Bunion
A bunion, also known as hallux valgus, is an outward deformity of the foot's metatarsophalangeal joint which connects the big toe to the foot. The rear tarsametatarsal joint that holds the metatarsal bone in a straight-ahead position weakens, and the metatarsal moves outward and rotates 90 degrees, bringing the sesamoids up against the adjacent toe.
Meaning & Origin of Bunion
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
A bunion, also known as hallux valgus, is an outward deformity of the foot's metatarsophalangeal joint which connects the big toe to the foot. The rear tarsametatarsal joint that holds the metatarsal bone in a straight-ahead position weakens, and the metatarsal moves outward and rotates 90 degrees, bringing the sesamoids up against the adjacent toe.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Bunion
American parents first put Bunion on the record books as a baby boy name in 1917, with 5 registered babies. Its peak popularity came in 1924, when 6 Bunions were born — ranking #3,867 that year. About 38% of every Bunion on record arrived during the 1920s, its defining decade. Bunion last appeared in the published SSA data in 1933, with 5 recorded births — it has not charted nationally since. All told, over 16 Americans have carried the name since 1880, from the 1910s to the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Names that sound like Bunion
Phonetically similar names — useful when Bunion is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Bunion
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About the name Bunion
Bunion is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1917 and has accumulated 16 births in the dataset. Bunion's peak popularity came in 1924 when it ranked #3,867. Use the chart and map above to compare Bunion's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1924 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "B" →
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- Top names of 2026 →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.