The moon, our closest neighbor in outer space, has captured the human imagination for millennia. The silvery celestial orb has inspired everyone from poets to painters to Pink Floyd, and now, it's serving as a source of inspiration for stargazing baby namers.
If you're looking for a moon-themed name for a baby girl or a baby boy, you're on the right orbit! Below, you'll find 24 intriguing baby name ideas, all with lunar associations. Some of the moon-inspired names listed below, such as Luna, Lua, Chandra, Mona and Qamar, literally mean the "moon". Others take their inspiration from more distant moons in our solar system, such as those orbiting Saturn or Uranus. And still others derive their lunar connotations from mythology, or more precisely, from the names of ancient gods and goddesses associated with the moon. Happy exploring!
If you like the name Luna, check out our page Meaning of the Name Luna, where you can also grab a copy of this cute printable.For parents looking for a baby name that means "moon", Luna is probably the most obvious choice. In addition to being a hugely popular girl's name and the name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna is the Latin, Spanish and Italian word for "moon". If you're worried about Luna's popularity but love the way it sounds, we also have a list of names similar to Luna, many of which also carry celestial associations.
Another way to deal with Luna's popularity (if that's a problem for you) is to drop the "N". If you're looking for a girl name that literally means "moon", Lua is just as good a candidate as Luna, being the Portuguese word for "moon". As a baby name, Lua is not exactly popular, but it's also not unheard of.
Of course, you can also cut to the chase and go with just Moon. Virtually unheard of as a baby name before the turn of the twenty first century, this unisex name has been bestowed on hundreds of American babies since then. Way to go, Moon!
If Moon feels a little too daring, how about Mona? This old-fashioned M-beginning girl name claims multiple origins and meanings from across the world, but what you want to know is that in Old English, it meant "moon".
To the uninitiated, it may seem like a twist on the popular 1940s' girl name Sandra, but those familiar with Hinduism may recognize Chandra as the Hindu god of the moon. And, Chandra is also the Sanskrit word for the moon.
Qamar, or Kamar, is a unisex name that means "moon" in Arabic. If you're looking for a baby name with a solid lunar meaning, but want something more unique and exotic than Luna (or are expecting a boy), Qamar could be an option. The spinoff Kamari is also in circulation.
Related to the Greek word hēlios, meaning "sun", the classic Helen might appeal to those looking for baby names that mean sun. But if you add an "e" to the end, you'll get Helene, which is one of Saturn's moons.
This name counts as an animal-inspired girl name (there's a genus of ostrich-like birds called Rhea in South America) and a mythological name (via a Titan goddess called Rhea), but it also qualifies as a moon name, being the name of Saturn's second largest moon.
For some, Ariel the ultimate Disney princess name. For others, it's an A-beginning biblical boy name with deep Judeo-Christian roots. But Ariel also counts as a moon name – if you use Uranus as your frame of reference!
Another moon of Uranus, Miranda might appeal if you're looking for a celestial name but also want to throw in a nod to the greatest English poet and playwright of all time: not only did Shakespeare use this pretty girl's name in his play The Tempest, but he has also been credited with coining the name.
If you like Ava for its looks and Isla for its sound, Ayla might be the perfect name for your baby girl. A well-established name in Turkey and now also popular in English-speaking countries, the name Ayla means "the halo around the moon" in Turkish.
Reminiscent of the Irish-rooted Eileen, the exotic Aylin has Turkish roots, and like Ayla, it's related to the Turkish word ay, which means "moon".
A nickname for Dallas and a yummy Indian dish, Dal also makes for a surprising moon-related baby name: it means "moon" in Korean. Who knew?!
This moon-themed mini moniker takes its inspiration from Jupiter's highly-volcanic moon Io, discovered by Galileo in the seventeenth century. Virtually unheard of as a baby name in the past, Io has been used in small numbers since the turn of the twenty-first century.
While primarily known as the goddess of hunting, Artemis was also associated with the moon in Greek mythology. As a modern baby name, Artemis made its debut on the list of the Top US Girl Names in 2020.
Diana was the Roman equivalent of the Greek goddess Artemis. Like Artemis, she was associated with the moon, hunting, and wilderness. As a baby name, Diana belongs to the category of classic e-ending girl names that never completely fall out of favor.
Related to the Greek word for "moon", this pretty girl's name also has mythological connections as the name of the Greek goddess of the moon. In the US, the variation Selena has been quite popular, especially in the Latino community.
In ancient religions, deities often had several epithets. The name Cynthia was originally an epithet of the Greek goddess Artemis, but also the Greek Selene and the Roman Diana have been called Cynthia.
If Diana feels too boring, how about Dione? Though Dione also has some links to Greek mythology, it derives its celestial meaning from being one of Saturn's moons.
Pandora is also one of Saturn's moons, though for many people the first association is the Greek mythological character. And then there's the famous metaphor of Pandora's box, which has put a bit of a damper on the name, though there are signs that Pandora may finally be ready for wider use.
You don't have to be an astronomer to appreciate this pretty girl's name, but if you are into all things outer space, it doesn't hurt that Phoebe is also one of Saturn's moons.
This J-beginning Bible-inspired girl's name actually appears as a male name in Scripture, but to the contemporary English speaker, it sounds rather feminine. Of Hebrew origin, Jerah probably derives from the Hebrew word for "moon", though some scholars have suggested its origins might actually lie in the Hebrew word for "scent".
Want to pay homage to your Polish heritage? In West Slavic mythology, Devana (or Zevana) was the goddess of wild nature, forests, hunting and the moon. She has been thought of as the Slavic counterpart of the Greek goddess Artemis and the Roman goddess Diana.
Iah was a lunar deity in ancient Egyptian religion. Though he wasn't the only deity with lunar connections, we think he's the only one whose name could work on a modern baby (sorry, Thoth and Khonsu!). Also, Iah would probably be better suited for a girl than a boy in the modern American setting.