Moana
A feminine name of Polynesian origin meaning "ocean" or "deep sea".
Name Census estimates that about 1,054 living Americans carry the first name Moana. The name is used almost exclusively for girls. The average person named Moana today is around 21 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Moana births was 2017 (141 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Moana. 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.
People living today
1.1K
~ 1 in 325,194 Americans
Peak year
2017
141 babies that year
Average age
21
years old
2024 SSA rank
#3,197
Tracked since 1941
Popularity
Moana: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Moana from the 1940s through to the 2020s, spanning 9 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 414 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 2010s peak, Moana remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Moana 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 Moana during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Moanas live
The SSA's state-level files cover 10 states and territories. California, Hawaii, Florida recorded the most babies named Moana, while Washington, Georgia, New York recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 33 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Moana
The name Moana has its origins in the Polynesian languages, particularly in the Maori language spoken in New Zealand and the Hawaiian language. In these languages, the word "moana" means "ocean" or "wide expanse of water." The name is believed to have been in use for centuries, reflecting the deep cultural connection of Polynesian peoples with the sea.
In Maori mythology, Moana is the name of the ocean deity, a powerful figure associated with the vast waters that surround the islands of New Zealand. The name was likely given to children as a way to honor this deity and express a reverence for the ocean's importance in Polynesian life.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Moana dates back to the late 18th century, when it was mentioned in the journals of European explorers who visited the Pacific islands. Captain James Cook, the famous British explorer, recorded encounters with Polynesian peoples and may have noted the name during his voyages.
Throughout history, there have been several notable individuals named Moana. One example is Moana Carcasses Kalosil (1888-1968), a Fijian chief and paramount leader of the Lau Islands. Another is Moana Pozzi (1961-1994), an Italian actress and model who was known for her work in adult films.
In the realm of literature, the name Moana has been used in works by authors such as Robert Louis Stevenson, who featured a character named Moana in his novel "The Ebb-Tide" (1894). The name has also appeared in various Polynesian legends and oral traditions, reflecting its deep cultural significance.
Other notable individuals named Moana include Moana Mackey (born 1981), a New Zealand singer and songwriter, and Moana Nui (born 1995), a French Polynesian singer and dancer.
The name Moana gained wider recognition in recent years with the release of the 2016 Disney animated film "Moana," which featured a young Polynesian princess named Moana as the main character. The film's popularity contributed to an increased interest in the name and its cultural significance.
People
Moana + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Moana as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with M
Other first names starting with M with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Moana: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Moana?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1,054 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Moana 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 325,194 US residents.
Is Moana a common name?
We classify Moana as "Rare". It ranks above 90.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 1,109 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Moana most popular?
The single biggest year for Moana was 2017, when 141 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Moana is about 21 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Moana a female name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Moana 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.
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.