Luna
Meaning
"the moon," and the Roman goddess who drove its chariot across the night sky; centuries of use in Spanish- and Italian-speaking families, then a spectacular 2010s ascent across languages. The signature name of the celestial wave
The story
Luna is simply the moon: the Latin word itself, and the name of the Roman goddess said to drive her silver chariot across the night sky. For centuries it lived mostly as a word rather than a name, which is part of why it feels so fresh now, and it still reads as the moon across the Romance languages, from Rome to Mexico City to Sao Paulo. Its American life is young and steep: barely used for a century, it began climbing around the turn of the millennium and has hardly paused since. Harry Potter readers met the dreamy Luna Lovegood in 2003, and a string of famous babies followed, though the rise looks bigger than any single spark. However it happened, Luna is now one of the few names a child can point to on any clear night, a nightly reminder that the choice was right.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Luna peaked in the 2020s.
Popularity in Brazil
70,934 people · the #424 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 2,865 · median age 4
Among people named Luna living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2010s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 34,893 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Luna
Most people given the name Luna in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Luna deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Luna truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Luna fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Luna travels
Mexican American · one of the fastest-rising names in America, especially embraced in Mexican-American families
Global crossover · hugely popular across Italy and Spain and a fast-rising US top-10 name
Keep exploring
Names like Luna · Middle names for Luna · Global crossover names · Spanish baby names · Portuguese and Brazilian baby names · Mexican American baby names · Short names
Does Luna fit YOUR family?
nametree reads your family’s names and finds the ones that belong. Free, private, no ads.
Add Luna to your family’s tree →