Full Moon Names: Meanings of the Twelve Traditional Names

The twelve traditional full moon names in the North American convention are Wolf, Snow, Worm, Pink, Flower, Strawberry, Buck, Sturgeon, Harvest, Hunter’s, Beaver and Cold. Each is tied to a month, and they are used across calendars and almanacs. This page explains what each name refers to, how the Harvest, Hunter’s and Blue Moons are defined, and how Purnima in the Hindu calendar differs.

Where the names come from

The names were popularised by farmers’ almanacs, which drew on names attributed to Native American peoples and on colonial and settler usage. That attribution is broad: there was no single list, and names vary by nation and region, with many peoples naming their moons after local seasonal events. What circulates today is a convenient set, not an authoritative one. In this convention a full moon takes the name of the month it falls in by New York time.

The twelve names

• Wolf Moon (January): from wolves heard howling in midwinter.
• Snow Moon (February): the month of heaviest snow in much of North America.
• Worm Moon (March): the thawing of the ground and the return of earthworms, though some accounts mean other larvae.
• Pink Moon (April): not the colour of the Moon, but the pink wild ground phlox that blooms in spring.
• Flower Moon (May): the spring flowering.
• Strawberry Moon (June): the short strawberry harvest season.
• Buck Moon (July): male deer growing new antlers.
• Sturgeon Moon (August): the time when sturgeon were easily caught in the Great Lakes and nearby waters.
• Harvest Moon (September or October): see below.
• Hunter’s Moon (October or November): the season of hunting before winter.
• Beaver Moon (November): a time associated with trapping beavers or with beavers preparing for winter.
• Cold Moon (December): the arrival of long, cold nights.

Harvest Moon, Hunter’s Moon and Blue Moon

The Harvest Moon is the full moon closest to the September equinox. Around then, the Moon rises at a notably similar time on successive evenings, which gave farmers extra light for harvesting. It usually falls in September, but in some years it is the first October full moon. The Hunter’s Moon is the next full moon after it. In 2026 these are 26 September and 26 October. In 2027 they are 15 September and 15 October.

A Blue Moon, in the modern calendar sense, is the second full moon within one calendar month, which happens roughly every two to three years. Because a full moon near midnight can fall in different months in different time zones, whether a moon counts depends on where you are. By the dates in our calendar, 31 May 2026 is a Blue Moon and 2027 has none. The Moon does not turn blue.

Is a supermoon a real thing?

The term “supermoon” is modern and popular, not a formal astronomical term. It is usually used for a full or new moon that occurs near the Moon’s closest point to Earth (perigee). Because the Moon’s orbit is slightly oval, it looks a little larger and brighter then, but the difference from an ordinary full moon is modest and hard to judge by eye. There is no scientific evidence that it changes tides dramatically or affects people, so treat it as a fun reason to look up.

Purnima in the Hindu calendar

In India the full moon day is called Purnima. The Hindu lunar calendar divides each lunar month into tithis (lunar days), and Purnima is the tithi on which the Moon is opposite the Sun. Several Purnimas are festivals in their own right, such as Guru Purnima, Sharad Purnima and Kartik Purnima. The date observed can differ from the astronomical full moon date, because it follows the tithi at local time and each regional calendar has its own rules for the lunar month. For observances and dates, see the Purnima page on our sister site, Nidarshana Vedh on Purnima. The calendars on this site use the astronomical moment of the full moon, not the Hindu tithi.

Full moon dates for 2026 and 2027

All times are UTC, taken from the full detail in the 2026 full moon calendar and the 2027 full moon calendar, where you will also find New York, London, New Delhi and Sydney times, the Moon’s sign and the new moons.

The eclipses that fall on these dates are on the 2026 and 2027 eclipse pages. Astrologers also read the Moon’s sign at each full moon, and you can find your own with the Sun Moon Rising calculator, but that reading is a tradition for reflection and not a prediction.

Frequently asked questions