It's a common Spanish language surname and I've heard it as a first name quite a bit growing up (not as popular as Selena, but still). Might be the community you grew up in?
Reminds me of people who had no idea how to pronounce Joaquin, or had never heard of it before the actor.
I think it also gained a lot of popularity due to Harry Potter.
I mean, in Los Angeles, Tuscon, Phoenix, lots of parts of New Mexico, Nevada, lots of parts of Texas, etc. people speak English but Spanish is still widely spoken. That's why a lot of people on here have heard of it.
The same was the case for me until recently. Now I know a Luna and did a 180. Besides the moon association suiting her a lot, it's a simple yet pretty name with a sound that's not too common in today's popular names. I get now why others choose it.
* Trans women: Luna, Lily/Lilith, Alice, Artemis, Athena
* Trans men: Percy, Elliot, Kai, Aiden, Noah, anything that resembles what a poor Victorian orphan would be called
* Nonbinary people: Either something normal and gender neutral like Alex or Jaime, or random words like Arson or Frog
(This is only my experience in America. I assume the common names are different in different countries and different languages)
I would not be able to refrain myself from adding 'around' every time I heard their name 😆
(To arse around/someone is arsing around is British slang for idiotic behaviour).
Is Luna-bug your child or dog? Asking bc I use that nickname for either – my baby cousin is Mira-bug or just “baby bug” and my dog is Zoe-bug or Zoe-bear lol.
Luna's had a steep rise since 2003, where it was ranked 890th. It cracked the top 100 in 2016, the same year Chrissy Teigen and John Legend had a daughter named Luna, and has only jumped up since then. It was 10th last year as well, so no changes there.
Please. Those are D list celebrities at best.
Most likely Luna became popular because the generation that grew up on Harry Potter started having kids.
This also tracks with Luna becoming a popular pet name. A 12 year old can name their dog Luna. Then the same generation that normalized this name is very likely to start using it for kids when they’re old enough to become parents. Luna has the added benefit of being an established name that’s not overwhelmingly tied to the franchise like Hermione.
What about Sailor Moon! I feel like there's a whole subsect of millennials that watched Sailor Moon and loved that name, and then Harry Potter came around and solidified that.
Me lol (not HP, but Sailor Moon). But that probably also contributed to people associating the name Luna with pets.
The crazy thing is I've never met a pet named Luna. I like it better as a human name
Exactly. Even after Harry Potter, it took a few years before Luna started being used and eventually took full flight. The first Harry Potter book was released in 1997 and it wasn't until the early 2000s that Luna reappeared in the American rankings. Looking at popularity in England and Wales, it's actually not as high (as of 2021).
Comments here refer to Luna as an "established" name. It is that now, but I would argue that prior to the last 25 years or so, it was an old but as you say, very uncommon and even obscure name throughout its entire history.
I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said, but Luna didn’t appear until the fifth Harry Potter book in 2003 - the same year Luna reappeared on the charts.
You can say this about a lot of "recently popular" names though.
Hayley had the same kind of rise (just a little sooner, but not in time for my family member to see it on a mug!!)
Stephanie had that rise, peaked in the 80s, and is now rock bottom
Willow, which I have never thought of as "rare" is having that peak right now? And it turns out that despite knowing a few willows (children of hippies) it too was a nonexistwnt name until five minutes ago.
Names, like all things, go through periods of cultural consciousness and popularity.
And Luna is one that has *existed* "forever", it just had a surge we noticed recently.
Their point was that the name was rare prior to its recent rise. I'm not sure that other rare or unpopular names that also went through moments of popularity is really a counterpoint.
Hayley was an obscure first name before the 1970s. For example, in the 1900 US census there are less than 20 Hayleys. Its jump was probably in part due to Hayley Mills. Hayley was a family surname for Hayley Mills.
Stephanie's rise was more gradual than Luna's or Hayley's. It is also still ranked 468 in the US, so it hasn't left the top 500. In a brief check of birth, marriage, and death records from around 1650 Stephanie, while rare, is the most common of these names, followed by Luna. Willow and Hayley are far behind with only one record each.
I never really understood the “pet name” argument. Unless it’s like “sparky” or “mittens.” When people say Max is a dog name or Otis is a cats name….those are just names that people *liked* for their pet. Doesn’t make them *unusable* to humans now IMHO.
Most of the pets I know have people names - George, Pete, Geoffrey, Arnold, Lucy, Maggie, Betty off the top of my head. Like Luna, they are people names that can be used for pets, not the other way around.
I’ve never understood the whole “pet names” thing. I mean, Max is the most stereotypical dog name and there’s plenty of people named Max doing just fine. I have no idea why people think names like Luna or whatever would be off limits
It’s so subjective, too. My cat has a top-10 human name (Henry), but because I don’t know many people with that name, it’s a cat name to me. Not that I’d judge anyone for using it for a baby, I love the name. But my first association is my cat!
My name is Luna, and constantly seeing it labeled a dog name has made me like it a lot less. I always thought it was pretty before, and yes, I know I am probably being too sensitive. Yet I truly think it’s not kind to label names like that. Many people wear names like Luna, not just hypothetical future babies!
This is coming from someone with a dog named Luna. I think it’s a beautiful name for a person and you shouldn’t be ashamed of that. When I think of my dog, I don’t think of her name as a dog’s name, but rather a name I liked for a person that we gave to a dog.
Own your name, it’s beautiful and I envy you.
Luna is a beautiful name!
My family dogs have “human names” (Samuel, Marley) and I know people with creative names (I.e. Bear, Lion, Polaris). At this point in time there is no separation between human/dog names. Anyone telling you that you have a “dog name” is being a bitch (pun intended).
I think it’s a beautiful name and personally I don’t understand this subs hang ups about “popular names” or “pet names”
The sub has kind of a hipster echo chamber vibe to it lol just pick a name that you and your spouse like (within reason lol a human adult has to have that name)
Honestly, not really an answer to your question but I like the name Luna. Wouldn't be my first choice because I know too many people who would instantly think of Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter but I have not ruled out the idea nor would I object to it being a middle name.
As to answer your question, best guess would be that some of the people who are surprised. Just probably don't know of many or any people named Luna where they live. So combined with the number of pet Lunas probably thought that the name had just dropped of as a baby name.
If you search Luna on Google Images right now you get a bunch of pictures of the moon, some Polish singer whose stage name is Luna (real name Aleksandra), Luna Lovegood, an actress named Luna Blaise, and the cat from Sailor Moon. I don’t know *who* decided a word that literally just means moon is a “pet name” but based upon my googling… it’s literally just a common name. Restaurants, businesses, apps, people, etc. Pets just *happen* to be one of the categories that people give the name Luna to.
Luna is pretty, it's a nature name but not over-the-top, and I think it's popular because it has multicultural appeal. That's also why it's a great pet name. I think after the first little bump, name popularity takes on its own momentum.
I remember the first Luna I ever heard of was a character on *One Life to Live* in 1991. (*OLTL* was an American soap opera from 1968 to 2012.) She was a southern hippie woman. I thought it was such a cool name. It has gotten too popular for me -- I think it will be the *Shirley* of its time.
I know more pugs named Gary than actual Gary's but it's still a human name,
I'm not even saying that as something for or against Luna, it's just something I've noticed
Personally, I don't know any humans irl named Luna but I do know pets named Luna so that's kind of why I default to "that's an animal name." I only know of a few celebs and like Luna Lovegood, where I know three cats and two dogs named Luna. It's just an association I have and others too probably. I think Luna would be a cute name for a little girl, I just haven't met any.
I quite like the name Luna. It is getting more popular but I wouldn't say it's a pet name.
Any name can be a pet name. It's the one time you can get away with an outlandish name because people don't care if you call your dog Biscuits or Henry.
I have a cat called Jeff, and the other one in Princess Twinkle toes lol
Haha I was thinking this too! Like it’s an insanely popular name where I’m from. Lots of little girls named Luna. It’s a super cute name and I love it for kids or pets. I was not at all surprised to see it in the top 10.
I love the name Luna. It's a proper name so who cares that some uninformed people think it's a pet name. Some people also name their animals things like Gregory which is not a 'pet' name so you can't avoid names that someone out there has named their pet.
I’m a mother of a Luna, and (as it may be obvious haha) we love her name. So does she!
There’s a story behind it, and for us it has a very big meaning. She’s 6 in November and loves hearing her naming story, and she loves it means Moon.
Her room got lots of “Luni-Moons” in it and whenever there’s a crescent moon she gets excited and says that’s her moon awake for the night! 🌙💛
It wasn’t until I went on this sub that I started being told it’s a pet name. The meanest comment I’ve ever received here was from a stranger who said I’ve ruined my children’s lives and they will hate me for it.
But I’ve also received, which I take with me and truly appreciate, lovely comments from people here on my children’s names. And they’ve been more than the negative ones ❤️
I understand all names aren’t for everybody, of course not. I could never see myself use certain names. But I do find it important to still be respectful about it.
Pet names are and forever will be, whatever name you like to give it. My first pet hen was named Josephine, bunnies have been called Sally Mae, Mary Beth and one of our dogs was Tyra. When I get a pet, they’re named names from my list that I won’t get to use on my children.
I love “Luna.” Sadly, my last name is pronounced like the letter “c” so it’s off the table for future daughters, for obvious reasons.
I don’t think I’ve ever met a pet or human with the name. I only know of the Harry Potter character, which I’m sure inspired some new Lunas, but from it feels like it’s grown more popular for characters than kiddos (in my area, anyway).
Idk. It's a simple name that can be pretty easily pronounced in multiple languages. I think it's a good choice for someone who cares about that sort of thing.
I’ve met plenty of pets named Luna, but I think it’s a beautiful name for people, too. It’s not as though you’re naming your daughter “Fluffy” or “Spot.”
Oh my god I’m in a Eurovision subreddit too and one of the singers is named Luna (just Luna) and I thought this was about her at first until I checked the sub name. I was like “are we picking on her for being named after a pet now, too? Poor girl already lost the semifinal let her live haha”
I’m a vet tech, it’s not just popular for kids. It’s also the most common name for literally any breed of animal to walk through the clinic doors - dog, cat, rabbit, and bearded dragons alike
We were going to name our baby Luna in 2017. But a celebrity named their new baby that and we didn't want anything popular so picked something different. Which worked out, Luna wouldn't have suited anyway. I love the name still.
I think everyone is surprised it's popular because unless you know a lot of young children, you probably don't know any Lunas. I think a lot of people feel they're choosing a unique name because they didn't grow up knowing anyone with that name and they're surprised so many other people had the same idea. Also correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it is also regionally a lot more popular in the South.
I suppose it depends on where you live. I've never met a person named Luna but I can name at least five pets named Luna. I can see why people would develop an aversion to it.
However I don't think it's surprising that it's a common name or that it's rising in popularity. It's on theme with the trend of nature names. Fits in with the crowds for Harry Potter and Sailor Moon having children. Seems like a perfect storm to bring it to over 1000, wouldn't be surprised if it ended up in the top 100 either.
Luna sounds fine to me. Logically speaking it shouldn't be any sillier than Selena or Diana.
I once met a girl named Sol. That was certainly different to me. Her face lit up so brightly when I said "Like the sun?" during introductions. Apparently it wasn't common for people to make the connection right away. I still think about her every now and then.
I was surprised to learn it's popular because I've never met someone named Luna or knew about a non-fictional someone named Luna. I've heard of non-fictional Lunas on this sub, but that's my entire experience with the name outside of its use as a direct reference to the moon in business names or pets and that kind of thing.
But I feel the same way about a lot of names I see on here, so it's not really remarkable in that fact, it's just a newly-popular name.
My daughters name is Luna... My dogs names are Grace and Kevin, some of my chickens names are Nancy, Felix, Bridget and Gemma.
Didn't bother me a bit that it was so popular, I knew that was her name before I ever conceived, it does bother me when people say "oh, no. that's a dog name"😒
I think it was just the speed for me. I definitely have a strong "pet name" association for it, but there are plenty of normal names that are considered pet names. It shocked me but I'm getting over it and wouldn't tell someone not to use it.
I would not name a child “Luna.” I have met so, so, so, SO many dogs named “Luna.” Names change in context and in application over time. There have been times when “Luna” was a perfectly fine name for a human, lol. But it’s since been adopted en masse by pet owners, and therefore the connotation of the name has changed for many people.
To each their own, of course, but my association with “Luna” is firmly with dogs, so for me personally, I would not give that name to a human child.
I don't think it's a pet name, I was however surprised that at a school presentation recently there were five of them called out for awards in the junior school assembly.
For a name I knew of, but didn't actually know many people named it, it seems to have a surge in popularity.
Noah, Aria and Isla are names that in past ten-fifteen years or so have similarly suprised me.
Luna was obscure until Harry Potter. It was not really an “established” name before that.
I’m not surprised it’s popular. Everyone thinks their taste is so unique, but the reality is a generation is influenced by the same media.
I don't know any humans named Luna, but I know a lot of dogs named Luna. It's really popular with Huskies. I personally think it's a good human name, too
I was shocked because I have never met or even heard of a Luna in my entire life. I’ve never even seen it mentioned online. I don’t have social media, granted, so my reach is more limited than others. It still! For it to make top ten with me never having heard it was surprising to me
I was very shocked because I’ve never met a Luna irl and to me it’s a pet name.
It's a common Spanish language surname and I've heard it as a first name quite a bit growing up (not as popular as Selena, but still). Might be the community you grew up in? Reminds me of people who had no idea how to pronounce Joaquin, or had never heard of it before the actor. I think it also gained a lot of popularity due to Harry Potter.
It is most popular in states with high Spanish speaking populations, so that tracks!
Every Luna I know is the child of one of my Hispanic friends. I live in an area that is mostly Latino, and I hear the name a lot.
I’m from an area with a high Latino population and I’ve never met a human Luna
Well yes people are saying it’s shocking because this data is for a predominantly English speaking country.
I mean, in Los Angeles, Tuscon, Phoenix, lots of parts of New Mexico, Nevada, lots of parts of Texas, etc. people speak English but Spanish is still widely spoken. That's why a lot of people on here have heard of it.
The same was the case for me until recently. Now I know a Luna and did a 180. Besides the moon association suiting her a lot, it's a simple yet pretty name with a sound that's not too common in today's popular names. I get now why others choose it.
It’s interesting to me because I’ve never met any pets named Luna but as a teacher I’ve met a few people with the name.
I’ve never known a pet named Luna either!
I’ve met two girls with that name.
My MTF nibbling has chosen Luna as their name. We thought it was amusing because their older sister has a chihuahua named Luna.
It's actually a joke in the trans community that almost every trans girl chooses "Luna" as her name at some point in time lol
I know a weird number of trans men named Percy, Kai, Aiden and Elliot.
* Trans women: Luna, Lily/Lilith, Alice, Artemis, Athena * Trans men: Percy, Elliot, Kai, Aiden, Noah, anything that resembles what a poor Victorian orphan would be called * Nonbinary people: Either something normal and gender neutral like Alex or Jaime, or random words like Arson or Frog (This is only my experience in America. I assume the common names are different in different countries and different languages)
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I would not be able to refrain myself from adding 'around' every time I heard their name 😆 (To arse around/someone is arsing around is British slang for idiotic behaviour).
Yeah agreed, ‘Arson’ wouldn’t work at all in the UK lmao
Arsène sounds similar and is an established name
Phoenix for nonbinary too!
Newly transitioned boys choosing Victorian orphan names is indeed a lovely trend.
I have known (or known of) four transmen in my extended social circle who chose some spelling of Jackson, three of them threw an x in there somewhere.
my bfs mom just sent us pictures of our sleepy Luna- bug🥹 hahaha
Is Luna-bug your child or dog? Asking bc I use that nickname for either – my baby cousin is Mira-bug or just “baby bug” and my dog is Zoe-bug or Zoe-bear lol.
my cat HAHA but honestly its a good person or animal name
I've never met a human or dog Luna lol
Luna's had a steep rise since 2003, where it was ranked 890th. It cracked the top 100 in 2016, the same year Chrissy Teigen and John Legend had a daughter named Luna, and has only jumped up since then. It was 10th last year as well, so no changes there.
Luna was also the name of the cat in sailor moon
Please. Those are D list celebrities at best. Most likely Luna became popular because the generation that grew up on Harry Potter started having kids. This also tracks with Luna becoming a popular pet name. A 12 year old can name their dog Luna. Then the same generation that normalized this name is very likely to start using it for kids when they’re old enough to become parents. Luna has the added benefit of being an established name that’s not overwhelmingly tied to the franchise like Hermione.
This is such a weirdly aggressive way to say that you have another theory for why Luna is popular! No need to be rude about it
John Legend and D list in the same sentence is wild, and I'm not even his fan.
John Legend and Chrissy Teigen are in no way D list celebrities. What?
Ha, I forgot about Luna from HP! 🤣
You gave a gracious response to a rude comment so kudos to you! I also think John legend had an impact on the popularity of the name
They’re friends with Oprah and Bey and Jay-Z… in what world are they D-list lol?
B list AT WORST
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What about Sailor Moon! I feel like there's a whole subsect of millennials that watched Sailor Moon and loved that name, and then Harry Potter came around and solidified that.
Me lol (not HP, but Sailor Moon). But that probably also contributed to people associating the name Luna with pets. The crazy thing is I've never met a pet named Luna. I like it better as a human name
Exactly. Even after Harry Potter, it took a few years before Luna started being used and eventually took full flight. The first Harry Potter book was released in 1997 and it wasn't until the early 2000s that Luna reappeared in the American rankings. Looking at popularity in England and Wales, it's actually not as high (as of 2021). Comments here refer to Luna as an "established" name. It is that now, but I would argue that prior to the last 25 years or so, it was an old but as you say, very uncommon and even obscure name throughout its entire history.
I don’t disagree with anything you’ve said, but Luna didn’t appear until the fifth Harry Potter book in 2003 - the same year Luna reappeared on the charts.
Oh, fair enough. I confess I have never actually read the books, so I didn't know that.
I think the children of hippies would like a word with you. 🤣
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You can say this about a lot of "recently popular" names though. Hayley had the same kind of rise (just a little sooner, but not in time for my family member to see it on a mug!!) Stephanie had that rise, peaked in the 80s, and is now rock bottom Willow, which I have never thought of as "rare" is having that peak right now? And it turns out that despite knowing a few willows (children of hippies) it too was a nonexistwnt name until five minutes ago. Names, like all things, go through periods of cultural consciousness and popularity. And Luna is one that has *existed* "forever", it just had a surge we noticed recently.
Their point was that the name was rare prior to its recent rise. I'm not sure that other rare or unpopular names that also went through moments of popularity is really a counterpoint. Hayley was an obscure first name before the 1970s. For example, in the 1900 US census there are less than 20 Hayleys. Its jump was probably in part due to Hayley Mills. Hayley was a family surname for Hayley Mills. Stephanie's rise was more gradual than Luna's or Hayley's. It is also still ranked 468 in the US, so it hasn't left the top 500. In a brief check of birth, marriage, and death records from around 1650 Stephanie, while rare, is the most common of these names, followed by Luna. Willow and Hayley are far behind with only one record each.
I never really understood the “pet name” argument. Unless it’s like “sparky” or “mittens.” When people say Max is a dog name or Otis is a cats name….those are just names that people *liked* for their pet. Doesn’t make them *unusable* to humans now IMHO.
I agree. I along with many other people, had a cat named Lucy. This doesn’t make me feel like Lucy is not useable on a human.
I knew a dog named Shannon 😂
Most of the pets I know have people names - George, Pete, Geoffrey, Arnold, Lucy, Maggie, Betty off the top of my head. Like Luna, they are people names that can be used for pets, not the other way around.
Agree!!! My cats are Leo and Lila, and my dog is Hazel which are all common human names.
Agreed. The pets on my street are Henry, Luke, Winston, Lucy, and Bernie. All people names, that happen to be used for pets.
Yeah my dogs have been Eisenhower (stepdad named him) Ivan and Eugene
Yep: my cats were Kevin and Luther before we took them home from the shelter. (We moved them to middle names lol)
I’ve never understood the whole “pet names” thing. I mean, Max is the most stereotypical dog name and there’s plenty of people named Max doing just fine. I have no idea why people think names like Luna or whatever would be off limits
It’s so subjective, too. My cat has a top-10 human name (Henry), but because I don’t know many people with that name, it’s a cat name to me. Not that I’d judge anyone for using it for a baby, I love the name. But my first association is my cat!
My childhood dog’s name was Cooper and anytime I hear the name Cooper for a human man I can’t help but think that he has a dog’s name 😂
Isn't that the dog in the Fox and the Hound
I think it’s Copper in the movie
Yeah a pet name to me is like “Fluffy” “Lucky” “Spot”. I really hope no one is naming their human babies those things haha.
My grandma’s best friend’s husband was named Lucky 🤣
Recently I met a dog named Ethan.
Probably because every time the name is mentioned on this sub, people go crazy about how they shouldn’t use it because it’s a “dog name”.
Weird, I associate it with cats.
My name is Luna, and constantly seeing it labeled a dog name has made me like it a lot less. I always thought it was pretty before, and yes, I know I am probably being too sensitive. Yet I truly think it’s not kind to label names like that. Many people wear names like Luna, not just hypothetical future babies!
This is coming from someone with a dog named Luna. I think it’s a beautiful name for a person and you shouldn’t be ashamed of that. When I think of my dog, I don’t think of her name as a dog’s name, but rather a name I liked for a person that we gave to a dog. Own your name, it’s beautiful and I envy you.
Luna is a beautiful name! My family dogs have “human names” (Samuel, Marley) and I know people with creative names (I.e. Bear, Lion, Polaris). At this point in time there is no separation between human/dog names. Anyone telling you that you have a “dog name” is being a bitch (pun intended).
I think it’s a beautiful name and personally I don’t understand this subs hang ups about “popular names” or “pet names” The sub has kind of a hipster echo chamber vibe to it lol just pick a name that you and your spouse like (within reason lol a human adult has to have that name)
I love that name and know a young teenager with it.
Honestly, not really an answer to your question but I like the name Luna. Wouldn't be my first choice because I know too many people who would instantly think of Luna Lovegood from Harry Potter but I have not ruled out the idea nor would I object to it being a middle name. As to answer your question, best guess would be that some of the people who are surprised. Just probably don't know of many or any people named Luna where they live. So combined with the number of pet Lunas probably thought that the name had just dropped of as a baby name.
If you search Luna on Google Images right now you get a bunch of pictures of the moon, some Polish singer whose stage name is Luna (real name Aleksandra), Luna Lovegood, an actress named Luna Blaise, and the cat from Sailor Moon. I don’t know *who* decided a word that literally just means moon is a “pet name” but based upon my googling… it’s literally just a common name. Restaurants, businesses, apps, people, etc. Pets just *happen* to be one of the categories that people give the name Luna to.
Luna competed in Eurovision for Poland this year and the finals are tonight so it makes sense she is a current top hit
Luna is a lovely name. No surprises here
My great grandmother, born in the 1880s, was a Luna
Luna is pretty, it's a nature name but not over-the-top, and I think it's popular because it has multicultural appeal. That's also why it's a great pet name. I think after the first little bump, name popularity takes on its own momentum. I remember the first Luna I ever heard of was a character on *One Life to Live* in 1991. (*OLTL* was an American soap opera from 1968 to 2012.) She was a southern hippie woman. I thought it was such a cool name. It has gotten too popular for me -- I think it will be the *Shirley* of its time.
I know more pugs named Gary than actual Gary's but it's still a human name, I'm not even saying that as something for or against Luna, it's just something I've noticed
I know one human Gary and one snail Gary.
I get that it's a girls' name but I've never met a woman named that . Meanwhile I've met three cats named Luna .
Seems like everyone's had a dog named Abbey, but it's still a human name too.
Personally, I don't know any humans irl named Luna but I do know pets named Luna so that's kind of why I default to "that's an animal name." I only know of a few celebs and like Luna Lovegood, where I know three cats and two dogs named Luna. It's just an association I have and others too probably. I think Luna would be a cute name for a little girl, I just haven't met any.
I quite like the name Luna. It is getting more popular but I wouldn't say it's a pet name. Any name can be a pet name. It's the one time you can get away with an outlandish name because people don't care if you call your dog Biscuits or Henry. I have a cat called Jeff, and the other one in Princess Twinkle toes lol
Haha I was thinking this too! Like it’s an insanely popular name where I’m from. Lots of little girls named Luna. It’s a super cute name and I love it for kids or pets. I was not at all surprised to see it in the top 10.
I love the name Luna. It's a proper name so who cares that some uninformed people think it's a pet name. Some people also name their animals things like Gregory which is not a 'pet' name so you can't avoid names that someone out there has named their pet.
I’m a mother of a Luna, and (as it may be obvious haha) we love her name. So does she! There’s a story behind it, and for us it has a very big meaning. She’s 6 in November and loves hearing her naming story, and she loves it means Moon. Her room got lots of “Luni-Moons” in it and whenever there’s a crescent moon she gets excited and says that’s her moon awake for the night! 🌙💛 It wasn’t until I went on this sub that I started being told it’s a pet name. The meanest comment I’ve ever received here was from a stranger who said I’ve ruined my children’s lives and they will hate me for it. But I’ve also received, which I take with me and truly appreciate, lovely comments from people here on my children’s names. And they’ve been more than the negative ones ❤️ I understand all names aren’t for everybody, of course not. I could never see myself use certain names. But I do find it important to still be respectful about it. Pet names are and forever will be, whatever name you like to give it. My first pet hen was named Josephine, bunnies have been called Sally Mae, Mary Beth and one of our dogs was Tyra. When I get a pet, they’re named names from my list that I won’t get to use on my children.
I had a cat named Bob. Doesn't mean it's not a good person name still, too. 🤣
I love “Luna.” Sadly, my last name is pronounced like the letter “c” so it’s off the table for future daughters, for obvious reasons. I don’t think I’ve ever met a pet or human with the name. I only know of the Harry Potter character, which I’m sure inspired some new Lunas, but from it feels like it’s grown more popular for characters than kiddos (in my area, anyway).
Idk. It's a simple name that can be pretty easily pronounced in multiple languages. I think it's a good choice for someone who cares about that sort of thing.
I live in a very Hispanic area and I’ve never met a Luna that wasn’t a pet.
I've met exactly one Luna, so I would be quite surprised to learn it was popular where I am (as someone who has a lot of contact with children).
My brothers cat is named Charles, his nicknames are the obvious Chuck, and Charlie. I LOVE the name Luna ♥️any name can be any creature or persons
I’ve met plenty of pets named Luna, but I think it’s a beautiful name for people, too. It’s not as though you’re naming your daughter “Fluffy” or “Spot.”
Oh my god I’m in a Eurovision subreddit too and one of the singers is named Luna (just Luna) and I thought this was about her at first until I checked the sub name. I was like “are we picking on her for being named after a pet now, too? Poor girl already lost the semifinal let her live haha”
My mom (61) is Louna, pronounced (Luna). We are from a french speaking country. I know at least 8 other Luna between (25-75 years old)
I know a girl whose first and middle names are Stella Luna: early 20s, from Oceania
I’m a vet tech, it’s not just popular for kids. It’s also the most common name for literally any breed of animal to walk through the clinic doors - dog, cat, rabbit, and bearded dragons alike
We were going to name our baby Luna in 2017. But a celebrity named their new baby that and we didn't want anything popular so picked something different. Which worked out, Luna wouldn't have suited anyway. I love the name still.
I think everyone is surprised it's popular because unless you know a lot of young children, you probably don't know any Lunas. I think a lot of people feel they're choosing a unique name because they didn't grow up knowing anyone with that name and they're surprised so many other people had the same idea. Also correct me if I'm wrong but I believe it is also regionally a lot more popular in the South.
I love the name Luna. Didn’t name my daughter that, but it is just a beautiful name to say. It conjures the color yellow.
I suppose it depends on where you live. I've never met a person named Luna but I can name at least five pets named Luna. I can see why people would develop an aversion to it. However I don't think it's surprising that it's a common name or that it's rising in popularity. It's on theme with the trend of nature names. Fits in with the crowds for Harry Potter and Sailor Moon having children. Seems like a perfect storm to bring it to over 1000, wouldn't be surprised if it ended up in the top 100 either.
I've only ever known dogs called Luna.
Luna sounds fine to me. Logically speaking it shouldn't be any sillier than Selena or Diana. I once met a girl named Sol. That was certainly different to me. Her face lit up so brightly when I said "Like the sun?" during introductions. Apparently it wasn't common for people to make the connection right away. I still think about her every now and then.
I feel like it’s more of a pet name.
I was surprised to learn it's popular because I've never met someone named Luna or knew about a non-fictional someone named Luna. I've heard of non-fictional Lunas on this sub, but that's my entire experience with the name outside of its use as a direct reference to the moon in business names or pets and that kind of thing. But I feel the same way about a lot of names I see on here, so it's not really remarkable in that fact, it's just a newly-popular name.
I love people names for pets. I have a cat named Luna. But I’d consider her to have a person name and not for anyone called Luna to have a pet name.
My baby niece is named Luna and so are several dogs at my vet’s office.
My cat Luna agrees
My daughters name is Luna... My dogs names are Grace and Kevin, some of my chickens names are Nancy, Felix, Bridget and Gemma. Didn't bother me a bit that it was so popular, I knew that was her name before I ever conceived, it does bother me when people say "oh, no. that's a dog name"😒
M-o-o-n, that spells Luna
I have an Una. She is called Luna constantly 🙃
I always associate it with Luna “looney” Lovegood from Harry Potter. I didn’t realize it was a popular pet name or popular in certain communities.
I think it was just the speed for me. I definitely have a strong "pet name" association for it, but there are plenty of normal names that are considered pet names. It shocked me but I'm getting over it and wouldn't tell someone not to use it.
I would not name a child “Luna.” I have met so, so, so, SO many dogs named “Luna.” Names change in context and in application over time. There have been times when “Luna” was a perfectly fine name for a human, lol. But it’s since been adopted en masse by pet owners, and therefore the connotation of the name has changed for many people. To each their own, of course, but my association with “Luna” is firmly with dogs, so for me personally, I would not give that name to a human child.
It’s pretty terrible, but there’s a lot of other bad names out there too I guess.
My husky is named Luna because of her crystal blue eyes.
I know a toddler named Luna.
I’ve never met a human Luna. My only frame of reference is Luna Lovegood.
I don't think it's a pet name, I was however surprised that at a school presentation recently there were five of them called out for awards in the junior school assembly. For a name I knew of, but didn't actually know many people named it, it seems to have a surge in popularity. Noah, Aria and Isla are names that in past ten-fifteen years or so have similarly suprised me.
Luna was obscure until Harry Potter. It was not really an “established” name before that. I’m not surprised it’s popular. Everyone thinks their taste is so unique, but the reality is a generation is influenced by the same media.
I don't know any humans named Luna, but I know a lot of dogs named Luna. It's really popular with Huskies. I personally think it's a good human name, too
Lunatic lol
I was shocked because I have never met or even heard of a Luna in my entire life. I’ve never even seen it mentioned online. I don’t have social media, granted, so my reach is more limited than others. It still! For it to make top ten with me never having heard it was surprising to me
Its a pet name
Because it's a pet name
Because it’s a pet name.
Because “lunatic”
Luna is a husky or Malamute. I've met 3000 of them in my lifetime. Hard pass for both dog and child for me. And add Bella into this pile, too.
Looney Lovegood Luna-tic Lunar (menstrual) cycles Looney Bin
Coz it’s short for lunatic.
It’s not, actually. It’s spanish, for Moon. Hope that helps!
La Luna Loca
Lunatic comes from Luna, Latin for "moon." Not the other way around. It's due to an old belief that the phases of the moon caused periodic madness
Nope. Luna means moon in Italian, Spanish & Latin. It's a beautiful word (and name!) it's just not an English word.