Lunarae
A feminine name combining the Latin word for moon, "luna", with a variant of the name "Rae".
Name Census estimates that about 113 living Americans carry the first name Lunarae. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Lunarae today is around 6 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Lunarae births was 2023 (19 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Lunarae. 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 Lunarae with official rankings and popularity over time.
People living today
113
~ 1 in 3,033,224 Americans
Peak year
2023
19 babies that year
Average age
6
years old
2024 SSA rank
#16,672
Tracked since 2015
Popularity
Lunarae: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Lunarae 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 70 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
Lunarae 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 Lunarae during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Lunarae
The name Lunarae has its origins in the ancient Etruscan civilization, which flourished in what is now central Italy from around the 8th century BCE to the 1st century BCE. The name is believed to be derived from the Etruscan word "lunar," meaning "moon," and the suffix "-ae," which was a common feminine ending in the Etruscan language.
The Etruscans were known for their reverence for the moon and its cycles, as evidenced by the numerous moon-related symbols and artifacts found in their archaeological sites. The name Lunarae may have been given to newborn daughters as a way to honor the moon goddess and to bestow upon them the qualities associated with the moon, such as mystery, intuition, and fertility.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Lunarae can be found in an Etruscan funerary inscription from the 6th century BCE, which mentions a woman by that name. However, it is unclear whether this was an actual individual or a symbolic reference to the moon goddess.
Throughout the centuries, the name Lunarae has been borne by several notable individuals. In the 2nd century BCE, there was a Roman poetess named Lunarae Antonia, renowned for her lyrical works celebrating the beauty of the natural world. Another famous bearer of the name was Lunarae Valeria, a 4th-century Roman empress who was known for her patronage of the arts and her commitment to education.
During the Renaissance period, Lunarae Medici (1470-1527) was a prominent figure in the court of Florence. She was a skilled diplomat and played a crucial role in securing political alliances for the Medici family. In the 16th century, Lunarae Borgia (1499-1557), a member of the infamous Borgia family, gained notoriety for her alleged involvement in various political intrigues and scandals.
More recently, in the 19th century, Lunarae Nightingale (1820-1910) was a pioneering nurse who made significant contributions to improving healthcare standards and reforming nursing practices. Her tireless efforts during the Crimean War earned her widespread acclaim and the moniker "The Lady with the Lamp."
While the name Lunarae has remained relatively uncommon throughout history, its connection to the moon and its celestial associations have endured, making it a unique and evocative choice for parents seeking a name with a rich cultural heritage.
People
Lunarae + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Lunarae as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with L
Other first names starting with L with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Lunarae: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Lunarae?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 113 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Lunarae 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 3,033,224 US residents.
Is Lunarae a common name?
We classify Lunarae as "Very Rare". It ranks above 66.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 114 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Lunarae most popular?
The single biggest year for Lunarae was 2023, when 19 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Lunarae is about 6 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 Lunarae in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Lunarae a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Lunarae 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 Lunarae still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Lunarae 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 Lunarae 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 Americans are named Lunarae?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.