Full Moon Names 2021: 12 Full Moons
Each full moon has a nickname. Here is a list of the Full Moon Names for 2021 based on the traditional names used in North America.
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 2021 the full moon names were as follows:
- January 2021: Full Wolf Moon
- February 2021: Full Snow Moon
- March 2021: Full Worm Moon
- April 2021: Full Pink Moon
- May 2021: Full Flower Moon
- June 2021: Full Strawberry Moon
- July 2021: Full Buck Moon
- August 2021: Full Sturgeon Moon
- September 2021: Full Harvest Moon
- October 2021: Full Hunter’s Moon
- November 2021: Full Beaver Moon
- December 2021: Full Cold Moon
Continue reading below for more information about the 2021 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 2021
In 2021 there were 12 full moons, each with a nickname or two. Here is a list of the 2021 full moons and their traditional names.
January 28, 2021: Full Wolf Moon
The January 2021 full moon name 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.
February 27, 2021: Full Snow Moon
The February 2021 full moon name, the Full Snow Moon, refers to the snow that frequently occurs at that time of year. It’s a fitting name for a moon that’s part of the Winter season. It is the next full moon of the year following January. Other nicknames for the February full moon include the Hunger Moon, Chaste Moon, and Storm Moon.
You may notice that an alternate nickname for the January Full Moon is also the Full Snow Moon. Sometimes the names overlap depending on the source.
March 28, 2021: Full Worm Moon
The March 2021 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 2021 it was part of the Spring season.
April 26, 2021: Full Pink Moon
The April 2021 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 either be the first or second full moon of Spring. In 2021 it was the second Spring Full Moon.
May 26, 2021: Full Flower Moon
The May 2021 Full Moon name 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 nickname for the May Full Moon include the Corn Planting Moon, and Milk Moon.
June 24, 2021: Full Strawberry Moon
The June 2021 Full Moon name 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 2021 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 23, 2021 (July 24, 2021 UTC): Full Buck Moon
The July 2021 Full Moon name 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 2021, 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 22, 2021: Full Sturgeon Moon
The August 2021 Full Moon name 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 20, 2021 (September 21, 2021 UTC): Full Harvest Moon
The September 2021 Full Moon name was both inspired by nature and agriculture as well as the timing of the Fall Equinox. In 2021, the September full moon was called the Full Harvest Moon because it was closer to the start of Autumn than October’s.
October 20, 2021: Full Hunter’s Moon
The Fall Full Moon’s name is inspired by Native Americans and their activities to prepare 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.
In 2021, the September Full Moon was closer to the Fall Equinox. The October Full Moon’s name was the Full Hunter’s Moon instead.
Another nickname for October’s full moon includes the Blood Moon.
November 19, 2021: Full Beaver Moon
The November 2021 Full Moon name 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 18, 2021 (December 19, 2021 UTC): Full Cold Moon
The December 2021 Full Moon name 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 2021, the Full Cold Moon was part of the Autumn season.
Other nicknames for the December full moon include the Long Nights Moon and Oak Moon.
The 12 Full Moon Names from 2021
In 2021 there were 12 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 2021 were:
- January: Full Wolf Moon
- February: Full Snow Moon
- March: Full Worm 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
And because the Harvest Moon occurred in September, the Full Corn Moon name was not given to September’s Full Moon.
There was a Total Lunar Eclipse during the May Full Moon in 2021.
Additional 2021 Moon Posts
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