Meaning and background
The story behind Moana
Moana has a water meaning documented across several Polynesian languages. Behind the Name gives ocean, deep sea, and a broad expanse of water in Māori, Hawaiian, and related language settings. Those closely related senses provide a concrete linguistic explanation for the spelling. For a dog, a sea connection can be intentional, while any modern fictional namesake should be described as an additional association rather than the origin of the word.
- Origin
- Name meaning ocean, deep sea, or a wide expanse of water in Māori, Hawaiian, and other Polynesian languages. Source
Try Moana out loud
Everyday moments“Moana, come here!”
Say it as you would on a walk or at home. Does it feel natural alongside your usual commands and other pets’ names?
About Moana
Recorded as a dog’s name
Moana appears in 26 dog licence records in the 2022 New York City dataset.
How to read this count
These records cover New York City and may count the same dog in more than one licence period. They are not a national popularity ranking.
Compare your favourites
Put Moana beside another name before you decide.
Explore names like Moana
Narrow the finder by the features you want to keep.
Sources and research notes (2)
Gender association: NYC licence-period records. Any dog can use this name.
- New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene NYC Dog Licensing Dataset — all seven available extract years, retrieved 24 October 2026 — Recorded name spellings in NYC licence-period rows, extract years 2016–2018, 2022–2024 and 2026. Evidence selects one stated year per name. Annual snapshots overlap; never sum them as unique dogs. No national popularity, etymology or owner naming-intent claim.
- City of Seattle Seattle Pet Licenses — DOG-only name aggregate, current source dated 6 October 2026 — Secondary spelling corroboration from dog-only licence rows. No cats, owner fields, national ranking or unique-dog claim.
References support the individual facts shown. A source link does not mean the entire profile has been verified.