Old English mona
a masculine noun in Old English.
In Greek, Italic, Celtic, Armenian the cognate words now mean only “month.”
Greek selene is from selas
“light, brightness (of heavenly bodies)”
Extended 1665 to satellites of other planets
to shoot the moon “leave without paying rent”
is British slang from c. 1823
The man in the moon is mentioned since early 14c.
he carries a bundle of thorn-twigs and is accompanied by a dog
some Japanese writers see a rice-cake-making rabbit in the moon
