Full Moon Names for 2025

Where Do Moon Names Come From?

The Moon names we use in The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from Native American, Colonial American, or other traditional North American sources passed down through generations. For example, January’s Wolf Moon is not a traditional Native American name; it is thought to have English origins and was brought to North America by European settlers. 

Note that for Native American names, each Moon name was traditionally applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, the month starting either with the new Moon or full Moon.

Full Moon Names

Historically, Native American and other traditional names for full or new Moons were used to track the seasons. The Moon names used in The Old Farmer’s Almanac come from Native American, Colonial American, or other traditional North American sources passed down through generations. 

Note that for Native American names, each Moon name was typically applied to the entire lunar month in which it occurred, the month starting either with the new Moon or full Moon. See Full Moon Dates.

January – Wolf Moon

The howling of wolves was often heard at this time of year. It was traditionally thought that wolves howled due to hunger, but we now know that wolves use howls to define territory, locate pack members, reinforce social bonds, and gather for hunting. European settlers may have used the term “Wolf Moon” even before they came to North America. 

Another name for this period was the Center Moon, from the Assiniboine people, because it was the middle of the winter season.

The Cree names of Cold Moon and Frost Exploding Moon refer to the frigid temperatures of this season, as does the Algonquin name of Freeze Up Moon. The Dakota names Severe Moon and Hard Moon refer to this season’s extreme cold and hard times and the fact that the snow sometimes develops a hard crust.

Other names for this time include Canada Goose Moon (Tlingit), Great Moon (Cree), Greetings Moon (Western Abenaki), and Spirit Moon (Ojibwe). 

February – Snow Moon

In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver, who had visited the Naudowessie (Dakota) and others, wrote that the name used for this period was the Snow Moon “because more snow commonly falls during this month than any other in the winter.” 

The Cree called this the Bald Eagle Moon or Eagle Moon. Bear Moon (Ojibwe) and Black Bear Moon (Tlingit) refer to the time when bear cubs are born. The Dakota called this the Raccoon Moon, and certain Algonquin peoples named it the Groundhog Moon. The Haida named it Goose Moon.

The Cherokee names of “Month of the Bony Moon” and “Hungry Moon” give evidence to the fact that food was hard to come by at this time.

March – Worm Moon

This name is traditionally thought to refer to the earthworms that appear as the soil warms in spring. Alternatively, during his travels in the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver wrote that this Moon name refers to a different sort of “worm”—larvae—which emerge from the bark of trees and other winter hideouts.

Although some Cree groups used the term Eagle Moon to describe the time around February, others used this term for the Moon cycle closer to spring. The Northern Ojibwe called this Crow Comes Back Moon. The term Goose Moon was used among Algonquin and Cree peoples. Snow Crust Moon was an Anishinaabe term. Sore Eyes Moon is a Dakota, Lakota, and Assiniboine term referring to the blinding rays of the sun on snow. Sugar Moon (Ojibwe) is the time when maple sap runs. Wind Strong Moon (Pueblo) refers to the strong windy days that come at this time of year.

April – Pink Moon

This Moon heralded the appearance of the “moss pink” (Phlox subulata), also called wild ground phlox or creeping phlox—one of the first spring wildflowers.

With spring thaws come the Algonquin Breaking Ice Moon and the Dakota Moon When the Streams are Again Navigable. When spring growth appears, so does the Budding Moon of Plants and Shrubs (Tlingit) and Moon of the Red Grass Appearing (Oglala). Animals returning to the area inspired the Lakota name Moon When the Ducks Come Back. Certain Dakota peoples chose the name Moon When the Geese Lay Eggs. Other names are Broken Snowshoe Moon (Anishinaabe), Frog Moon (Cree), and Sugar Maker Moon (Western Abenaki).

Appearing either in April or May, Sucker Moon (Anishinaabe) refers to a time to harvest sucker fish, which return to streams or lake shallows to spawn. According to legend, now is the time when this fish comes back from the spirit world to purify bodies of water and the creatures living in them. (This name may also be applied to the February Moon, to honor the sacrifice of the sucker fish in order to feed the Anishinaabe peoples, helping them to survive the winter.)

May – Flower Moon

The appearance of flowers in abundance inspired the name for this Moon, a term used by Algonquin and Ojibwe peoples. 

Similarly, the Cree names of Budding Moon and Leaf Budding Moon celebrate the awakening of plant life. Egg Laying Moon and Frog Moon are other Cree terms for this period. Moon of the Shedding Ponies is an Oglala term. Planting Moon (Dakota, Lakota) marks the time to plant seeds and start the year’s crops. 

June – Strawberry Moon

Used by the Algonquin, Ojibwe, Dakota, and Lakota peoples, among others, this name came about because ripe strawberries were ready to be gathered at this time. 

Similarly, Berries Ripen Moon is a Haida term. Blooming Moon (Anishinaabe) is indicative of the flowering season. The time for tending crops is indicated by Green Corn Moon (Cherokee) and Hoer Moon (Western Abenaki).

Eighteenth-century Captain Jonathan Carver wrote that Native Americans whom he had visited used the term Hot Moon.

The Tlingit used the term Birth Moon, referring to the time when certain animals are born in their region. Egg Laying Moon and Hatching Moon are Cree terms for this period.

July – Buck Moon

At this time, the antlers of bucks (male deer) are in full growth mode. This Native American name was noted by Captain Jonathan Carver during his travels in the 1760s.

Other animal-related names include Feather Moulting Moon (Cree) and Salmon Moon, a Tlingit term indicating when fish returned to the area and were harvested.

As far as the plant world, there was Berry Moon (Anishinaabe), Moon When the Chokecherries are Ripe (Dakota), Month of the Ripe Corn Moon (Cherokee), and Raspberry Moon (Algonquin, Ojibwe), among others.

Thunder Moon (Western Abenaki) and Halfway Summer Moon (Anishinaabe) are other variants.

August – Sturgeon Moon

Lake sturgeon, found in the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain, as well as in several rivers, were once much more abundant. These large (some more than 6 feet long!) migratory fish were an important staple for Native American peoples living in the area. Captain Jonathan Carver came across this term for the lunar month during his travels in the 1760s.

Flying Up Moon is a Cree term describing the time when young birds are ready to fly. 

Corn Moon (Algonquin, Ojibwe), Harvest Moon (Dakota), and Ricing Moon (Anishinaabe) signify the time to gather mature crops. The Assiniboine people named this period Black Cherries Moon, referring to when chokecherries were ripe.

The Tlingit called this time of season the Mountain Shadows Moon.

September – Corn Moon

Corn was ready to harvest at this time. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver came across this Native American term during his travels. Similarly, the Western Abenaki called this the Corn Maker Moon, and the Dakota, the Corn Harvest Moon.

NOTE: Harvest Moon refers to the full Moon closest to the September equinox, which is the tradition that The Old Farmer’s Almanac follows. Read more about the Harvest Moon here.

Moon When Rice is Laid Up to Dry (Dakota) refers to the time of harvesting and processing rice.

Autumn Moon (Cree), Falling Leaves Moon (Ojibwe), Leaves Turning Moon (Anishinaabe), Moon of Brown Leaves (Lakota), and Yellow Leaf Moon (Assiniboine) all speak to the leaf-changing season. 

Child Moon (Tlingit) occurs when young animals are weaned. Mating Moon and Rutting Moon are Cree terms that describe the time when certain animals, such as moose, are ready to mate.

October – Hunter’s Moon

This is the month when game is fattening up for winter. Now is the time for hunting and laying in a store of provisions for the long months ahead.

Drying Rice Moon (Dakota) describes the next process in preparing rice for winter. Falling Leaves Moon is an Anishinaabe term. Freezing Moon (Ojibwe) and Ice Moon (Haida) refer to the increasingly cold temperatures of this period. Migrating Moon (Cree) refers to the time when birds begin to fly south.

November – Beaver Moon

This was the time when beavers finished preparations for winter and retreated into their lodges. In the 1760s, Captain Jonathan Carver heard this Native American term during his travels.

Also in the realm of animals, Deer Rutting Moon (Dakota, Lakota) refers to the mating season. Digging/Scratching Moon is a Tlingit term for when bears dig their winter dens. Whitefish Moon (Algonquin) describes the spawning time for this fish.

As cold temperatures deepen, the terms Frost Moon (Cree, Assiniboine) and Freezing Moon (Anishinaabe) were also used. 

December – Cold Moon

A name used by the Mohawk people, this Moon occurs when winter cold fastens its grip. 

Other names that allude to the cold and snow include Drift Clearing Moon (Cree), Frost Exploding Trees Moon (Cree), Moon of the Popping Trees (Oglala), Hoar Frost Moon (Cree), Snow Moon (Haida, Cherokee), and Winter Maker Moon (Western Abenaki).

Long Night Moon is a Mohican term; Mid-Winter Moon, Lakota and Northern Ojibwe. 

Other names include Moon When the Deer Shed Their [Antlers] (Dakota) and Little Spirit Moon (Anishinaabe).

Why Native Americans Named the Moons

The early Native Americans did not record time using the Julian or Gregorian calendar months. Many tribes kept track of time by observing the seasons and lunar months, although there was much variability. For some tribes, the year contained four seasons and started at a particular season, such as spring or fall. Others counted five seasons to a year. Some tribes defined a year as 12 Moons, while others assigned it 13. Certain tribes that used the lunar calendar added an extra Moon every few years to keep it in sync with the seasons. 

Each tribe that did name the full or new Moons (and/or lunar months) had its own naming preferences. Some would use 12 names for the year, while others might use five, six, or seven; certain names might change the next year. A Moon name used by one tribe might differ from one used by another tribe for the same time period or be the same name but represent a different time period. The name was often a description relating to a particular activity/event that usually occurred in their location. Also, the lunar month’s name might vary each year or between bands or other groups within the same nation.

Colonial Americans adopted some of the Native American Moon names and applied them to their own calendar system (primarily Julian and, later, Gregorian); they also brought their own traditions from Europe. Since the Gregorian calendar is the system that many in North America use today, that is how we have presented the list of Moon names as a frame of reference. 

Full Moon Name Chart

On the chart below, we’ve listed alternative Moon names and their respective tribes. Note that some names listed here may reflect usage at once in history but may no longer be used by a designated group today. Many of the names listed here are English interpretations of the words used in Native American languages. They are only roughly aligned here with the months of the Gregorian calendar; you’ll notice that some names are repeated in multiple months.

Click on the linked names below for our monthly Full Moon Guides.

Moon Name Reference Sources

If you want to learn more, below are credible reference sources for these Full Moon Names—from Native American organizations to early American historical references. 

• Akta Lakota Museum & Cultural Center
  Chamberlain, South Dakota
• Algonquin Way Cultural Centre
  Pilwakanagan, Ontario
• Western Abenaki
• Online Cree Dictionary
• ”Travels Through the Interior Parts of North America, in the Years 1766, 1767, 1768”
  by Captain Jonathan Carver, first published in 1781.
  P. 250-252
  [Editor’s Note: Carver’s book is referenced by Meriwether Lewis, secretary for Thomas Jefferson.]
• ”A Dakota-English Dictionary”
  by Stephen Return Riggs
  Washington: Government Printing Office, 1890

Other Full Moon Names

The following Moon names came into popular use more recently and do not refer to any specific month’s Moon:

• Blue Moon: Occasionally, two full Moons occur within the same calendar month. The first full Moon goes by the name normally assigned to that month’s full Moon, but the second full Moon is commonly called a Blue Moon. Blue Moons occur about every 2½ years. Another definition for “Blue Moon” is the third full Moon in a series of four full Moons occurring in a single astronomical season.
• Black Moon: The term “Black Moon” has a few definitions. Most commonly, it refers to the second new Moon occurring within a single calendar month; by this definition, a Black Moon can never occur in February. It has also been used to refer to a month in which there is no full Moon; this can only occur in February because the calendar month has fewer days (28 or 29 days) than the lunar month (about 29.5 days).
• Supermoon: A full Moon is said to be a Supermoon when it is at the point in its orbit closest to Earth. In astronomy, the terms “perigee-syzygy” or “perigee full Moon” are typically used instead of “Supermoon.” Learn more about Supermoons.
• Blood Moon: The term “Blood Moon” is used when there is a complete lunar eclipse. The moon isn’t actually “bloody,” but it appears orange or coppery like a penny.

When Is the Next Full Moon?

Check out our Full Moon Calendar to see when the next full Moon will happen, and see our Moon Phase Calendar to find the Moon phase for a specific date!