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Name

Moana

/moh-AH-nah/ FeminineMaori and Hawaiian

Meaning

Moana is a feminine name of Maori and Hawaiian origin meaning “ocean, open sea”.

Moana is the word for the deep ocean across Polynesian languages, from Hawaii to Aotearoa, long used as a genuine given name in those cultures. Disney's 2016 wayfinding heroine introduced it to the rest of the planet, where it now reads as adventurous rather than obscure.

Traditional in Polynesia; saw a measurable bump in international use after the 2016 film.

At a glance

Origin
Maori and Hawaiian
Gender
Feminine
Pronounced
/moh-AH-nah/
Themes
OceanFreedom

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Questions

  • Moana is a feminine name of Maori and Hawaiian origin meaning “ocean, open sea”. Moana is the word for the deep ocean across Polynesian languages, from Hawaii to Aotearoa, long used as a genuine given name in those cultures.

  • Moana is traditionally a feminine (girl) name. Traditional in Polynesia; saw a measurable bump in international use after the 2016 film.

  • The name Moana comes from Maori and Hawaiian. Moana is the word for the deep ocean across Polynesian languages, from Hawaii to Aotearoa, long used as a genuine given name in those cultures. Disney's 2016 wayfinding heroine introduced it to the rest of the planet, where it now reads as adventurous rather than obscure.

  • Moana is pronounced moh-AH-nah.

More names that mean ocean

Names that share this meaning.