Girl · #13,316 in 2026

Junko

Junko is a feminine Japanese given name. It is typically written in kanji, but can be written in hiragana (じゅんこ) or katakana (ジュンコ).

Current Rank
#13,316
Peak Rank
#4,123 (1971)
Total Babies
116
5-Yr Trend
Stable
1926
First Year
1992
Last Year
1971
Peak Year
#4123
Peak Rank
116
Total Count
17
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Junko

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Junko is a feminine Japanese given name. It is typically written in kanji, but can be written in hiragana (じゅんこ) or katakana (ジュンコ).

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Junko

Junko first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1926, with 6 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1971, when 14 Junkos were born — ranking #4,123 that year. As of 2026, Junko ranks #13,316 for baby girls with 5 births, with steady use. In total, more than 116 Junkos have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1920s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
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WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
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IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
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NE
MO
KY
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MD
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Top 10
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500+
No data

Notable people named Junko

A small selection from Wikipedia. Tap "Read more" below to see the full list on Wikipedia.

  • Junko (manga artist) (ぢゅん子), Japanese manga artist
  • Junko Abe ( 阿部純子 ; born 1993) , Japanese actress
  • Junko Akimoto ( 秋元 順子 ; born 1947) , Japanese singer
  • Junko Asahina ( 朝比奈 順子 ; 1953–2021) , Japanese actress and singer
  • Junko Asami ( 麻見 順子 ; born 1967) , Japanese voice actress and narrator
  • Junko Asari ( 浅利 純子 ; born 1969) , Japanese retired marathon runner
  • Junko Chodos (born 1939), Japanese-American contemporary artist
  • Junko Furuta ( 古田 順子 ; 1971–1989) , Japanese torture and murder victim

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Names that sound like Junko

Phonetically similar names — useful when Junko 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 Junko

What does the name Junko mean?
Junko is a feminine Japanese given name. It is typically written in kanji, but can be written in hiragana (じゅんこ) or katakana (ジュンコ).
How popular is Junko in 2026?
In 2026, Junko ranks #13,316 among girls' names in the U.S., with 5 babies given the name that year.
When was Junko most popular?
Junko reached its peak popularity in 1971, ranking #4,123 that year with 14 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Junko most popular?
Junko has historically been most popular in California. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Junko.
Is Junko a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Junko is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Junko?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Junko include Adra, Thurma, Dorella. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

About the name Junko

Junko is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1926 and has accumulated 116 births in the dataset. Junko's peak popularity came in 1971 when it ranked #4,123. Use the chart and map above to compare Junko's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

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.