A Guide to Traditional Full Moon Names and Their Meanings
Here’s the official guide to every full Moon name of the year from The Old Farmer’s Almanac. Learn the special meaning behind the names—from January’s Wolf Moon to December’s Cold Moon.
Where Do Moon Names Come From?
Historically, names for the full or new Moons were used to track the seasons. Today, we think of Moon names as “nicknames” for the Moon.
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, the name of January’s Wolf Moon is not a traditional Native American name; it’s thought to have English origins and 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. Additionally, a name for the lunar month might vary each year or between bands or other groups within the same nation.
Some names listed here may reflect usage at one time 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 and see our Full Moon Calendar to find out the date of the next full Moon!
| Month | Name | Description | Alternative Names |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | Full Wolf Moon | The howling of wolves was often heard at this time of year. Many sources state that wolves howled due to hunger. Rather, wolves use howls to define territory, locate pack members, reinforce social bonds, and gather for hunting. |
• Canada Goose Moon |
| February | Full Snow Moon | February is typically a time of heavy snowfall. |
• Bald Eagle Moon |
| March | Full Worm Moon | Traditionally thought to be named after the earthworms of warming spring soil. Alternatively, in the late 1700s, Jonathan Carver wrote that this Moon actually refers to a different sort of “worm”—larvae—which emerge from the bark of trees and other winter hideouts around this time. |
• Crow Comes Back Moon |
| April | Full Pink Moon | This full Moon heralded the appearance of the “moss pink,” or wild ground phlox—one of the first spring wildflowers. |
• Breaking Ice Moon |
| May | Full Flower Moon | Flowers spring forth in abundance this month. |
• Budding Moon |
| June | Full Strawberry Moon | This was the time to gather ripening strawberries in what is now the northeastern United States. |
• Berries Ripen Moon |
| July | Full Buck Moon | At this time, a buck’s (male deer’s) antlers are in full growth mode. |
• Berry Moon |
| August | Full Sturgeon Moon | The sturgeon of the Great Lakes and Lake Champlain were said to be most readily caught during this full Moon. |
• Black Cherries Moon |
| September | Harvest Moon (or Full Corn Moon) |
In 2022, the Harvest Moon is the full Moon that occurs closest to the September equinox. (See note below for more detail.) This time also corresponds with the traditional harvesting of corn. |
• Autumn Moon |
| October | Full Hunter’s Moon (or Harvest Moon*) | This is the month when the game is fattened up for winter. Now is the time for hunting and laying in a store of provisions for the long months ahead. |
• Drying Rice Moon |
| November | Full Beaver Moon | This was the time when beavers finished preparations for winter and retreated into their lodges. |
• Deer Rutting Moon |
| December | Full Cold Moon | This is the month when the winter cold fastens its grip and the nights become long and dark. |
• Drift Clearing Moon |
| *According to one tradition, which the Old Farmer’s Almanac honors, the Harvest Moon is always the full Moon that occurs closest to the September equinox. Most years, it falls in September; every three years, it falls in October. (Astronomical seasons do not match up with the lunar month.) If the Harvest Moon occurs in October, the September full Moon is usually called the Corn Moon instead. Similarly, the Hunter’s Moon always follows the Harvest Moon. (Note that these last two conditions are not according to Native American tradition.) | |||
Why Native Americans Named the Moons
The early Native Americans did not record time by using the months of the Julian or Gregorian calendar. Many tribes kept track of time by observing the seasons and lunar months, although there was much variability. For some tribes, the year contained 4 seasons and started at a certain season, such as spring or fall. Others counted 5 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 5, 6, or 7; also, 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 itself was often a description relating to a particular activity/event that usually occurred during that time in their location.
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.
Moon Name Reference Sources
If you are interested in learning 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 Meriweather 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 that all occur 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.
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!
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In my culture full moon has religious and cultural significance. Moon is not taken as an astrological object, it is our part of daily life like the sun. We believe that the sun provides energy to crop for growing and ripe the fruits but the moon provides test, smoothness, and sweetness of any fruits, vegetable, and grain. ,
How interesting. Id love to learn more about that. What is your religion/ particular culture?
:-)
The black moon is actually a new moon.
I love the illustrations for the full moons. Is there a place to purchase these prints- either individually or in a calendar format? I would love to frame them in my home.
What moon is best to lay down gravel or rock? Thanks
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