Junior

Junior: name meaning, origin & popularity

Meaning: “younger”
Origin: Latin
Say it: JOON-yer · 2 syllables
Used for: Boys

From Latin junior, comparative of iuvenis “young.” It is often used as a generational byname for a son named after his father, and is also used as a given name in some cultures.

English names American names Latino & Hispanic names Portuguese names Modern names

How popular is Junior?

2024119 per million US babies

Drag the line or the slider to read any year. Values are per million US births recorded by Social Security. Records before about 1937 undercount births, so early peaks can look taller than they were.

Compare with another name

Babies named Junior in 2024397

2024 rank#682 boys

Peak year1926

Total US babies since 188042,825

Junior is steady now but far below its 1926 peak.

Names like Junior

Variants, related forms and names with the same roots.

Lucasfrom Lucania · Latin
Leolion · Latin
Julianyouthful, downy-bearded · Latin
Anthonyof the Antonius family · Latin
RomanRoman, from Rome · Latin
Bennettblessed · Latin
Adrianfrom Hadria · Latin
Christianfollower of Christ · Latin

Junior questions

What does the name Junior mean?

Junior means "younger". It comes from Latin. From Latin junior, comparative of iuvenis “young.” It is often used as a generational byname for a son named after his father, and is also used as a given name in some cultures.

Is Junior a boy or girl name?

Junior is mainly a boy's name in US records (100% of uses since 1880).

How popular is Junior?

397 US babies were named Junior in 2024. Its peak year was 1926.

How do you pronounce Junior?

Junior is usually pronounced JOON-yer.

Birth counts: US Social Security Administration national data, 1880–2024 (names given to 5+ babies of a sex in a year). How we write meanings.