Every month’s full Moon has at least one traditional name, and November’s is one of the more familiar. The Beaver Moon shows up in almanacs, weather segments, and social posts every year, usually with a short explanation that it has something to do with beavers. The longer story mixes Indigenous naming traditions, colonial fur trapping, and a few alternative names you may never have heard.

In Short

• The November full Moon is widely known as the Beaver Moon.
• The name is linked to the time when beavers are most active preparing for winter and to historic trapping seasons.
• Other traditional names for the same Moon include the Frost Moon, Freezing Moon, and Deer Rutting Moon.
• In 2025, the Beaver Moon also happens to be the largest and brightest full Moon of the year, a supermoon.

Where The Name Comes From

The Beaver Moon name is often traced to Algonquin speaking peoples of North America and then picked up by European colonists. According to sources such as the Old Farmer’s Almanac and various astronomy guides, November was the time when beavers were preparing their lodges and dams for winter. It was also the period when trappers set beaver traps before rivers and ponds froze over.

Moon names were generally tied to activities that defined each lunar month, such as planting, harvest, or hunting. In this case, the busy autumn work of beavers and the fur trade both fed into the label that stuck.

Alternative November Full Moon Names

Different cultures and regions used their own names for the same Moon. A few of the alternatives recorded in historical and modern sources include:

• Frost Moon or Freezing Moon, reflecting the arrival of hard frosts and the first serious cold of the season.
• Deer Rutting Moon, used by some Plains tribes, describing the mating season for deer.
• Digging Moon, referring to animals digging for food or burrows as winter approaches.
• Mourning Moon and other names in European or neo pagan traditions that tie the month to the darkening part of the year.

Modern lists often combine Indigenous names that come from several different regions, which is worth keeping in mind. There was never a single unified “Native American calendar,” but rather many local naming systems that have since been blended together for convenience.

The Beaver Moon as a Supermoon

In 2025, skywatchers get an extra twist. November’s Beaver Moon is also the closest full Moon of the year, known as a supermoon. Astronomers use that term when a full Moon happens near perigee, the point where the Moon’s orbit brings it closest to Earth.

For the Beaver Moon of 2025, the Moon comes within about 221,800 miles of Earth. That makes it appear roughly 14 percent larger and significantly brighter than it does at its most distant full Moon of the year. News outlets note that it is the second in a run of several supermoons, with another one arriving in December.

In Short

• “Beaver Moon” connects November’s full Moon to beaver behavior and fur trapping seasons.
• The same Moon also carries alternative names that focus on frost, animal behavior, and the onset of winter.
• In some years, including 2025, the Beaver Moon is also a supermoon that looks bigger and brighter than usual.

Sources

• Old Farmer’s Almanac – “Full Moon Names”
• Farmer’s Almanac – “November Full Beaver Moon”
• Timeanddate – “Traditional Full Moon Names”
• Sky & Telescope – “Native American Full Moon Names for 2025”
• ABC News – “November’s full moon is also known as the Beaver Moon”
• Austin American Statesman – “November’s Beaver Moon will be the biggest full Moon of 2025”