 Dolores del Rio as Luana inBird of Paradise. | |
| Gender | Female |
|---|---|
| Origin | |
| Meaning | lion inAlbanian, combination ofLouise orLucy andAnna or "happiness" inHawaiian orSpanish "luan" meaningbrown tinted withyellow. |
| Other names | |
| See also | Anna,Louise,Lua,Luan,Luanus,Lucy. |
Luana is a feminine name of undetermined, multiple origins. It was among the top 10 most popular names for baby girls born inPeru in 2020.[1] It is in use in other countries as well. It ranked among the top 50 names used for girls born inPortugal in recent years[2] and was among the top 200 names used for girls born inItaly between 1999 and 2006.[3] It has ranked among the top 500 names given to girls born inFrance in recent years.[4] There were 95 girls born in theUnited States in 2020, 110 girls in 2021, 105 girls in 2022, 112 girls in 2023, and 105 girls in 2024 who were given the name.[5] It has also been well used inSwitzerland, ranking among the top 30 names for girls in 2020.[6] It also ranked among the top 100 names for girls born inGermany in 2018 and among the top 1,000 names for girls born in theUnited Kingdom in 2019.[7]
Usage of the name might have been inspired by characters in theatrical productions and films. It was the name of thePolynesian heroine in the 1932 filmBird of Paradise, which was based on a1912 play.[8] Luana is also a character in the 1982 Italian filmDaughter of the Jungle.
Some sources say the name means "happiness" or having a good time inHawaiian.[9] It might also be a feminine version of theAlbanian name Luàn, meaning "lion".[10] It might also be used as a combination of the namesLouise orLucy andAnna.[11] It might be derived from theSpanish word "luan", meaning a shade betweenyellow andbrown, or as a feminine form of the nameLuanus.[12]
