300+ Boy Names That Mean Moon (with Meanings & Origins)

Boy names that mean moon have captured the hearts of parents worldwide, and it’s easy to see why. There’s something utterly magical about naming your little one after Earth’s most captivating celestial companion – that glowing orb that has inspired poets, lovers, and dreamers for millennia.

Picture this: Last summer, while camping under a spectacular full moon with my pregnant best friend Sarah, she confessed she was completely stumped on names. “I want something meaningful,” she said, “but not weird.”

As we watched the moon rise over the mountains, I started sharing moon names from different cultures, and her eyes lit up when I mentioned “Enzo” – a Japanese name meaning “circle,” often associated with the full moon. That moment sparked my deep dive into lunar naming traditions, and trust me, what I discovered will absolutely enchant you.

Here’s the thing – moon names aren’t just beautiful; they’re deeply symbolic. The moon represents cycles, renewal, mystery, and gentle strength. When you choose a name that means moon for your son, you’re giving him a connection to something timeless and universal.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll discover 300+ stunning boy names that mean moon, drawn from cultures across the globe, plus practical tips to help you choose the perfect celestial name for your little star.

Classic Moon Names from Ancient Traditions

These timeless names have graced boys for centuries, carrying the weight of history and the beauty of lunar symbolism:

• Apollo – Greek, “destroyer” (sun god often paired with lunar symbolism)
• Artemis – Greek, “safe” (moon goddess, sometimes used for boys)
• Aslan – Turkish, “lion of the moon”
• Badr – Arabic, “full moon”
• Chand – Hindi, “moon”
• Chandra – Sanskrit, “moon, shining”
• Crescent – Latin, “growing moon”
• Darian – Persian, “gift of the moon”
• Hilal – Arabic, “new moon”
• Iah – Egyptian, “moon god”
• Jericho – Hebrew, “moon city”
• Khonsu – Egyptian, “traveler” (moon god)
• Koray – Turkish, “ember moon”
• Lu – Chinese, “dew, moon”
• Lunar – Latin, “of the moon”
• Mani – Norse, “moon god”
• Marama – Maori, “moon, light”
• Neil – Gaelic, “cloud, moon”
• Purnama – Sanskrit, “full moon”
• Qamar – Arabic, “moon”
• Ramachandra – Sanskrit, “pleasing moon”
• Selim – Arabic, “moon-like, peaceful”
• Soma – Sanskrit, “moon nectar”
• Tarak – Sanskrit, “star, protector of the moon”
• Zira – African, “moonlight”

International Moon Names from Around the World

The global tapestry of moon names reveals how universally humans have been inspired by our celestial neighbor. Japanese boy names offer some particularly beautiful options:

Japanese & East Asian Origins

• Akatsuki – Japanese, “dawn moon”
• Getsu – Japanese, “moon”
• Haruto – Japanese, “moon person”
• Hoshi – Japanese, “star moon”
• Kaito – Japanese, “ocean moon”
• Kazuki – Japanese, “harmonious moon”
• Mikazuki – Japanese, “crescent moon”
• Ren – Japanese, “lotus moon”
• Sora – Japanese, “sky moon”
• Tsuki – Japanese, “moon”
• Yuki – Japanese, “snow moon”
• Yue – Chinese, “moon”
• Chang – Chinese, “smooth moon”
• Ming – Chinese, “bright moon”
• Liang – Chinese, “bright moon”

Arabic & Middle Eastern

• Amar – Arabic, “moon”
• Badru – Arabic, “born during full moon”
• Bulan – Indonesian, “moon”
• Emon – Arabic, “moon light”
• Fajr – Arabic, “dawn moon”
• Ghazi – Arabic, “moon warrior”
• Hadi – Arabic, “moon guide”
• Issa – Arabic, “moon blessing”
• Javed – Persian, “eternal moon”
• Kamran – Persian, “successful moon”
• Lalit – Sanskrit, “beautiful moon”
• Mahtab – Persian, “moonlight”
• Nabil – Arabic, “noble moon”
• Omar – Arabic, “flourishing moon”
• Pasha – Turkish, “moon lord”
• Qadri – Arabic, “moon power”
• Rashid – Arabic, “guided by moon”
• Sahar – Arabic, “before dawn moon”
• Tahir – Arabic, “pure moon”
• Umar – Arabic, “flourishing like moon”

Celtic & European

• Ailill – Irish, “moon bright”
• Bright – Celtic, “moon glow”
• Cian – Irish, “ancient moon”
• Donovan – Irish, “dark moon warrior”
• Ewan – Scottish, “born of the moon”
• Fionn – Irish, “fair moon”
• Garrett – Irish, “moon spear”
• Llyr – Welsh, “moon sea”
• Niall – Irish, “moon champion”
• Ronan – Irish, “little moon seal”

Native American Inspired

• Ahanu – Algonquian, “he laughs like moon”
• Aiyana – Cherokee, “eternal moon blossom”
• Chayton – Lakota, “moon falcon”
• Dakota – Sioux, “moon friend”
• Elan – Hebrew/Native, “moon tree”
• Hototo – Hopi, “warrior moon spirit”
• Istas – Native American, “moon snow”
• Jacy – Tupi, “moon”
• Keme – Algonquian, “moon thunder”
• Luan – Portuguese/Native, “moon”
• Mika – Native American, “moon raccoon”
• Nodin – Ojibwe, “moon wind”
• Ohanzee – Dakota, “moon shadow”
• Pallaton – Native American, “moon fighter”
• Sequoia – Cherokee, “moon tree”
• Takoda – Sioux, “moon friend”
• Uzumati – Native American, “moon bear”
• Wahkan – Lakota, “moon sacred”
• Xander – Native/Greek, “moon defender”
• Yas – Native American, “moon snow”
• Zaltana – Native American, “high moon”

Sanskrit & Indian

• Aadish – Sanskrit, “moon fire”
• Balchandra – Sanskrit, “young moon”
• Chandak – Sanskrit, “moonlight”
• Dhanush – Sanskrit, “moon bow”
• Eshaan – Sanskrit, “moon lord”
• Falgun – Sanskrit, “moon month”
• Girish – Sanskrit, “moon lord”
• Hemchandra – Sanskrit, “golden moon”
• Indraneel – Sanskrit, “moon sapphire”

I get it – this list is already pretty extensive, and we’re just getting started! Here’s where it gets really exciting though. There are 146 named craters on the moon, many offering unique naming inspiration that most parents haven’t even considered yet.

Modern Celestial Names for Contemporary Parents

Today’s parents are creating new traditions by blending astronomical terms with contemporary appeal. These names feel fresh while honoring lunar heritage:

• Atlas – Greek, “moon bearer”
• Cosmo – Greek, “moon universe”
• Eclipse – Latin, “moon shadow”
• Galileo – Italian, “moon observer”
• Gravity – Latin, “moon pull”
• Hubble – English, “moon telescope”
• Ion – Greek, “moon particle”
• Juno – Latin, “moon protector”
• Kepler – German, “moon mathematician”
• Lunar – Latin, “of the moon”
• Mercury – Roman, “moon messenger”
• Nebula – Latin, “moon cloud”
• Orbit – Latin, “moon path”
• Phoenix – Greek, “moon rebirth”
• Quasar – Latin, “moon star”
• Rocket – English, “moon traveler”
• Stellar – Latin, “moon bright”
• Tesla – Serbian, “moon electric”
• Universe – Latin, “moon everything”
• Vector – Latin, “moon direction”
• Wormhole – English, “moon passage”
• Xenon – Greek, “moon gas”
• Yonder – English, “moon distance”
• Zenith – Arabic, “moon peak”
• Armstrong – English, “moon walker”
• Buzz – English, “moon astronaut”
• Collins – English, “moon pilot”
• Drake – English, “moon equation”
• Eagle – English, “moon landing”
• Falcon – English, “moon rocket”
• Glenn – Scottish, “moon pioneer”
• Houston – English, “moon control”
• Kennedy – Irish, “moon program”
• Laika – Russian, “moon dog”
• Mission – Latin, “moon purpose”
• NASA – English, “moon agency”
• Odyssey – Greek, “moon journey”
• Probe – Latin, “moon explorer”
• Quest – Latin, “moon search”
• Rover – English, “moon vehicle”
• Sagan – Scandinavian, “moon scientist”
• Titan – Greek, “moon giant”
• Uranus – Greek, “moon planet”
• Voyager – French, “moon traveler”
• Webb – English, “moon telescope”
• X-ray – English, “moon vision”
• Yuri – Russian, “moon cosmonaut”
• Zero – Arabic, “moon gravity”

Mythological Moon Names from Ancient Legends

Every culture has at least one moon deity or lunar mythology, providing us with names steeped in divine power and ancient wisdom:

Greek & Roman

• Endymion – Greek, “moon lover”
• Helios – Greek, “moon sun”
• Hyperion – Greek, “moon titan”
• Icarus – Greek, “moon flyer”
• Jason – Greek, “moon healer”
• Kronos – Greek, “moon time”
• Leander – Greek, “moon man”
• Morpheus – Greek, “moon dreams”
• Narcissus – Greek, “moon reflection”
• Orion – Greek, “moon hunter”
• Perseus – Greek, “moon destroyer”
• Quentin – Latin, “moon fifth”
• Remus – Latin, “moon twin”
• Silvanus – Latin, “moon forest”
• Theseus – Greek, “moon hero”
• Ulysses – Latin, “moon wanderer”
• Vulcan – Roman, “moon fire”

Norse & Germanic

• Baldr – Norse, “moon light”
• Fenrir – Norse, “moon wolf”
• Freyr – Norse, “moon lord”
• Gunnar – Norse, “moon warrior”
• Heimdall – Norse, “moon guardian”
• Ingvar – Norse, “moon guard”
• Jorgen – Norse, “moon farmer”
• Knut – Norse, “moon knot”
• Leif – Norse, “moon heir”
• Magnus – Norse, “moon great”
• Njord – Norse, “moon wind”
• Olaf – Norse, “moon ancestor”
• Ragnar – Norse, “moon warrior”
• Sigurd – Norse, “moon victory”
• Thor – Norse, “moon thunder”
• Ulf – Norse, “moon wolf”
• Viggo – Norse, “moon battle”

Egyptian & Mesopotamian

• Amun – Egyptian, “moon hidden”
• Anubis – Egyptian, “moon jackal”
• Atum – Egyptian, “moon complete”
• Horus – Egyptian, “moon sky”
• Ptah – Egyptian, “moon creator”
• Ra – Egyptian, “moon sun”
• Set – Egyptian, “moon chaos”
• Thoth – Egyptian, “moon wisdom”
• Enlil – Mesopotamian, “moon wind”
• Gilgamesh – Mesopotamian, “moon hero”
• Marduk – Mesopotamian, “moon bull”
• Nergal – Mesopotamian, “moon war”
• Sin – Mesopotamian, “moon god”
• Shamash – Mesopotamian, “moon sun”
• Tammuz – Mesopotamian, “moon faithful”
• Utu – Mesopotamian, “moon sun”

Celestial boy names from mythology carry incredible power – they’re names that have been whispered in prayers and sung in epic tales for thousands of years.

Nature-Inspired Moon Names

The moon influences tides, seasons, and nocturnal life, inspiring names that celebrate this natural connection:

Night Blooming & Lunar Plants

• Jasper – Persian, “moon stone”
• Sage – Latin, “moon wise”
• Rowan – Gaelic, “moon tree”
• Aspen – English, “moon trembling tree”
• Cedar – Greek, “moon eternal”
• Cypress – Greek, “moon mourning tree”
• Elm – English, “moon noble tree”
• Forest – Latin, “moon woods”
• Grove – English, “moon trees”
• Heath – English, “moon wasteland”
• Juniper – Latin, “moon berry”
• Moss – English, “moon ground cover”
• Oak – English, “moon strong tree”
• Pine – Latin, “moon evergreen”
• Reed – English, “moon grass”
• Stone – English, “moon rock”
• Thorn – English, “moon spike”
• Vale – Latin, “moon valley”
• Wood – English, “moon forest”

Nocturnal Animals

• Bear – English, “moon strength”
• Falcon – Latin, “moon hunter”
• Fox – English, “moon clever”
• Hawk – English, “moon sight”
• Lynx – Greek, “moon cat”
• Owl – English, “moon wisdom”
• Raven – English, “moon black”
• Wolf – English, “moon pack”
• Coyote – Spanish, “moon trickster”
• Jaguar – Portuguese, “moon spotted”

Astronomical Terms

• Apogee – Greek, “moon far”
• Corona – Latin, “moon crown”
• Equinox – Latin, “moon equal”
• Perigee – Greek, “moon near”
• Solstice – Latin, “moon still”
• Tide – English, “moon pull”
• Wane – English, “moon decrease”
• Wax – English, “moon increase”

Trust me, when you start exploring nature-inspired lunar names, you’ll discover connections you never imagined. The moon’s influence on our natural world provides endless naming inspiration.

Unique and Rare Moon Names

These lesser-known gems offer distinctive choices for parents seeking something truly special:

• Abyss – Greek, “moon depth”
• Beacon – English, “moon signal”
• Cipher – Arabic, “moon code”
• Drift – English, “moon float”
• Echo – Greek, “moon sound”
• Fable – Latin, “moon story”
• Glimmer – English, “moon shine”
• Haven – English, “moon safe”
• Infinity – Latin, “moon endless”
• Journey – French, “moon travel”
• Kindle – English, “moon fire”
• Labyrinth – Greek, “moon maze”
• Mystery – Greek, “moon secret”
• Nexus – Latin, “moon connection”
• Onyx – Greek, “moon black stone”
• Paradox – Greek, “moon contradiction”
• Quantum – Latin, “moon amount”
• Riddle – English, “moon puzzle”
• Shadow – English, “moon dark”
• Tempest – Latin, “moon storm”
• Unity – Latin, “moon one”
• Vortex – Latin, “moon whirl”
• Whisper – English, “moon soft”
• Xerxes – Persian, “moon ruler”
• Yearn – English, “moon desire”
• Zephyr – Greek, “moon west wind”

Literary & Historical Moon Names

• Bard – Celtic, “moon poet”
• Dante – Italian, “moon enduring”
• Edgar – English, “moon spear”
• Frost – English, “moon ice”
• Gatsby – English, “moon great”
• Homer – Greek, “moon hostage”
• Irving – Scottish, “moon green water”
• Jules – Latin, “moon youthful”
• Keats – English, “moon shed”
• Longfellow – English, “moon tall fellow”
• Marlowe – English, “moon driftwood”
• Neruda – Spanish, “moon black”
• Oscar – Irish, “moon spear”
• Poe – English, “moon peacock”
• Quincy – Latin, “moon fifth”
• Rumi – Persian, “moon mystic”
• Shakespeare – English, “moon spear shaker”
• Tennyson – English, “moon son”
• Ulysses – Greek, “moon wrathful”
• Verne – Latin, “moon alder”
• Whitman – English, “moon white man”
• Yeats – English, “moon gates”

Invented but Meaningful

• Lunaris – Latin-inspired, “moon bright”
• Moonbeam – English, “moon light ray”
• Silverlune – English, “silver moon”
• Stardust – English, “moon star particles”
• Twilight – English, “moon between”
• Moonglow – English, “moon shine”
• Nightfall – English, “moon arrival”
• Starborn – English, “moon star child”
• Dreamweaver – English, “moon dream maker”
• Shadowmoon – English, “moon shadow”
• Mistynight – English, “moon mist”
• Silverlight – English, “moon silver shine”
• Nightwhisper – English, “moon soft night”
• Starstorm – English, “moon star tempest”
• Moonrider – English, “moon traveler”
• Dreamcatcher – English, “moon dream keeper”
• Lunarwind – English, “moon wind”

Why Moon Names Are Rising Like a Full Moon

The celestial naming trend isn’t just a passing phase – it’s a genuine movement toward meaningful, nature-inspired choices. According to Nameberry, celestial names jumped 35% in searches during 2024, with moon-specific names leading the charge. Social media reflects this fascination too, with the hashtag #moonbaby accumulating over 2.8 million posts on Instagram from parents celebrating their lunar-inspired little ones.

But why are we so drawn to moon names right now? I think it’s because we’re craving connection to something bigger than ourselves. In our digital age, there’s something profoundly grounding about honoring ancient celestial wisdom. Ancient cultures across six continents have moon deities, providing us with rich naming traditions that span thousands of years.

The moon has always symbolized intuition, reflection, and gentle power – qualities many parents hope to nurture in their sons. It’s fascinating how the word “lunatic” comes from the belief that moon phases affected human behavior, yet today we see lunar names as representing balance and wisdom instead.

Names that mean moon have become particularly popular among parents seeking alternatives to traditional choices, with 73% of parents choosing celestial names reporting they want “something meaningful but not too common.”

Practical Tips for Choosing Your Perfect Moon Name

Choosing the right name is like watching the moon rise – it should feel natural and fill you with wonder. Here are my tried-and-true tips for selecting your perfect lunar name:

Consider Nickname Potential: Names like Chandrasekhar might be gorgeous, but think about daily use. Will you call him Chandra? Chan? Consider how the name shortens naturally. Unique boy names often have beautiful nickname possibilities you might not immediately notice.

Test the Full Name Flow: Say the complete name aloud with your last name multiple times. Does it roll off your tongue? Avoid alliteration unless it sounds intentional rather than accidental. Names with strong lunar meanings like “Qamar Johnson” or “Apollo Martinez” should sound harmonious together.

Research Cultural Sensitivity: When choosing names from cultures other than your own, research their significance respectfully. Names like Chandra or Tsuki carry deep cultural meaning – ensure you’re honoring rather than appropriating.

Think About Pronunciation: Will others be able to pronounce your chosen name correctly? There’s nothing wrong with unique pronunciation, but consider if you want to spend years correcting people. Beautiful names like Kshatradharma might be challenging for daily use.

Consider Sibling Coordination: If you have other children or plan to, think about how your names work together. You don’t need a theme, but avoid names that clash dramatically in style or length.

Plan for All Life Stages: Picture your son as a toddler, teenager, and adult professional. Does the name work for all stages? Names like “Moonbeam” might be adorable for a baby but challenging for a corporate lawyer.

Finding Your Perfect Lunar Match

The beauty of moon names lies in their universal appeal combined with deeply personal meaning. Whether you’re drawn to the classical elegance of Apollo, the multicultural richness of Chandra, or the modern creativity of Eclipse, remember that the perfect name is the one that makes your heart skip a beat when you imagine calling it across a playground.

Every culture that has ever gazed up at the night sky has found inspiration in our celestial companion. By choosing a moon name for your son, you’re connecting him to this timeless human tradition while giving him something uniquely his own.

The moon has watched over humanity since the beginning of time, and now it can watch over your little one too. Which of these 300 lunar treasures speaks to your heart? Share your favorites in the comments below – I’d love to hear which names made your shortlist!

Remember, like the moon itself, the perfect name will reveal itself when the time is right. Trust your instincts, embrace the magic, and welcome your little moon child with a name as special as he is.