Justus
A masculine name of Latin origin meaning "righteous" or "just".
Name Census estimates that about 9,090 living Americans carry the first name Justus. It is a predominantly male name (91.8% of registrations). The average person named Justus today is around 22 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Justus births was 2002 (336 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Justus. 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.
People living today
9.1K
~ 1 in 37,707 Americans
Peak year
2002
336 babies that year
Average age
22
years old
2024 SSA rank
#1,807
Tracked since 1880
Gender
Gender distribution for Justus
Justus leans heavily male at 91.8% of total registrations, but 811 girls have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Justus as a male name
- Ranked #1,807 in 2024
- 90 male births in 2024
- Peak: 2007 (300 births)
Justus as a female name
- Ranked #10,620 in 2024
- 9 female births in 2024
- Peak: 1995 (43 births)
Popularity
Justus: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Justus from the 1880s through to the 2020s, spanning 15 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2000s, with 3,053 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 2000s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Justus 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 Justus during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Justus' live
The SSA's state-level files cover 41 states and territories. California, Texas, Florida recorded the most babies named Justus, while South Dakota, Massachusetts, West Virginia recorded the fewest. The average across all reporting states is about 140 registrations each.
Origin
Meaning and history of Justus
The name Justus has its origins in Latin, derived from the word "justus" which means "just" or "righteous." It gained prominence during the Roman era, particularly among early Christians who valued traits such as justice and righteousness.
Justus first appeared in the New Testament of the Bible, where it is mentioned as the name of a Jewish Christian in Corinth. This early reference to the name dates back to the 1st century AD, indicating its ancient roots.
Throughout the Middle Ages, the name Justus maintained its popularity among Christian communities across Europe. It was embraced by many devout believers who saw it as a symbol of their faith and commitment to living a righteous life.
One of the earliest recorded individuals with the name Justus was Justus of Urgell, a 6th-century Bishop of Urgell in modern-day Catalonia, Spain. He was known for his unwavering defense of orthodox Christian teachings during a time of theological disputes.
In the 12th century, Justus of Beauvais, a French scholar and theologian, gained recognition for his work "De Vita Christiana" (On the Christian Life), which explored the virtues and morals that should guide a Christian's life.
During the Renaissance period, Justus Lipsius (1547-1606), a renowned Flemish philologist and humanist scholar, made significant contributions to the study of classical literature and philosophy. His works on Stoicism and Neo-Stoicism had a profound impact on intellectual thought during that era.
In the realm of art, Justus Sustermans (1597-1681), a Flemish painter, earned acclaim for his portraits of European nobility and royalty, including those of the Spanish and Austrian royal families.
Another notable figure was Justus Möser (1720-1794), a German jurist, historian, and political theorist, who played a significant role in the development of German Enlightenment thought and advocated for the rights of peasants and the preservation of traditional German culture.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who bore the name Justus, a name that has endured across centuries and cultures, carrying with it a sense of righteousness and a commitment to justice.
People
Justus + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Justus 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
Justus: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Justus?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 9,090 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Justus 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 37,707 US residents.
Is Justus a common name?
We classify Justus as "Rare". It ranks above 97.6% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 9,870 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Justus most popular?
The single biggest year for Justus was 2002, when 336 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Justus is about 22 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Justus a male name?
Yes, 91.8% of people registered as Justus 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.
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.