Moana
From Hawaiian Moana (“sea, ocean”), Māori moana, and other Polynesian languages.
Every Moana since 1941 — 1,146 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Moana
Moana is rare for girls in the United States, ranked #4,141 in 2025 with 35 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1941, 1,146 American babies have been named Moana. Its peak came in 2017, when 141 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 2010s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Moana stood among all girls' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Moana year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 35 | #4,141 |
| 2024 | 50 | #3,209 |
| 2023 | 39 | #3,893 |
| 2022 | 45 | #3,516 |
| 2021 | 55 | #3,027 |
| 2020 | 48 | #3,265 |
| 2019 | 51 | #3,153 |
| 2018 | 82 | #2,252 |
| 2017 | 141 | #1,559 |
| 2016 | 57 | #2,956 |
| 2015 | 18 | #6,904 |
| 2014 | 16 | #7,544 |
| 2013 | 19 | #6,644 |
| 2012 | 10 | #11,003 |
| 2011 | 12 | #9,550 |
| 2010 | 9 | #11,958 |
| 2009 | 12 | #9,808 |
| 2008 | 19 | #6,993 |
| 2007 | 10 | #11,388 |
| 2006 | 16 | #7,744 |
| 2005 | 8 | #12,649 |
| 2004 | 5 | #17,936 |
| 2003 | 9 | #11,026 |
| 2002 | 8 | #11,835 |
| 2001 | 10 | #9,872 |
| 2000 | 13 | #7,892 |
| 1995 | 5 | #14,982 |
| 1990 | 5 | #14,457 |
| 1985 | — | — |
| 1980 | 11 | #6,186 |
| 1975 | 12 | #5,052 |
| 1970 | 12 | #4,677 |
| 1965 | — | — |
| 1960 | 8 | #5,042 |
| 1955 | 7 | #5,050 |
| 1950 | — | — |
| 1945 | — | — |
| 1940 | — | — |
| 1935 | — | — |
| 1930 | — | — |
| 1925 | — | — |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1915 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1905 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1895 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
Famous people named Moana
- Moana Pozzi Pornographic actor · 1961–1994
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Moana mean?
From Hawaiian Moana (“sea, ocean”), Māori moana, and other Polynesian languages.
How popular is the name Moana in 2025?
Moana ranked #4,141 among girls' names in the United States in 2025, with 35 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Moana?
1,146 babies have been named Moana in the United States since 1941, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Moana most popular?
Moana peaked in 2017, when 141 newborns received the name.
Is Moana a boy or girl name?
Moana is overwhelmingly a girl's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Moana rising or falling?
Moana is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Moana?
Well-known people named Moana include Moana Pozzi (pornographic actor).