Fun Facts About the Name Vaiana
- 16 babies named Vaiana: U.S. records list 16 babies given the name Vaiana from 1880 through 2025.
What Does the Name Vaiana Mean?
Vaiana is a Tahitian name. Tahitian is an Eastern Polynesian language spoken in the Society Islands and elsewhere in French Polynesia. The name is a compound of vai, "water," and ana, "cave," so its literal meaning is "water cave" or "cave of water." It is not a variant of Moana, a separate Polynesian name meaning "ocean" or "sea."
Vaiana Name History & Origins
Vaiana is built from ordinary Tahitian words rather than from a Latin or Germanic root. The same elements have cognates in other Polynesian languages, such as Maori wai "water" and ana "cave," but Vaiana is the Tahitian form. The name is used in French Polynesia.
A later and very visible association is the 2016 Disney animated film Moana, which was released in several European countries under the title Vaiana and used Vaiana as the heroine's name in those versions. That film use is separate from the name's Tahitian etymology and from the separate name Moana.
How Popular is the Name Vaiana?
Vaiana has historically been an exceptionally rare given name in the United States, remaining well outside the national mainstream. It saw its highest recorded annual births in 2021. Its best rank was #15,108 in 2021.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #17,095 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2024 | #17,454 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 2021 | #15,108 | 6 | 0.0004% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
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How the Name Vaiana Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are fixed in your opinions, firm in your friendships and square in your dealings with others. You are an excellent worker. Since you are both possessive and emotional, you can be either very practical or very impractical and unpredictable. Your dual nature needs to become steadfast. You are the marrying kind. You are bold, independent, inquisitive and interested in research. You know what you want and why you want it.
Creative and outgoing, you are always looking for an opportunity to show your abilities, especially before audience. You are very flexible and like to feel appreciated. You are looking for chances to mix with others socially and to communicate your ideas. You like to talk and can easily relate to different cultures and concepts. The biggest challenge for you is uncertainty. Easily getting bored, you can move from one job to another, switch projects and lovers. The high creative force can lead you either to happiness or unhappiness. If you understand your goals, if you can make major decisions in life and follow it directly and straight up without worry and uncertainty, you are able to achieve great heights.
✦ Vaiana's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Vaiana's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.