Luna Name Meaning

Luna is most often seen as a girl name. Learn more about the meaning, origin, and popularity of the name Luna.

Fact checked by Karen Cilli

The name Luna means "moon" in Latin and several languages with Latin roots, including Spanish and Italian. In ancient Roman mythology, Luna was the moon goddess. Also referred to as Diana, she is often depicted in Roman art driving a white chariot drawn by horses or oxen.

The ancient Romans adapted their moon goddess from Selene, the moon goddess of the ancient Greeks. Her attributes are a crescent moon and a biga, the chariot she drives. It was said that each night at dusk, she shot an arrow full of stars across the night sky.

• Origin: The name Luna originates in Roman mythology and has Latin roots.

• Gender: Luna is frequently used as a girl's name, being a feminine noun in both Spanish and Italian. Luna is the name of a female goddess, making it more likely to be a namesake for baby girls. Although it is less common, Luna has been used as a boy's name as well.

• Pronunciation: LOO-nuh

Editor's Note

Although many baby names are separated by gender, Parents believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It’s important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best.

How Popular Is the Name Luna?

The name Luna has been steadily growing in popularity since 2003. In 2016 it reached the top 100 names and broke the top 20 in 2019 when it ranked number 16. With celestial names, nature-inspired names, and mythological references on the rise, it's likely to stay popular in the coming years.

Interestingly, Luna was a top 1,000 girl name in 1900 before nearly dropping off the list in the following decade. In 1922, it fell off the charts and did not appear again until its resurgence in 2003. In 2022, Luna was ranked the 10th most common name, its most popular year yet, with 8922 baby girls getting this celestial moniker.

Name Variations

Luna has several variations, none of which compare with its popularity. Lunette means "little moon" in French, as does Lunetta in Italian. Other variations of Luna include:

• Louna

• Lunara

• Luneth

• Lunetta

• Lunette

• Lunneta

Similar Names

Luna is not the only name that means moon. You have many other choices if you want to name your child after our planet's faithful satellite.

Take a look at these names that also mean moon:

• Amaris

• Artemis

• Chandra

• Cynthia

• Deva

• Diana

• Esmeray

• Indu

• Liviana

• Lua

• Lucine

• Lutana

• Mona

• Neoma

• Selena

Maybe you just love how the name Luna sounds. The two syllables of Luna drop off the tongue in a simple but oh-so-pretty sound. Mixing up the vowel sounds between the initial consonant sounds yields a similar impression.

Some options for names similar to Luna include:

• Lana

• Lena

• Lina

• Lona

• Luana

If you're an astronomy fan, you might want to name your baby after a planet, another moon, or something related to the starry sky. Other celestial names include:

• Comet

• Bianca

• Venus

• Janus

• Belinda

• Bianca

• Jupiter

• Pheobe

• Mars

• Cassiopeia

• Neptune

• Earth

• Ariel

• Estella

• Portia

• Tatiana

• Vega

• Seren

• Pandora

Common Nicknames for Luna

Luna is already a short and sweet name, but there a few adorable nicknames to choose from. Common nicknames for Luna include:

• Lou

• Lulu

• Una

Suggested Sibling Names

Luna pairs well with other celestial and nature-inspired names. Consider sibling names such as:

• Archer

• Asher

• Aurora

• Celeste

• Cyrus

• Daisy

• Dawn

• Fawn

• Noah

• River

• Finch

• Fletcher

• Ivy

• Leo

• Lupin

• Nova

• Oberon

• Orion

• Violet

• Poppy

• Samson

• Sky

• Stella

• Summer

• Walden

• Leaf

• Titan

Famous People Named Luna

Luna is most commonly used as a girl's name, but interestingly, one of the most famous people named Luna was a man: Luna Leopold, known for his call for a new philosophy of water management.

Famous people named Luna include:

• Luna Leopold, American geomorphologist, hydrologist, author, and professor known for his holistic approach to water management

• Luna Haruna, Japanese singer and fashion model from Tokyo known for her gothic-Lolita fashion aesthetic

• Luna Maya, Indonesian model, actress, singer, and 2020 host of Indonesia's "Next Top Model"

• Luna Mágica, Mexican female professional wrestler

• Luna Al-Masri, Jordanian footballer

• Luna Alcalay, Austrian pianist, music educator, and composer

• Luna Gevitz, Danish footballer

• Luna H. Mitani, Japanese-American artist known for his painting and pen-and-ink drawing

• Luna Schweiger, German child actress

• Luna Voce, Dutch-Italian model and beauty pageant titleholder who was crowned Miss Universo Italia 2013

• Luna Mijović, Bosnian actress

• Luna Simone Stephens, child social media star and daughter of celebrity couple model Chrissy Teigen and singer John Legend (whose real last name is Stephens)
  

More Baby Names

Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options:

• Top 1,000 Baby Girl Names

• 50 Constellation Baby Names
  

• 50 Nature Baby Names

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Read the original article on Parents.