Moon Names and Their Meanings

Every 29.5 days, we are graced with the beautiful bright light of a full Moon in the evening hours. You may have heard of the Wolf Moon, the Harvest Moon, and the Hunter’s Moon. But why do people use these colloquial names to describe Earth’s full Moon? Some of these names date back hundreds of years when Native Americans used the Moon to help keep track of time and the seasonal changes in weather. Since then, the names have been adopted for general use. As of 1955, they were officially added to The Farmer’s Almanac.

Below, learn the history of the 12 Full Moons of the year and other special names given to the Moon.

12 Full Moons of the Year

• January’s Moon: Wolf Moon, Moon After Yule, Old Moon, Ice Moon, Snow Moon
• February’s Moon: Snow Moon, Hunger Moon, Storm Moon, Chaste Moon
• March’s Moon: Worm Moon, Crow Moon, Sap Moon, Lenten Moon
• April’s Moon: Pink Moon, Seed Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon
• May’s Moon: Flower Moon, Milk Moon, Corn Planting Moon
• June’s Moon: Strawberry Moon, Mead Moon, Rose Moon, Honey Moon
• July’s Moon: Buck Moon, Hay Moon, Thunder Moon
• August’s Moon: Sturgeon Moon, Corn Moon, Red Moon, Green Corn Moon, Grain Moon
• September’s Moon: Harvest Moon, Full Corn Moon
• October’s Moon: Hunter’s Moon, Blood Moon, Sanguine Moon
• November’s Moon: Beaver Moon, Frosty Moon
• December’s Moon: Cold Moon, Oak Moon, Long Nights Moon

	January’s Moon: Wolf Moon, Moon After Yule, Ice Moon, Snow Moon When the temperatures are cold and the ground is covered in snow, wolf packs roam freely. With so many wolves on the prowl, you are likely to hear a howl or two at this full Moon. That’s how the first Full Moon of the year came to be called the Wolf Moon. January’s Full Moon is also known as Moon after Yule (Yule is typically from Winter Solstice to the New Year), making Moon after Yule the first Full Moon in the new year. Other names: Old Moon, Ice Moon, and Snow Moon.
	February’s Moon: Snow Moon, Hunger Moon The Full Moon in February is noted to have the heaviest snowfall for the year, which is where the name Snow Moon comes from. The February Moon can also be called the Hunger Moon due to scarce food sources and hard hunting conditions during mid-winter. Other names: Storm Moon and Chaste Moon.
	March’s Moon: Worm Moon, Crow Moon, Crust Moon, Sap Moon The last Full Moon of winter is the Worm Moon. As winter heads out the door, the snow and ground start to thaw and earthworms can be seen coming out of the soil alerting the birds. The Crust Moon comes from how the snow thaws in the day and freezes at night creating a thin crust of ice. The Sap Moon marks the time of year the maple trees are ready to be tapped for their nectar. Lastly, March’s Full Moon is also known as the Crow Moon when the cawing of crows signals the end of winter. Other names: Sugar Moon, Chaste Moon, and Lenten Moon.
	April’s Moon: Pink Moon, Seed Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, Egg Moon, Fish Moon  Although it doesn’t actually take on a rosy hue, April’s Full Moon is known as the Pink Moon to represent flowers in bloom and the start of spring. April’s Full Moon is also known as the Paschal Moon which is the first Full Moon after March equinox, near the Easter holiday. Other names: Seed Moon, Sprouting Grass Moon, Fish Moon, Hare Moon, Egg Moon, and Paschal Moon.
	May’s Moon: Flower Moon, Mother’s Moon, Corn Planting Moon, Milk Moon  As we all know, April showers bring May flowers, which is why May’s Full Moon is the Flower Moon. The name Milk Moon reminds us the ground is ready for planting crops in an increased time of fertility. Other names: Mother’s Moon and Corn Planting Moon.
	June’s Moon: Strawberry Moon, Mead Moon, Hot Moon, Rose Moon, Honey Moon The Full Moon in June, known as Strawberry Moon, refers to the first harvest and enjoying the fruits of your labor; typically, the little red berries that ripen at this time. June’s Moon is also called the Honey Moon due to ancient European marriage customs and the giving and drinking of mead (honey) wine. Other names: Rose Moon and Hot Moon.
	July’s Moon: Buck Moon, Hay Moon, Wort Moon, Thunder Moon July’s Buck Moon identifies the time of year that young bucks grow into their antlers. The names Hay Moon and Wort Moon come from the time to reap the hay and gather herbs (worts) to dry and use as spices and remedies. July’s Full Moon is also dubbed the Thunder Moon, as this month is noted to have the most thunderstorms of the year.
	August’s Moon: Sturgeon Moon, Corn Moon, Red Moon, Green Corn Moon, Grain Moon The Full Moon for August is called Sturgeon Moon due to the large number of fish ready to be caught in the Great Lakes and other major bodies of water. August’s Moon can also be called the Red Moon due to the reddish look through early evening haze. Other names: Corn Moon, Green Corn Moon, Grain Moon, Barley Moon, and Fruit Moon.
	September’s Moon: Harvest Moon, Corn Moon September’s Harvest Moon comes from the peak of harvest time, which correlates with Autumn’s equinox. The bright light of the Harvest Moon allowed farmers to work long hours into the night. Occasionally, the Harvest Moon falls in the month of October on average three-year intervals. Other names: Corn Moon.
	October’s Moon: Hunter’s Moon, Dying Grass Moon, Blood Moon, Sanguine Moon The Full Moon for October is called the Hunter’s Moon. With the leaves falling, animals are preparing for winter. And with animals at their plumpest, it is time to hunt. Other names: Dying Grass Moon, Blood Moon (different from a Total Lunar Eclipse), and Sanguine Moon.
	November’s Moon: Beaver Moon, Frosty Moon, Mourning Moon The Full Moon for November is called the Beaver’s Moon or Frosty Moon, referencing the preparations that need to be made before winter comes. This is the time of year that beaver traps were set to retrieve their furs for the colder temperatures. The Beaver Moon is the last Full Moon before winter solstice, also called the Mourning Moon.
	December’s Moon: Cold Moon, Oak Moon, Long Nights Moon, Moon Before Yule. The last Moon of the year is called the Cold Moon which coordinates with the onset of winter; nights coming sooner and the temperatures getting lower. Since nights are at their longest and darkest, December’s full moon is also called the Long Night Moon, and it is also the Moon before Yule. Other names: Oak Moon.

The Other Special Names for Moons

Besides the traditional 12 Moons of the year, we have unique names for other Moon events that occur, like a New Moon, Black Moon, Blue Moon, Red/Blood Moon, and Supermoon. 

A Black Moon refers to an additional new moon that appears in a month or in a season and can also refer to the absence of a full Moon in the month.  Due to February having the shortest month, about once every 19 years, February does not have a Full Moon. This phenomenon also creates two Blue Moons in January and March. A black moon is a perfect time to look at deep space objects.

A Blue Moon is an second full Moon that appears in one calendar month. Since a full Moon occurs every 29.5 days and most months are 30 days long, it’s possible to get two full Moons in a month…but only “once in a Blue Moon!”

A Red or Blood Moon is another name for total lunar eclipse. It occurs when the Moon passes completely through the Earth's dark shadow, making the Moon appear red. 

A Supermoon is a full Moon that coincides with perigee (closest the Moon comes to the Earth in its elliptic orbit). The Supermoon is slightly larger than an average Full Moon as observed from Earth. The technical name is a perigee syzygy or a full Moon at perigee. A Full Moon at perigee appears roughly 14% larger in diameter than at apogee (when it is smallest).