon word names
English words used as names, especially in creative and bohemian families. For more like these, see hippie girl names.
| Name | Moon link | Vibe |
|---|---|---|
| Moon | The moon itself | Bold, artistic |
| Crescent | The waxing or waning sliver | Soft, unusual |
| Eclipse | When the moon hides the sun | Dramatic, great for pets |
| Moonbeam | A ray of moonlight | Whimsical, 1970s |
| Lunar | “Of the moon” | Modern, sci-fi |
| Harvest | The harvest moon of early fall | Earthy, seasonal |
How to choose a moon name
- Look beyond Luna. Luna is now very popular in the US; Levana, Mahina, Selene or Aylin give the same meaning with less overlap in the classroom.
- Check the kanji. Japanese names like Mizuki and Mitsuki only mean “moon” when written with 月. The same name in other characters can mean something else.
- Honor heritage. Moon names exist in Persian, Turkish, Sanskrit, Hawaiian and Quechua — a lovely way to reflect family roots. See also Persian names and Hawaiian names.
- Build a celestial sibling set. Pair a moon name with a sun or star name, such as Selene and Sol, or Luna and Orion — see our names that mean sun.
- Use the moon as a middle name. Luna, Selene and Mahina all flow well in the middle spot if you want a subtle nod.
Frequently asked questions
What name means moon?
Luna (Latin) and Selene (Greek) are the best-known names that mean moon. Others include Chandra (Sanskrit), Qamar (Arabic), Mahina (Hawaiian), Levana (Hebrew) and Tsuki (Japanese).
What boy name means moon?
Popular boy names that mean moon include Badr (“full moon”), Hilal (“crescent”), Mayank, Shashank, Chandran and Ayhan.
What name means moonlight?
Chandni, Chandrika and Jyotsna (Sanskrit/Hindi), Mahtab (Persian), Aynur and Mehtap (Turkish) all mean moonlight.
Is Luna a popular name?
Yes. Luna has been consistently among the more popular girl names in the US in recent years (SSA data) and is also a top pet name.
What name means full moon?
Badr (Arabic) and Purnima (Sanskrit) both mean full moon. Badria means “like the full moon.”