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Moana as a Baby Name. Meaning and Origin of Moana

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The baby name Moana is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced mo-AH-nah (Māori/Hawaiian: /moˈa.na/; Anglicized: /moʊˈɑːnə/).

Moana is Polynesian in Origin.

Gender: Female
Syllables: 3.0
Origin: Polynesian
Pronunciation: mo-AH-nah (Māori/Hawaiian: /moˈa.na/; Anglicized: /moʊˈɑːnə/)

What is the meaning of the name Moana ?

The baby name Moana is a Female name , 3 syllables long and is pronounced mo-AH-nah (Māori/Hawaiian: /moˈa.na/; Anglicized: /moʊˈɑːnə/).

Moana is Polynesian in Origin.

Moana comes from Polynesian languages, especially Maori and Hawaiian, where moana means "ocean, open sea," evoking depth, vastness, and life-giving waters central to Pacific voyaging cultures. As a given name it is traditionally unisex in Maori and other Pacific communities, pronounced moh-AH-nah, and is appreciated for its natural imagery and cultural resonance.

Usage spans Aotearoa New Zealand, Hawaii, Tahiti, and the wider Polynesian diaspora, with notable bearers such as Maori scholar Moana Jackson and singer Moana Maniapoto highlighting its cross-gender history. International awareness surged after the 2016 Disney film; in parts of Europe the character was retitled Vaiana, a variant some families now adopt. Other informal shortenings include Mo and Ana, while Mona is sometimes used as an English-friendly nickname (despite a different origin). Meaning remains consistent across variants: a child "of the sea."

Moana has the following similar or variant Names

Moana – Popularity by country

Based on birth registration data from national statistics agencies.

Country Gender Year Rank Born of
FJ Girls 0 #9 1 583
MV Boys 0 #79 1 3,375
CN 0 #86 1 3,857
MD Girls 0 #92 1 865
BN Girls 0 #110 5 5,459
PH 0 #110 1 5,607
Switzerland Girls 2024 #125 11 1,786
CY Girls 0 #125 1 3,755
MT Girls 0 #153 1 3,773
Sweden Girls 2021 #182 2 1,666
AE 0 #187 1 10,220
AO Girls 0 #217 1 4,575
PS 0 #226 1 5,692
NA Girls 0 #236 2 7,146
BD 0 #240 2 5,992
PT 0 #249 2 4,161
JP Girls 0 #251 1 6,592
JM Girls 0 #275 4 7,507
Canada Girls 2022 #276 5 2,867
IL 0 #282 1 6,291
TW Girls 0 #286 4 8,139
SA 0 #311 2 10,560
CN Boys 0 #331 1 9,639
KZ Girls 0 #332 1 5,862
France Girls 2021 #335 71 3,185
GT 0 #337 2 5,948
JO Girls 0 #337 3 7,570
QA Girls 0 #342 2 15,378
CZ Girls 0 #351 1 5,378
MY 0 #353 2 12,352
CN Girls 0 #355 5 8,829
SD Girls 0 #358 1 7,678
MU Girls 0 #359 4 8,539
BR 0 #360 1 5,969
PL Girls 0 #364 1 5,096
France Boys 2021 #374 14 2,865
PH Girls 0 #375 16 13,098
PT Boys 0 #381 1 7,951
YE 0 #395 4 8,639
BD Girls 0 #400 7 8,413
BO 0 #408 1 6,868
PH Boys 0 #408 1 11,440
UY Boys 0 #413 1 5,922
OM Girls 0 #418 7 15,987
CL 0 #434 1 6,867
PT Girls 0 #470 2 7,952
AR Boys 0 #483 1 7,628
PA Boys 0 #505 1 9,305
PA Girls 0 #514 5 9,861
IQ Girls 0 #520 6 11,303
RU Girls 0 #521 3 11,913
UY Girls 0 #533 4 6,731
GT Girls 0 #539 3 7,500
IR Girls 0 #545 1 8,334
KW Girls 0 #553 9 19,177
HK Boys 0 #556 2 12,905
CM Girls 0 #558 3 11,671
LY 0 #558 2 12,703
CR Girls 0 #572 2 11,342
CM Boys 0 #575 1 12,054
SG Girls 0 #577 10 18,916
BH 0 #587 1 17,937
AE Girls 0 #592 6 20,968
BO Girls 0 #602 10 9,488
BD Boys 0 #605 1 10,045
BO Boys 0 #622 1 9,244
AR Girls 0 #625 6 8,289
HK Girls 0 #648 3 16,104
IN Girls 0 #652 3 13,121
LB 0 #690 1 13,263
IQ Boys 0 #693 5 13,071
IT 0 #695 20 4,183
Finland Girls 2026 #730 9 3,895
SG Boys 0 #739 1 17,960
QA Boys 0 #743 1 18,093
SY 0 #764 4 11,684
BR Boys 0 #785 1 12,213
KW Boys 0 #806 1 18,755
Germany Girls 0 #808 31 4,949
NG Girls 0 #820 7 15,093
CL Girls 0 #838 14 14,098
TN 0 #865 1 13,765
United States Girls 2024 #867 50 8,487
BR Girls 0 #900 42 12,708
SA Girls 0 #909 27 25,931
EG Girls 0 #911 49 14,742
OM Boys 0 #915 4 17,948
EG Boys 0 #923 3 15,035
PE Girls 0 #925 19 14,861
NL Girls 0 #946 10 5,933
MY Girls 0 #974 21 24,821
CO Boys 0 #980 2 15,656
MX Boys 0 #1,028 6 16,355
IN Boys 0 #1,039 1 16,750
CO Girls 0 #1,068 11 16,140
AE Boys 0 #1,138 6 22,615
MX Girls 0 #1,147 37 17,781
MY Boys 0 #1,180 3 25,439
MA 0 #1,191 9 20,986
IT Girls 0 #1,219 228 9,415
DZ 0 #1,226 9 20,130
ZA Girls 0 #1,231 6 25,928
TR 0 #1,254 1 19,440
ZA Boys 0 #1,272 1 25,619
SA Boys 0 #1,685 7 28,008

Moana is popular in 68 countries — most recent births per country:

France
Switzerland
United States
Canada
Sweden

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People also ask about Moana

Moana is predominantly a girl's name.
Moana is a 3 syllable name, pronounced mo-AH-nah (Māori/Hawaiian: /moˈa.na/; Anglicized: /moʊˈɑːnə/).
Common nicknames and spelling variations include Moanā (with macron), Moʻana (with ʻokina), Mo (nickname) and Mana (nickname/short form).
Across languages, Moana has these equivalents: Marina (Latin/European; 'of the sea'), Maris (Latin; 'of the sea'), Darya (Persian; 'sea'), Kai (Hawaiian; 'sea'), Dylan (Welsh; 'son of the sea'), and 1 more.
Yes — Moana ranked #125 in Switzerland in 2024, and appears in official birth registries across 7 countries.
Moana ranks highest in Switzerland (#125 in 2024).
Moana's popularity is rising significantly. It moved from #403 in 2011 to #335 in 2021 in France.