Junior
Junior is a given name, nickname, and surname often used by people who are the second in their family with the same name. It may refer to:
Meaning & Origin of Junior
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Junior is a given name, nickname, and surname often used by people who are the second in their family with the same name. It may refer to:
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
The Story of Junior
Junior first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1882, with 9 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1926, when 1,590 Juniors were born — ranking #117 that year. As of 2026, Junior ranks #685 for baby boys with 398 births, rising sharply (+26% over the past five years). In total, more than 43K Juniors have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Notable people named Junior
A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.
- Júnior (Filipino singer) (1943–2014), Filipino singer
- Junior Aliberti (born 1984), Uruguayan footballer
- Junior Bent (born 1970), English former footballer
- Junior Bergen (born 2002), American football player
- Junior Castillo (born 1986), Dominican boxer
- Júnior César (born 1982), Brazilian footballer
- Júnior Díaz (born 1983), Costa Rican footballer
- Junior D. Edwards (1926–1951), United States Army soldier during the Korean War, recipient of the Medal of Honor
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Names that sound like Junior
Phonetically similar names — useful when Junior 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 Junior
What does the name Junior mean?
How popular is Junior in 2026?
When was Junior most popular?
In which U.S. states is Junior most popular?
Is Junior a unisex name?
What names go well with Junior?
About the name Junior
Junior is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1882 and has accumulated 43K births in the dataset. Junior's peak popularity came in 1926 when it ranked #115. Use the chart and map above to compare Junior's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 1926 →
- Names of the 1920s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all boy names →
- 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.