Full Moon Names 2018: 13 Full Moons
Each full moon has a nickname. Here is a list of the Full Moon Names for 2018 based on the traditional Native American names.
A full moon is a lunar phase that occurs when the Earth is directly between the Sun and Moon so that the moon looks completely illuminated when you look at it. It happens about once a month or, 29.53 days on average in the middle of the lunar cycle.
In 2018 the full moon names were as follows:
- January 2018: Full Wolf Moon
- January 2018 (end): Full Blue Moon
- March 2018: Full Worm Moon
- March 2018 (end): Full Blue Moon
- April 2018: Full Pink Moon
- May 2018: Full Flower Moon
- June 2018: Full Strawberry Moon
- July 2018: Full Buck Moon
- August 2018: Full Sturgeon Moon
- September 2018: Full Harvest Moon
- October 2018: Full Hunter’s Moon
- November 2018: Full Beaver Moon
- December 2018: Full Cold Moon
Continue reading below for more information about the 2018 Full Moon Names, their meanings, and dates.
The dates and times provided by NASA in United States Eastern Time (ET) account for both Eastern Standard Time (EST) and Eastern Daylight Time (EDT) for part of the year. Also included is the Coordinated Universal Time (UTC) time. This was previously referred to as Greenwich Mean Time (GMT). Since your local time zone may differ, the exact dates may shift slightly for your calendar.
The supermoons are based on the calculations by AstroPixels.
Full Moon Names 2018
In 2018 there were 13 full moons, each with a nickname or two. Here is a list of the 2018 full moons and their traditional names.
January 1, 2018 (January 2, 2018 UTC): Full Wolf Moon
The January 2018 full moon name, the Full Wolf Moon, is one of many inspired by nature. The Full Wolf Moon, takes its name from the wolves howling at the moon. There are also a few other names that are also used for the January Full Moon including: the Old Moon, Ice Moon, Moon After Yule, and Full Snow Moon.
January 31, 2018: Full Blue Moon
The second January 2018 Full moon was called the Full Blue moon because it was the second full moon in a calendar month. It was also the first of two blue moons during the year, a rare event.
March 1, 2018 (March 2, 2018 UTC): Full Worm Moon
The March 2018 full moon name, the Full Worm moon, takes its name from the earthworms that start to reappear as the grown thaws at the end of the winter. The birds start to come back as spring approaches, with the Spring Equinox that happens each year towards the end of March.
Other nicknames for the March Full Moon include: Sap Moon, Crow Moon, Chaste Moon, Sugar Moon, and Lenten Moon.
Depending on the year, the Full Worm Moon could occur either at the end of Winter or the beginning of Spring. In 2018 it was part of the Winter season.
March 31, 2018: Full Blue Moon
The second March 2018 Full moon was called the Full Blue moon because it was the second full moon in a calendar month. It was also the second of two blue moons during the year, a rare event.
April 29, 2018 (April 30, 2018 UTC): Full Pink Moon
The April 2018 full moon name, the Full Pink moon, comes from a pink herb moss that flowers at that time of year.
Other nicknames for April’s full moon include: the Seed Moon, Egg Moon, Full Sprouting Grass Moon, and Full Fish Moon. They all have a common tie to the spring season as new flowers start to bloom and the fish begin to spawn.
Depending on the year, the Full Pink Moon could occur either be the first or second full moon of Spring. In 2018 it was the second Spring Full Moon.
May 29, 2018: Full Flower Moon
The May 2018 Full Moon name, the Full Flower Moon, probably isn’t a surprise: “April Showers bring May Flowers” as the saying goes. Welcome to spring and the flowers that come with the season.
While the April full moon name doesn’t reference rain, the May full moon matches the time-honored saying.
Other nicknames for the May Full Moon include the Corn Planting Moon, and Milk Moon.
June 28, 2018: Full Strawberry Moon
The June 2018 Full Moon name, the Full Strawberry Moon, is probably one you could have guessed if you like to pick strawberries in June. The Full Strawberry Moon fits nicely as summer approaches, and it’s time to enjoy this fruit.
Depending on the year, the Full Strawberry Moon could occur either at the end of Spring or the beginning of Summer, depending on if it happens before or after the Summer Solstice. In 2018 it was the first full moon of the Summer season.
Other nicknames for the June Full Moon include: Rose Moon, Mead Moon, and Honey Moon.
July 27, 2018: Full Buck Moon
The July 2018 Full Moon name, the Full Buck Moon, is not likely one you would have immediately guessed. The Full Buck Moon takes its name from the time of year when antlers start to appear on male deer (bucks).
For 2018, it was the second full moon of the Summer season.
Other nicknames for July’s Full Moon include the Thunder Moon and Hay Moon.
August 26, 2018: Full Sturgeon Moon
The August 2018 Full Moon name, the Full Sturgeon Moon, might not have been your first guess. The Full Sturgeon Moon gets its name as sturgeon are caught in high numbers in North America’s Great Lakes at that time of year.
Other nicknames for the August Full Moon include the Green Corn Moon, Grain Moon, and Corn Moon.
September 24, 2018 (September 25, 2018 UTC): Full Harvest Moon
The September 2018 Full Moon name, the Full Harvest Moon, is both inspired by nature and agriculture as well as the timing of the Fall Equinox. In 2018, the September full moon was called the Full Harvest Moon because it was closer to the start of Autumn than September’s.
In other years, the September Full Moon is also called the Full Corn Moon.
October 24, 2018: Full Hunter’s Moon
The October 2018 Full Moon Name, the Full Hunter’s Moon, is inspired by Native Americans and their activities for getting ready for the winter. They would start gathering provisions to get them through the winter.
In some years, the October full moon’s name switches to the Full Harvest Moon if it occurs closer to the Fall Equinox and the September full moon.
Another nickname for October’s full moon includes the Blood Moon.
November 23, 2018: Full Beaver Moon
The November 2018 Full Moon name, the Full Beaver Moon, was probably not your first guess. Inspired by nature, this nickname comes from the time when Native Americans and early settlers would set traps to catch beavers to have warm furs for the winter.
Another nickname for the November full moon is the Frosty Moon.
December 22, 2018: Full Cold Moon
The December 2018 Full Moon name, the Full Cold Moon, fits the month well, given how the temperatures get colder with the official start of Winter.
Depending on the year, the Full Cold Moon can occur either at the end of the Autumn or just after the start of Winter, depending the timing of the Winter Solstice. In 2018, the Full Cold Moon was part of the Winter season, happening about a day after the start of Winter.
Other nicknames for the December full moon include the Long Nights Moon and Oak Moon.
The 13 Full Moon Names from 2018
In 2018 there were 13 full moons, each with its own traditional name. There are also multiple names for each moon, depending on which list you refer to. The Native American names take their inspiration from nature.
The Full Moon Names for 2018 were:
- January (beginning): Full Wolf Moon
- January (end): Full Blue Moon
- March (beginning): Full Worm Moon
- March (end): Full Blue Moon
- April: Full Pink Moon
- May: Full Flower Moon
- June: Full Strawberry Moon
- July: Full Buck Moon
- August: Full Sturgeon Moon
- September: Full Harvest Moon
- October: Full Hunter’s Moon
- November: Full Beaver Moon
- December: Full Cold Moon
It was an interesting year for multiple reasons. There were 2 blue moons at the start of the year, in January and March. That resulted in the February Full Moon, the Full Snow Moon, not happening in 2018. February was considered to have a black moon, but one of the multiple unofficial definitions.
The Harvest Moon was the name given to September’s Full Moon. More years than not, the Full Corn Moon name isn’t used.
Also during the March blue moon, there was a Total Lunar Eclipse. There was a second Total Lunar Eclipse in July.
Additional 2018 Moon Posts
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