Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Junior

Junior is usually the suffix given to a son who has the same name as his father, so the “Senior” and “Junior” titles would serve to distinguish the two individuals from one another. Generally speaking, these suffixes are rendered in their abbreviated form (i.e., Sr. and Jr.); although Junior is also a common nickname for any young boy. The word comes from the Latin “juvenis” meaning “youth, young” (which also gave the English “juvenile”). As an independently given name, Junior is extremely informal and therefore not super common. It is mostly popular in the United States but used with limited frequency in Australia and Canada.

All About the Baby Name – Junior

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME JUNIOR

Romance is the hallmark of the Six personality. They exude nurturing, loving, and caring energy. Sixes are in love with the idea of love in its idealized form - and with their magnetic personalities, they easily draw people toward them. Like the number Two personality, they seek balance and harmony in their life and the world at large. They are conscientious and service-oriented, and a champion for the underdog. These personalities naturally attract money and are usually surrounded by lovely material objects - but their human relationships are always primary. They thrive in giving back to others rather than being motivated by their own desires. This is when they achieve great things. Sixes are natural teachers, ministers and counselors.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME JUNIOR

Oddly enough, American parents have been bestowing this colloquial name on their baby boys since the late 1800s. This surprised us. Not only that, but Junior was actually quite common during the 1920s when the name almost (but not quite) secured a position on the Top 100 list. After that, Junior dropped down the charts and came close to disappearing altogether in the 1970s but has somehow managed to bounce back a little. Don’t get us wrong; Junior is not a name used very commonly. It’s a choice for the non-traditional, relaxed and informal parent. Naming one’s boy “Junior” as an outright given name as opposed to a nickname is risky. The name lacks any kind of individuality or identity. It’s more of a youthful title to signify a boy as someone’s son. It’s very casual and childlike, so it may not age too well over time. We say this one is better left as a nickname. It’s darling – we’ll give you that – but it’s just way, way, WAY too colloquial.

Quick Facts

ON JUNIOR

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

English

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

763

PRONUNCIATION:

JUNE-yər

SIMPLE MEANING:

Youth, young

Characteristics

OF JUNIOR

Humanitarian

Community-minded

Family-oriented

Loving

Affectionate

Compassionate

Sensitive

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Junior

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME JUNIOR

We cannot find any significant literary characters by the name of Junior

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME JUNIOR

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Junior


Popular Songs

ON JUNIOR

Junior
a song by Widespread Panic

Junior Suite
a song by Vanessa Paradis

Junior Saw it Happen
a song by the Steve Miller Band

Song for Junior
a song by the Beastie Boys [explicit]

Famous People

NAMED JUNIOR

Junior Seau (b. Tiaina Baul Seau Jr., football player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED JUNIOR

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Junior

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME JUNIOR

We cannot find any historically significant people with the first name Junior