Baby Name of the Day: Luna

This moon goddess name has risen to the top of the popularity charts.

Thanks to Allison for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.

WHAT DOES THE NAME LUNA MEAN?

Ancient Romans considered Luna the name of the Roman goddess of the moon. She’s often shown driving a chariot through the night sky.

Sometimes other goddesses, like Diana and Juno, were called Luna; at other times it’s clear that Luna was separate.

Her names comes from the Latin word for moon. But Luna also shares roots with the Latin word for light, making it a cousin to lux and lumen. 

And our words lunar and lunacy come from the same origins. As goddess names go, it’s one of the most easily understood.

That’s especially true, as Luna is simply the Spanish word for moon, too.

In Greek mythology, the goddess is called Selene. Greek goddess of the hunt Artemis is also associated with the moon, just like Diana in ancient Roman mythology.

It’s not just the Greek and Romans, either. Various cultures feature the moon in their legends and folklore. A celestial association lends a little bit of mystery and romance to this name across many traditions.

VINTAGE GEM

Some names from Greek and Roman mythology were seldom heard in American English until recent years.

That’s not the case with the baby name Luna.

In fact, it qualifies as a vintage revival. Back in the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, Luna regularly ranked in the US Top 1000, charting as recently as 1921.

LUNA PARK

Another vintage reference: Luna Park, opened at New York’s Coney Island in 1903.

Entrepreneurs Elmer Dundy and Frederic Thompson opened the amusement park. Some say the name was borrowed from Dundy’s sister, or possibly it was inspired by one of their flagship rides, A Trip to the Moon. 

Dozens of other parks borrowed the name, from Melbourne to Moscow, and across the US, too.

A fire destroyed the original park in the 1940s, but it was rebuilt and re-opened in 2010. You can still ride roller coasters and carousels there today.

LUNA LOVEGOOD

By the 1980s, the baby name Luna had become quite rare as a girl’s name, given to just a handful of children each year.

But then … magic.

In 1997, the world met Harry Potter. The orphaned boy wizard with a tragic backstory and a heavy destiny began his studies at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, and the world went with him. By the early 2000s, it was a global sensation.

In 2003, the fifth book in the Harry Potter series, The Order of the Phoenix, introduced us to a fellow student, Luna Lovegood.

At first, she more than earns her nickname – Looney – thanks to a love of conspiracy theories and unconventional fashion accessories. But she ends up quite heroic by the series’ end.

The name re-entered the US Top 1000 the same year The Order of the Phoenix was published. Actress Evanna Lynch played the role.

When the movie adaptation followed in 2007, the baby name Luna reached the Top 500.

POP CULTURE TAKES OVER

Around the same time, a different supernatural series was about to put the spotlight on Luna.

Charlaine Harris’ Southern Vampire Mysteries were bestsellers well before HBO adapted the story of telepathic waitress Sookie Stackhouse, her vampire love interest, and the whole world they inhabit.

It includes weres and shapeshifters. One of them? Luna Garza. She’s a skinwalker – someone who can shapeshift into any animal or person. She’s introduced in a 2002 novel, and debuts on the television series during the fourth season, in 2011.

While Luna wasn’t a major character, True Blood was a big hit. 2011 led to a big jump in the use of Luna, suggesting that the one-two punch of Lovegood and Garza deserves credit for putting Luna on the list of fast-rising baby girl names.

MORE POP CULTURE LUNAS

Fans of My Little Pony might think of Princess Luna, the villain from My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic. (Or at least she’s the villain until they all make up and live happily ever after.) The series ran from 2010 through 2019.

South Korean singer Park Sun-young is known as Luna professionally.

And actor Luna Blaise has appeared in Manifest and Fresh Off the Boat.

Celebrities have given this name to their daughters. Uma Thurman and Arpad Busson welcomed Rosalind Arusha Arkadina Altalune Florence in 2012. They shorten her many-syllables name to Luna.

Penelope Cruz and Javier Bardem gave the name to their daughter Luna in 2013. Chrissy Teigen and John Legend also chose the name in 2016.

SURNAME NAME

The baby name Luna also appears as a surname name, worn by famous people like actor Diego Luna. The Mexican actor is best known for portraying Cassian Andor in Rogue One in 2016, as well as the spin-off series on Disney Plus.

The surname shares the exact same roots as the given name Luna. In this case, though, it’s typically from the map. Luna in Aragon, Spain – but also Italy, India, the Philippines, and throughout the United States.

De Luna is also seen as a last name.

HOW POPULAR IS THE NAME LUNA?

None of the high profile birth announcements really fueled the name’s rise, though.

Instead, the baby name Luna returned to the US Top 1000 in 2003. It peaked at #10 in 2022/2023, and still ranks #13 as of 2024.

Some credit goes to Luna Lovegood, but there’s also:

• Our love of Stella and other night sky names. In recent decades, it’s become a significant trend. Luna, like Stella, is Latin. But other choices in this category include Aurora and Orion. 
• Nature names in general are having a moment, from Hazel to Violet to River. 
• We love a good ancient name, like Penelope.

These trends aren’t strictly American, either. Luna has enjoyed a bump in popularity across English-speaking countries, including Australia and the United Kingdom. But it’s also fared well in Europe, ranking in the Top 100 in Spain and the Netherlands, Belgium and Slovenia.

Also noteworthy: Luna has become popular for pets. But just because it’s the perfect name for someone else’s four-legged friend doesn’t take anything away from this name’s appeal for a daughter.

LULU NAMES

Another factor in the rise of the baby name Luna?

We’re wild about Lucy and Lucia, Louisa and Louise and Louis, Luke and Luca, and more Lou/Lue names. 

Variations of Luna do exist, like the French Lunette and Italian Lunetta, both of which could mean something like “little Luna.” None of these are particularly well-used in the US, but other Lu- names do feel quite current. 

SHINING + MAGICAL

In other words? The baby name Luna fits into so many trends.

It’s an English-Spanish crossover choice, the pronunciation easy in both languages. 

The symbol of light appeals to many parents, as does nature names. Speaking of baby name inspiration, we love mythology and legend. It’s a textbook Wizarding World name, combining all of those trends.

No surprise the name Luna has enjoyed significant popularity in recent years. 

In fact, an earlier version of this post read, ” … this celestial appellation is a stylish choice for parents in 2014. The only question is how popular (Luna) will become.”

The answer seems to be more popular than anyone might’ve guessed just a few short years ago.

What do you think of the baby name Luna?

Originally published on July 14, 2008, the post was revised substantially revised and re-posted on January 13, 2014; May 1, 2019; May 25, 2022; and June 3, 2025.