The Algonquin, Ojibwe, and Dakota peoples—Native American tribes throughout the Great Lakes and Midwestern regions of North America—are credited with naming August's full Moon "Sturgeon Moon" because sturgeon, one of the largest freshwater fish in North America, is particularly easy to catch during this period.

Also called the "Green Corn Moon" and the "Harvest Moon," August's full Moon rises as corn ripens and farmers begin harvesting their summer crops. Native peoples along the Eastern seaboard also observed the sturgeon's summer spawning patterns, so some tribes referred to this month's Moon as the "Sturgeon Moon."

For other Native American tribes, August's full Moon was called "Red Moon" or "Black Cherry Moon." Some European settlers called the full Moon of August the "Grain Moon" or the "Barley Moon" to signify its appearance when it was time to reap these grains from summer's bounty.