Junus
Of Arabic origin meaning "whale" or "sea creature".
Name Census estimates that about 1 living Americans carry the first name Junus. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Junus today is around 88 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Junus births was 1920 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Junus. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • The typical person named Junus is about 88 years old today, placing it firmly among the names of earlier generations. Most living Junus' were born before 1948.
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Junus. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
1
~ 1 in 342,754,338 Americans
Peak year
1920
7 babies that year
Average age
88
years old
1926 SSA rank
#3,559
Tracked since 1912
Popularity
Junus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Junus from the 1910s through to the 1920s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1910s, with 27 total registrations. Although the numbers have come down from the 1910s peak, Junus remains solidly in use and shows no sign of disappearing from maternity wards.
Babies born per year
Decades
Junus by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Junus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Junus
The given name Junus has its origins in the Arabic language and culture. It is derived from the root word "jins," which means "kind" or "species" in Arabic. The name Junus is believed to have emerged during the medieval period in the Middle East and North Africa.
In Islamic tradition, Junus is the Arabic rendering of the name Jonah, a prominent prophet mentioned in the Quran and the Bible. The story of Jonah and the whale is a well-known narrative that has been retold across various cultures and religions. This connection to a biblical figure has likely contributed to the name's enduring popularity among Arabic-speaking communities.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Junus can be found in the writings of the renowned Arab historian and scholar, Ibn Khaldun (1332-1406), who mentions individuals bearing this name. Another notable figure from history was Junus Khan (1619-1677), a Mughal nobleman and military commander who served under the emperors Shah Jahan and Aurangzeb in the Indian subcontinent.
In the realm of literature, Junus Emre (1240-1320) was a renowned Turkish poet and Sufi mystic whose works had a profound impact on Turkish literature and Islamic spirituality. His poems, which often celebrated divine love and human brotherhood, continue to be widely read and appreciated.
The name Junus was also borne by notable scholars and intellectuals, such as Junus al-Sadafi (1165-1244), an Arab philosopher and logician who made significant contributions to the field of Islamic philosophy during the Islamic Golden Age.
Another historical figure of note was Junus Bey (1465-1537), an Ottoman statesman and grand vizier who served under Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent. He played a pivotal role in the expansion and administration of the Ottoman Empire during the 16th century.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who carried the name Junus, reflecting its enduring presence across various cultures, religions, and intellectual pursuits.
People
Junus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Junus as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Junus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Junus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 1 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Junus going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 342,754,338 US residents.
Is Junus a common name?
We classify Junus as "Very Rare". It ranks above 3.8% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 41 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Junus most popular?
The single biggest year for Junus was 1920, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Junus is about 88 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Junus in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Junus a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Junus in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Junus still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Junus in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Junus can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Junus?
Want to know how many Americans are named Junus? HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, puts the living-bearer count front and centre.