Junior
Boy name · #752 in 2025 · Rare
Junior is currently the #752 boy name in the United States — 343 babies received it in 2025. A decade ago it stood at #822, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 5,248 boys born in 2025 was named Junior.
The 143-year story
Junior first appears in the Social Security records in 1882, when 9 boys received the name. Its peak came in 1926, when 1,590 boys were named Junior — good for #117 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named Junior per year. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Junior against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Junior in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Junior is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "rare". A high score means genuine rarity — your Junior will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where Junior is most common
Geography matters for names, and Junior is no exception. Adjusted for how many boys are born in each state, Junior is most common in MA (0.4 per 1,000), NC (0.3 per 1,000), TN (0.3 per 1,000), GA (0.3 per 1,000), TX (0.3 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 0.2 per 1,000 boys. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Junior is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Names like Junior
Statistically, parents drawn to Junior tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Julius, Jules, Wilmer, Wilson, and Warner.
JuliusJulesWilmerWilsonWarnerHarrisReubenHarlan
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Junior | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 343 | #752 |
| 2024 | 398 | #683 |
| 2023 | 357 | #735 |
| 2022 | 327 | #773 |
| 2021 | 347 | #737 |
| 2020 | 324 | #748 |
| 2019 | 275 | #820 |
| 2018 | 286 | #792 |
| 2017 | 253 | #862 |
| 2016 | 284 | #809 |
| 2015 | 275 | #822 |
| 2014 | 278 | #817 |
| 2013 | 296 | #762 |
| 2012 | 272 | #814 |
| 2011 | 285 | #784 |
| 2010 | 291 | #768 |
| 2009 | 336 | #708 |
| 2008 | 381 | #641 |
| 2007 | 401 | #617 |
| 2006 | 379 | #625 |
| 2005 | 370 | #609 |
| 2004 | 316 | #649 |
| 2003 | 311 | #647 |
| 2002 | 311 | #631 |
| 2001 | 270 | #671 |
Frequently asked questions
Is Junior a popular boy name?
Junior ranked #752 among boys in 2025 with 343 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #822.
When was the name Junior most popular?
Junior peaked in 1926, when 1,590 American boys received the name (ranked #117 that year). Since 1926 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Junior?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 5,248 newborn American boys was named Junior. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.