40 Baby Names That Mean Moon

Evidence-based, parent-tested. References guidelines from the AAP, CDC, and WHO.

Informational only, not medical advice. Always consult your pediatrician about your baby's specific needs.

Luna has been one of the fastest-rising girl names of the past decade, and it has sent many parents looking for other names with the same meaning. There are plenty, because nearly every language has used its word for the moon as a name.

This list has 40 names that mean moon, moonlight, full moon, or crescent, along with the moon gods and goddesses whose names are still in use. Each entry has its origin and a pronunciation guide.

📌 Key Takeaway: If you love Luna but want something less common, look at the same word in other languages: Mahina (Hawaiian), Marama (Maori), Aylin (Turkish), Lusine (Armenian), and Chandra (Sanskrit) all mean moon. Arabic is unusually precise, with separate names for the moon (Qamar), the full moon (Badr), and the crescent (Hilal). To complete the sky, see names meaning sun and names meaning star.

40 Baby Names That Mean Moon

Girl Names That Mean Moon

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning	Say it
Luna	Girl	Latin	”Moon”; the Roman goddess of the moon	LOO-nuh
Selene	Girl	Greek	”Moon”; the Greek goddess of the moon	seh-LEE-nee
Selena	Girl	Greek, via Latin	Form of Selene	seh-LEE-nuh
Artemis	Girl	Greek	The goddess of the hunt and the moon; the meaning of the name is unknown	AR-teh-mis
Diana	Girl	Latin	”Divine”; the Roman goddess of the hunt and the moon	dye-AN-uh
Cynthia	Girl	Greek	”From Mount Cynthus”; a title of Artemis	SIN-thee-uh
Aylin	Girl	Turkish	”Moon halo”	eye-LEEN
Ayla	Girl	Turkish	”Moonlight, halo”	EYE-lah
Aysel	Girl	Turkish / Azerbaijani	”Moon stream”	eye-SEL
Mahina	Girl	Hawaiian	”Moon”	mah-HEE-nah
Marama	Girl	Maori	”Moon”	MAH-rah-mah
Purnima	Girl	Sanskrit	”Full moon”	POOR-nee-mah
Mahtab	Girl	Persian	”Moonlight”	mah-TAHB
Mizuki	Girl	Japanese	Often written 美月, “beautiful moon”	mee-zoo-kee
Tsukiko	Girl	Japanese	Written 月子, “moon child”	tsoo-kee-koh
Yue	Girl	Chinese	When written 月, “moon”	YWEH
Nguyệt	Girl	Vietnamese	”Moon”	NGWEE-et
Hằng	Girl	Vietnamese	From Hằng Nga, the moon goddess	HAHNG
Lusine	Girl	Armenian	From lusin, “moon”	loo-SEE-neh
Levana	Girl	Hebrew	”Moon”; literally “the white one”	leh-vah-NAH

Boy Names That Mean Moon

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning	Say it
Badr	Boy	Arabic	”Full moon”	BAH-der
Hilal	Boy	Arabic	”Crescent moon”	hee-LAHL
Rakesh	Boy	Sanskrit	”Lord of the full-moon night”	rah-KAYSH
Shashank	Boy	Sanskrit	”Moon”; literally “marked with a hare”	shuh-SHAHNK
Chandran	Boy	Tamil / Malayalam	Form of Chandra, “moon”	CHUN-drun
Aibek	Boy	Kazakh / Kyrgyz	”Moon” + “lord”	eye-BEK
Aydin	Boy	Turkish	”Bright, enlightened”; from ay, “moon”	eye-DIN
Koray	Boy	Turkish	”Ember moon”	ko-RYE
Mani	Boy	Old Norse	The moon, personified as a god in Norse myth	MAH-nee
Khonsu	Boy	Egyptian	”Traveler”; the Egyptian god of the moon	KON-soo
Iah	Boy	Egyptian	”Moon”; an Egyptian moon god	EE-ah
Jericho	Boy	Hebrew	A place name, possibly “city of the moon”	JER-ih-ko

Unisex Names That Mean Moon

Name	Gender	Origin	Meaning	Say it
Chandra	Unisex	Sanskrit	”Moon”; the Hindu moon god	CHUN-druh
Qamar	Unisex	Arabic	”Moon”	KAH-mar
Shashi	Unisex	Sanskrit	”Moon”	SHUH-shee
Soma	Unisex	Sanskrit	A name of the moon and its god	SO-mah
Chan	Unisex	Thai	”Moon”	JAHN
Bulan	Unisex	Indonesian / Malay	”Moon”	BOO-lahn
Meztli	Unisex	Nahuatl	”Moon”	MESS-tlee
Ilargi	Unisex	Basque	”Moon”	ee-LAR-gee

For more options that work for any child, see our gender-neutral baby names.

How to Choose a Moon Name

If you like Luna, check how common it is where you live. Luna has been near the top of the charts in many countries. That is not a reason to avoid it, but your daughter may well share it with a classmate. Selene, Mahina, and Aylin give you the same meaning with far fewer of them around.

Decide between the word and the goddess. Luna, Mahina, and Qamar are simply the word for moon. Artemis, Diana, and Cynthia are names of a goddess associated with the moon, and their literal meanings are something else.

Check names written in characters. Mizuki and Yue only mean moon when written with the character 月. The same sounds can be written with other characters that mean something entirely different. Our Japanese baby names and Chinese baby names guides explain how this works.

Consider a sun and moon pair for twins or siblings. Sol and Luna, Helios and Selene, and Ravi and Chandra match in meaning without sounding alike. See our twin baby name pairs.

You can try first and middle name combinations in our Baby Name Generator.

FAQ

What girl name means moon?

Luna is Latin for moon and Selene is Greek. Mahina means moon in Hawaiian, Marama in Maori, and Lusine comes from the Armenian word for moon. Aylin is a Turkish name meaning moon halo.

What boy name means moon?

Badr means full moon and Hilal means crescent moon in Arabic. Rakesh and Shashank are Sanskrit names for the moon, and Aibek combines the Turkic word for moon with a word meaning lord.

What names are similar to Luna?

Selene and Selena share the meaning and a similar sound. Mahina, Marama, Aylin, and Ayla are other short names that mean moon or moonlight.

What name means moonlight?

Mahtab means moonlight in Persian, and Ayla is a Turkish name meaning moonlight or halo.

Sources

Behind the Name. Name etymologies and histories.
Oxford University Press. A Dictionary of First Names (Hanks, Hardcastle, and Hodges).
U.S. Social Security Administration. Popular Baby Names.

Medical Disclaimer: This article is for informational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult your pediatrician or healthcare provider with any questions about your baby's health.

Written by

Vega Lin

Founder & Editor — Mother of 2 (Taiwan)

Vega writes Baby Care Guide from the intersection of evidence-based research (AAP, CDC, WHO) and real parenting experience. Holds a Master's in Digital Innovation from Tunghai University. Read more →