Aluna
A feminine name derived from the Latin word "luna" meaning "moon".
Name Census estimates that about 318 living Americans carry the first name Aluna. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Aluna today is around 7 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Aluna births was 2021 (44 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Aluna. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
For a British comparison, Name Census UK has a UK baby-name profile for Aluna with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
318
~ 1 in 1,077,844 Americans
Peak year
2021
44 babies that year
Average age
7
years old
2024 SSA rank
#4,282
Tracked since 2010
Popularity
Aluna: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Aluna from the 2010s through to the 2020s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2020s, with 168 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Aluna by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Aluna during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Alunas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 4 states and territories. California, Florida, New York recorded the most babies named Aluna, while Texas, New York, Florida recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 18 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Aluna
The name Aluna has its origins in the Hawaiian language and culture. It is believed to have emerged in the late 18th or early 19th century, derived from the Hawaiian words "alu" meaning "wave" and "na" meaning "the." The name can be interpreted as "the waves" or "of the waves."
In ancient Hawaiian mythology, the name Aluna was associated with the ocean and the deities responsible for the tides and waves. It was often given to children born near the sea or during times of significant tidal events, reflecting the cultural importance of the ocean in Hawaiian society.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Aluna can be found in the journals of early European explorers and missionaries who visited the Hawaiian Islands. These accounts mention individuals with this name, although specific dates and details are limited.
Throughout history, several notable figures have borne the name Aluna. One of the earliest was Aluna Kawelu, a Hawaiian chieftain and warrior who lived in the late 18th century and played a significant role in the unification of the Hawaiian Islands under King Kamehameha I.
Another historical figure with the name Aluna was Aluna Moki, a renowned Hawaiian kahuna (priest) and healer who lived in the early 19th century. She was renowned for her extensive knowledge of traditional Hawaiian medicine and practices.
In the 20th century, Aluna Lati was a celebrated Hawaiian hula dancer and choreographer who helped preserve and promote the traditional hula dance form. She was born in 1920 and passed away in 2005.
Aluna Kaluawalu was a prominent Hawaiian activist and advocate for native Hawaiian rights and sovereignty. She was born in 1928 and played a significant role in the Hawaiian renaissance movement of the 1970s and 1980s.
More recently, Aluna Francis is a British-born singer and songwriter of Hawaiian descent. She is best known as one-half of the electronic music duo AlunaGeorge, formed in 2012.
While the name Aluna has Hawaiian roots, it has gained popularity and usage in various parts of the world, particularly in recent decades. However, its historical and cultural connections to the Hawaiian Islands remain a significant part of its meaning and significance.
People
Aluna + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Aluna as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with A
Other first names starting with A with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Aluna: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Aluna?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 318 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Aluna going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 1,077,844 US residents.
Is Aluna a common name?
We classify Aluna as "Very Rare". It ranks above 79.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 320 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Aluna most popular?
The single biggest year for Aluna was 2021, when 44 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Aluna is about 7 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Aluna in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Aluna a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Aluna in the SSA data are female. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Aluna still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Aluna in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Aluna can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Aluna as a first name?
For a quick modern take, check how many Americans are named Aluna on our sister site HowManyOfMe.org.