Girl name · Hawaiian
Moana
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: ocean, open seaMoana is a girl's name that comes from Hawaiian and means "ocean, open sea". It is used in Hawaiian.
- Meaning
- Ocean, open sea
- Origin
- Hawaiian
- Gender
- Girl
- Say it
- moh-AH-nah (Hawaiian)
Meaning and origin of Moana
As a girl's name, Moana comes from Hawaiian and means "ocean, open sea". It is used in Hawaiian.
In Hawaiian, say moh-AH-nah. Respellings are a guide; accents vary by region.
Its meaning puts Moana on our names that mean water or sea list.
Meanings come from published name dictionaries, led by Behind the Name. How we research names
Moana on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about Moana on 2 lists.
“Ocean, open sea. Say moh-AH-nah”
From Hawaiian names, hawaiian names from the sea and sky
“Ocean, open sea; Hawaiian and Maori, made famous by Disney's 2016 film”
From Ocean names, ocean names for girls
How popular is Moana?
- US rank in 2025
- #4,141
- 35 babies, 22 per million girls
- Best rank
- #1,559 in 2017
- 141 babies that year
- Babies since 1941
- At least 1,146
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 0 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 0 per million |
| 1900s | 0 per million |
| 1910s | 0 per million |
| 1920s | 0 per million |
| 1930s | 0 per million |
| 1940s | 1 per million |
| 1950s | 3 per million |
| 1960s | 2 per million |
| 1970s | 7 per million |
| 1980s | 4 per million |
| 1990s | 3 per million |
| 2000s | 6 per million |
| 2010s | 24 per million |
| 2020s | 28 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #2,956 | #1,559 | #2,252 | #3,153 | #3,265 | #3,027 | #3,516 | #3,893 | #3,209 | #4,141 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Names spelled like Moana
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- MarinaOf the sea (Latin, girl)
- MurielBright sea (Scottish Gaelic, girl)
- MiraPeace, from Slavic Mir- names; in Sanskrit, sea (Slavic, girl)
- CoralReef stone of the sea (Greek, girl)
- DaryaHolding firm the good; also sea in Persian (Persian, girl)
- KaiThe sea (Hawaiian, unisex)
- MarinoOf the sea (Latin, boy)
- MaristelaStar of the sea (Latin, girl)
- MurchadhSea warrior (Irish Gaelic, boy)
- MurphySea warrior (Irish Gaelic, unisex)
- NayeliPossibly from Zapotec words meaning I love you or open (Zapotec, girl)
- PelagiaOf the open sea (Greek, girl)
- ÆgirThe sea (Old Norse, boy)
- ArnavOcean, sea (Sanskrit, boy)
- BadaSea, a native Korean word (Korean, unisex)
Middle names for Moana
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
- DahliaFlower named for botanist Anders Dahl (Swedish, girl)
- EsmeraldaEmerald (Spanish, girl)
- FelicityHappiness, good fortune (Latin, girl)
- HarmonyConcord, agreement (Greek, girl)
- HollyHolly tree (Old English, girl)
- SerenaSerene, calm (Latin, girl)
- SimoneHe has heard (Hebrew, girl)
- SophiaWisdom, skill (Greek, girl)
More girl names from Hawaiian
- AilaniPossibly from Hawaiian ʻAilani, to rule as chief, or Aylín (Hawaiian, girl)
- AilanyVariant of Ailani, possibly Hawaiian, to rule as chief (Hawaiian, girl)
- LeilaniHeavenly flowers; royal child (Hawaiian, girl)
- AlaniPossibly from Hawaiian ʻalani, orange tree or fruit (Hawaiian, girl)
- AlohaLove, affection (Hawaiian, unisex)
- AlohilaniBright sky (Hawaiian, girl)
- ĀnuenueA rainbow (Hawaiian, girl)
- AolaniHeavenly cloud (Hawaiian, girl)
- AylaniVariant of Ailani, possibly from Hawaiian ʻAilani (Hawaiian, girl)
- HaukeaWhite snow (Hawaiian, girl)
- HaunaniBeautiful dew or snow (Hawaiian, girl)
- HiʻileiHeld lovingly in the arms (Hawaiian, girl)
- HōkūA star (Hawaiian, unisex)
- HōkūlaniHeavenly star (Hawaiian, girl)
- ʻIlimaGolden native flower (Hawaiian, girl)
- ʻIolaniRoyal hawk (Hawaiian, unisex)
- ʻIwalaniHeavenly frigatebird (Hawaiian, girl)
- IolanaTo soar, to fly high (Hawaiian, girl)
Moana: common questions
What does the name Moana mean?
Moana comes from Hawaiian and means "ocean, open sea".
Is Moana a boy or girl name?
Moana is mainly a girl's name.
Where does the name Moana come from?
Moana comes from Hawaiian and means "ocean, open sea". Today it is used in Hawaiian.
How do you pronounce Moana?
In Hawaiian, say moh-AH-nah. Pronunciation can vary between languages and regions.
How popular is the name Moana?
Moana ranked #4,141 in the US in 2025, with 35 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Moana?
Names spelled like Moana include Mona, Maia, Minna, Maha and Makana.
What middle names go with Moana?
Middle names that flow well with Moana include Dahlia, Esmeralda, Felicity, Harmony and Holly. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.