UK girl's name
Luna
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "moon".
For 2026, the newest official UK baby-name figures on this page are from 2024. That release is the current official benchmark rather than a forecast.
Luna is a girl's name in the UK records. People looking for Luna popularity in 2026 should use the latest official release, which is 2024 in this profile. In that release it ranked #48, with 908 babies registered with the name. Its strongest year in the published records was 2021, with 1,261 births.
This profile covers 11,543 England and Wales registrations across 28 recorded years from 1996 to 2024. The figures come from ONS England and Wales, NRS Scotland and NISRA Northern Ireland, so the page is a view of published baby-name registrations rather than a forecast or a live count of people using the name today.
The latest count is about 72% of the recorded peak, which gives a quick read on how the name has moved since its high point.
We estimate that about 12,253 living people in the UK are called Luna. This uses published birth registrations from England and Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland, then applies ONS national life tables to estimate how many are likely still alive. It does not forecast extra births for 2025 or 2026.
Key insights
- • Luna ranked #48 for girls in England and Wales in 2024, with 908 registrations.
- • The name peaked in 2021, when 1,261 girls were registered as Luna.
- • Luna ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #97 in 2024.
- • About 12,253 living people in the UK are estimated to have Luna as a first name, after adjusting past birth registrations with ONS life tables.
Latest rank (E&W)
#48
2024
Births in 2024
908
Latest year
Peak year
2021
1,261 births
Estimated living
12,253
2026
Meaning
What does Luna mean?
Luna is a feminine given name with origins dating back to ancient Roman times. It comes from the Latin word "luna" which means "moon". The name is derived from the name of the Roman goddess of the moon, Luna.
In ancient Roman mythology, Luna was the divine embodiment of the moon and the daughter of the gods Hyperion and Theia. She was often depicted as a beautiful woman riding a chariot pulled by white horses or oxen. The worship of Luna was widespread throughout the Roman Empire and her name became a popular choice for baby girls born during the full moon.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Luna can be found in the writings of the Roman poet Ovid, who lived from 43 BC to 17 AD. In his work "Fasti", Ovid refers to the goddess Luna and her role in the Roman religious calendar.
Throughout history, there have been several notable women named Luna. One of the most famous was Luna Baglioni (1532-1593), an Italian noblewoman and patron of the arts who was known for her beauty and intelligence. Another notable Luna was Luna Mikhaylovna Kosmodemyanskaya (1923-1942), a Soviet partisan and World War II hero who was executed by the Nazis for her resistance activities.
In the realm of literature, Luna Lovegood is a beloved character in the Harry Potter book series by J.K. Rowling. She was introduced in the fifth book, "Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix", published in 2003, and became a fan favorite for her quirky personality and loyalty to her friends.
Other famous women named Luna include Luna Rioumina (1899-1954), a Russian ballerina and choreographer, and Luna Park (1868-1944), an American actress and vaudeville performer.
While the name Luna has its roots in ancient Roman times, it has remained a popular choice for baby girls throughout the centuries, with its association with the moon and its celestial connotations.
Sourced from namecensus.com.
Popularity
Luna over time
The chart below shows babies named Luna registered in England and Wales in the years where the name appears in the published records, from 1996 to 2024. Empty years are left out so rare names are not stretched across long periods where the published files do not show any registrations.
For Luna, the clearest high point is 2021. The latest England and Wales figure is 908 births in 2024, compared with 1,261 at the peak.
Babies born per year
Decades
Luna by decade
Decade totals smooth out the yearly jumps and make it easier to see whether Luna was a short-lived spike or a name that stayed in regular use. Average rank is calculated only from years where a published rank exists.
| Decade | Average rank | Total births | Years covered |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2020s | #38 | 5,622 | 5 |
| 2010s | #195 | 5,570 | 10 |
| 2000s | #1060 | 328 | 10 |
| 1990s | #2135 | 23 | 3 |
Geography
Where Luna is most common
The bars show the latest published local birth counts for Luna. They are useful for spotting where the name is showing up in real numbers, while the rank beside each bar shows how strongly it performs inside that region.
Luna ranks best in Scotland in the latest published regional snapshot for that area, where it placed #97 in 2024.
Across the UK
Luna in Scotland and Northern Ireland
Scotland (NRS)
#97 in 2024
17 years of NRS records, 616 total registered
Northern Ireland (NISRA)
#150 in 2024
11 years of NISRA records, 147 total registered
Notable bearers
Famous people named Luna
-
Luna Fluxá
racing driver
Spanish racing driver
2010-
-
Luna Blaise
actor
American actress and singer
2001-
-
Luna Carmoon
screenwriter; film director
English screenwriter and film director
Related
Names similar to Luna
- Lily 72,956
- Lucy 70,663
- Lauren 50,664
- Leah 33,185
- Lola 24,525
- Layla 24,520
- Laura 23,471
- Lilly 21,714
- Lydia 18,353
- Libby 14,515
- Lara 13,415
- Lacey 13,406
FAQ
Luna: questions and answers
How popular is the name Luna in the UK right now?
In 2024, Luna was ranked #48 for girls in England and Wales, with 908 births registered.
When was Luna most popular?
The peak year on record was 2021, with 1,261 babies registered as Luna in England and Wales.
What is the meaning and origin of Luna?
A feminine name of Latin origin meaning "moon".
How many people are called Luna in the UK?
A total of 11,543 babies have been registered as Luna across the 28 years of ONS England & Wales records shown here, plus 616 more in Scotland and 147 in Northern Ireland.
Where is Luna most common?
In the latest published local rankings, Luna ranks best in Scotland, where it placed #97 in 2024. The regional bars on this page use birth counts, so they also reflect the size of each region.
Which records is this page based on?
The England and Wales timeline uses ONS baby-name records. Scotland figures come from NRS and Northern Ireland figures come from NISRA. Counts are registrations in published baby-name files. The living estimate uses those birth registrations with ONS national life tables.