The most used lunar calendars are the Islamic Hijri calendars. Islamic lunar calendar also known as Hijri calendar consists of 12 months, just like any typical lunar year. The Islamic lunar calendar is not dependent on the seasons therefore it is drifted from each solar year from about 11 to 12 days and returns to it once help position after a cycle of 33 years. Hijri calendar was predominantly used in the world for many centuries until the advent of modern solar year. This Islamic lunar calendar is now only used by Muslims as a reference.

Apart from Hijri calendar, other lunar calendars are known as lunisolar calendars. Lunisolar calendars are also dependent on the lunar rotations but there are certain intercalary months that are added in the lunisolar calendar to catch up with the solar year. Some common examples of lunisolar calendars include: Hindu, Hebrew, Chinese and other artifact calendars used in pre historic times.

These ancient calendars have jagged months in a year hence making them drift year by year. Some lunar calendars are also synchronized through by yearly natural occurrences. Yearly occurrences are affected by the lunar rotations. For say the Banks Island calendar where months are effected by the natural events taking place.