Baby Names US
boys' name ★ peaked 1989

Jr

Gender Boy Rank 2025 #4,315 Trend ↓ Falling 12%
Rank 2025
#4,315
among boys · ↓289 vs 2024
Babies in 2025
24
named Jr · -11% vs 2024
How common
1 in 71,170
boys born in 2025
Peak year
1989
43 babies
All-time total
1,729
#3,607 all-time among boys
First recorded
1915
in Social Security records

Jr popularity over time

1,729 babies have been named Jr since 1915, according to official Social Security records. Switch measure to see births per year or the yearly rank.

Measure
Births per 1,000 babies of that sex, comparable across eras
0.010.020.020.0318801900192019401960198020002020Peak 1927Boys

By decade. Change compares yearly averages, so the current partial decade is on equal footing. Best rank is the name's best yearly rank within the decade.

Decade Boys Per year Change Best rank
1880s – – – –
1890s – – – –
1900s – – – –
1910s 34 3 – #2,781
1920s 190 19 +459% #1,338
1930s 110 11 -42% #1,627
1940s 47 5 -57% #1,942
1950s 5 1 -89% #4,278
1960s 67 7 +1240% #2,686
1970s 111 11 +66% #1,810
1980s 214 21 +93% #1,778
1990s 216 22 +1% #2,708
2000s 312 31 +44% #2,847
2010s 286 29 -8% #3,099
2020s (to 2025) 137 23 -20% #3,869

Where Jr is heading

A five-year projection from the recent trend in births per 1,000 boys (damped so it flattens over time), converted to babies at today's birth totals. The implied rank places that projection in the 2025 field. A projection, not a promise: real trends bend.

Year Projected babies Per 1,000 boys Implied rank
2026 24 0.01 outside top 500
2027 23 0.01 outside top 500
2028 23 0.01 outside top 500
2029 23 0.01 outside top 500
2030 22 0.01 outside top 500

The story of Jr

Jr is rare for boys in the United States, ranked #4,315 in 2025 with 24 babies given the name. It is currently declining compared with a decade ago.

Since 1915, 1,729 American babies have been named Jr. Its peak came in 1989, when 43 newborns received the name, the signature sound of the 1980s.

The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where Jr stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.

How old are people named Jr?

The median living Jr is about 24 years old; half are between 12 and 38. An estimated 1,300 people named Jr are alive in the United States today.

median 24 020406080100

Estimated from births per year and Social Security period life tables; an approximation of the living age distribution, by age in years.

Jr year by year

Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.

Year Boys Boys rank
2025 24 #4,315
2024 27 #4,026
2023 14 #6,344
2022 19 #5,118
2021 28 #3,869
2020 25 #4,074
2019 25 #4,175
2018 27 #3,938
2017 38 #3,099
2016 30 #3,641
2015 29 #3,739
2014 27 #3,843
2013 32 #3,370
2012 27 #3,840
2011 23 #4,287
2010 28 #3,759
2009 26 #3,972
2008 28 #3,785
2007 35 #3,216
2006 33 #3,272
2005 34 #3,051
2004 34 #2,987
2003 33 #2,964
2002 33 #2,847
2001 26 #3,366
2000 30 #2,951
1995 21 #3,250
1990 23 #2,824
1985 14 #3,301
1980 30 #1,886
1975 5 #5,884
1970 9 #3,400
1965 9 #2,889
1960 – –
1955 – –
1950 – –
1945 – –
1940 14 #1,942
1935 7 #3,111
1930 21 #1,627
1925 30 #1,348
1920 13 #2,392
1915 7 #3,230
1910 – –
1905 – –
1900 – –
1895 – –
1890 – –
1885 – –
1880 – –

Famous people named Jr

The most globally famous bearers of the name, ranked by fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).

  1. 1 JR Bourne JR Bourne Canadian actor (born 1970) Contemporary

Portraits from Wikipedia (Wikimedia Commons).

Frequently asked questions

Quick answers about Jr, drawn from the same Social Security data as the charts above.

How old is the average Jr?

The median living Jr is about 24 years old. Half of all living Jrs are between 12 and 38 years old.

How many people named Jr are alive today?

An estimated 1,300 people named Jr are alive in the United States, based on 1,729 recorded births and Social Security life tables.

How popular is the name Jr in 2025?

Jr ranked #4,315 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 24 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.

How many people are named Jr?

1,729 babies have been named Jr in the United States since 1915, based on Social Security card applications.

When was the name Jr most popular?

Jr peaked in 1989, when 43 newborns received the name.

Is Jr a boy or girl name?

Jr is overwhelmingly a boy's name: 100% of babies with the name.

Is the name Jr rising or falling?

Jr is declining, less popular now than a decade ago.

Will Jr become more popular?

Jr is trending downward. If the recent trend holds, we project roughly 22 boys named Jr in 2030, which would rank outside the top 500. Forecasts assume the current trend continues and become less certain further out.

Who are famous people named Jr?

Well-known people named Jr include JR Bourne (actor).

Names like Jr

Names that sound and feel close to Jr: shared sounds, similar era, similar popularity. Each links to its full history.

Compare Jr with similar names → More names starting with J →