Junior
A male given name, from a nickname for someone with the title Jr.
Every Junior since 1882 — 43,182 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of Junior
Junior is uncommon for boys in the United States, ranked #752 in 2025 with 343 babies given the name. It is currently rising compared with a decade ago.
Since 1882, 43,182 American babies have been named Junior. Its peak came in 1927, when 1,607 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1920s.
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 Junior stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
Junior year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | — | — | 343 | #752 |
| 2024 | — | — | 398 | #683 |
| 2023 | — | — | 357 | #737 |
| 2022 | — | — | 327 | #773 |
| 2021 | — | — | 347 | #738 |
| 2020 | — | — | 324 | #750 |
| 2019 | — | — | 275 | #821 |
| 2018 | — | — | 286 | #792 |
| 2017 | — | — | 253 | #862 |
| 2016 | — | — | 284 | #811 |
| 2015 | — | — | 275 | #823 |
| 2014 | — | — | 278 | #818 |
| 2013 | — | — | 296 | #764 |
| 2012 | — | — | 272 | #815 |
| 2011 | — | — | 285 | #784 |
| 2010 | — | — | 291 | #768 |
| 2009 | — | — | 336 | #709 |
| 2008 | — | — | 381 | #643 |
| 2007 | — | — | 401 | #617 |
| 2006 | — | — | 379 | #625 |
| 2005 | — | — | 370 | #609 |
| 2004 | — | — | 316 | #650 |
| 2003 | — | — | 311 | #648 |
| 2002 | — | — | 311 | #633 |
| 2001 | — | — | 270 | #672 |
| 2000 | — | — | 265 | #674 |
| 1995 | 5 | #14,439 | 224 | #710 |
| 1990 | — | — | 152 | #831 |
| 1985 | — | — | 111 | #856 |
| 1980 | — | — | 120 | #802 |
| 1975 | — | — | 80 | #920 |
| 1970 | — | — | 103 | #803 |
| 1965 | — | — | 149 | #622 |
| 1960 | — | — | 204 | #553 |
| 1955 | — | — | 232 | #482 |
| 1950 | — | — | 274 | #407 |
| 1945 | — | — | 401 | #298 |
| 1940 | 6 | #4,095 | 429 | #271 |
| 1935 | 5 | #4,545 | 677 | #191 |
| 1930 | 7 | #3,859 | 1,325 | #135 |
| 1925 | 13 | #2,695 | 1,545 | #115 |
| 1920 | 9 | #3,465 | 699 | #193 |
| 1915 | — | — | 148 | #451 |
| 1910 | — | — | 36 | #458 |
| 1905 | — | — | 18 | #558 |
| 1900 | — | — | 15 | #666 |
| 1895 | — | — | 6 | #1,029 |
| 1890 | — | — | — | — |
| 1885 | — | — | 7 | #804 |
| 1880 | — | — | — | — |
Famous people named Junior
- Junior Wells Singer · 1934–1998
- Junior Firpo Soccer player · b. 1996
- Junior dos Santos Martial arts · b. 1984
- Junior Agogo Soccer player · 1979–2019
- Junior Dutra Soccer player · b. 1988
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Junior mean?
A male given name, from a nickname for someone with the title Jr.
How popular is the name Junior in 2025?
Junior ranked #752 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 343 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named Junior?
43,182 babies have been named Junior in the United States since 1882, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name Junior most popular?
Junior peaked in 1927, when 1,607 newborns received the name.
Is Junior a boy or girl name?
Junior is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name Junior rising or falling?
Junior is on the rise — noticeably more popular now than a decade ago.
Who are famous people named Junior?
Well-known people named Junior include Junior Wells (singer), Junior Firpo (soccer player), Junior dos Santos (martial arts).