2000
#20,817
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,179
First available Census row
Per 100,000 0.44
Rare Last name
Junk
An occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word junc, meaning "young man" or "young lord."
According to the 2020 US Census Bureau surname tables, roughly 1,291 Americans carry the last name Junk. That puts it at #23,289 in the national surname ranking, appearing at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 people (about 1 in 265,495 residents).
This page is the full Name Census profile for the Junk surname. You will find the Census Bureau frequency data, a multi-census history view, an ancestry and ethnicity breakdown based on self-reported demographics, the name's meaning and origin where available, and answers to the most common questions people ask about this surname.
Bearers in the US
1.3K
1 in 265,495
Census rank
#23,289
2020 decennial data
Per 100,000
0.4
Frequency rate
Recorded bearers
1.1K
rare in the US
Popularity narrative
The Census Bureau recorded 1,126 bearers of the surname Junk in its 2020 decennial surname file. At a rate of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, it holds the 23289th position in the national surname ranking.
Among Census respondents with the surname Junk, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
Origin
Meaning and origin of Junk
The surname JUNK is believed to have originated in Germany, with records dating back to the 16th century. It is thought to be derived from the Middle High German word "junc," meaning "young" or "young man." This word eventually evolved into the German word "jung," which has the same meaning.
In the early 1500s, the surname JUNK was recorded in various regions of Germany, such as Bavaria and Saxony. It is possible that the name was initially used as a nickname or descriptive term for a young person or a person who appeared youthful.
One of the earliest known references to the surname JUNK can be found in the church records of the town of Nuremberg, where a certain Hans JUNK was mentioned in 1557. Another early record dates back to 1601, which lists a Jakob JUNK as a resident of the village of Mittweida in Saxony.
Throughout the 17th and 18th centuries, the surname JUNK appeared in various documents and records across Germany. In 1673, a Johann JUNK was recorded as a citizen of the city of Leipzig. A few decades later, in 1711, a Friedrich JUNK was mentioned in the tax records of the town of Freiburg.
One of the earliest notable individuals with the surname JUNK was Johann Christoph JUNK (1737-1816), a German theologian and philosopher who served as a professor at the University of Giessen. Another notable bearer of the name was Johann Friedrich JUNK (1797-1858), a German botanist and plant collector who made significant contributions to the study of plant taxonomy.
In the 19th century, the surname JUNK continued to be prevalent in Germany, with several individuals bearing the name making noteworthy contributions. One such person was Georg Wilhelm JUNK (1828-1907), a German publisher and bookseller who specialized in scientific literature. He founded the renowned publishing house Georg Wilhelm JUNK Verlag in Berlin.
Another notable individual with the surname JUNK was Wilhelm JUNK (1866-1942), a German entomologist and lepidopterist who made significant contributions to the study of butterflies and moths. He published numerous works on these insects and was a respected authority in his field.
It is worth noting that the surname JUNK has also been found in other parts of Europe, such as the Netherlands and Austria, likely due to migration patterns and intermarriage among German-speaking populations. However, its origins can be traced back to Germany, where it has a long and well-documented history.
Demographics
Ancestry and ethnicity for Junk
Among Census respondents with the surname Junk, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.8%).
The bar chart below shows how Junk bearers described their own race and ethnicity on the 2020 Census form. The Census Bureau groups responses into six broad categories: White, Black or African American, Hispanic or Latino, Asian and Pacific Islander, American Indian and Alaska Native, and Two or More Races. When a category has too few respondents for a given surname, the Bureau suppresses the figure to protect individual privacy, which is why some names show fewer than six slices.
Percentages are shown for every Census year so the breakdown stays comparable over time. When the source file also includes raw headcounts, Name Census shows those alongside the percentages in the legend.
Keep in mind that these are self-reported numbers. A person's surname does not determine their race or ethnicity, and the distribution you see here reflects the specific population who happened to carry the Junk surname at the time of the 2020 Census, not any inherent property of the name itself.
- White94.0% · 1,059
- Two or more races3.2% · 36
- Hispanic or Latino1.8% · 20
- Asian and Pacific Islander0.6% · 7
- Black or African American0.3% · 3
- American Indian and Alaska Native0.1% · 1
Timeline
Historical Census data for Junk
Junk appears in 3 published Census surname files: 2000, 2010, 2020. The cards below show how the name's rank and bearer count changed across each release.
2010
#22,856
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,120
-59 bearers (-5.0%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 2,039 places
2020
#23,289
National surname rank
Recorded bearers 1,126
+6 bearers (+0.5%)
Per 100,000 0.38
Rank movement Down 433 places
| Year | Rank | Count | Per 100K | Count change | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000 | #20,817 | 1,179 | 0.44 | First available Census row | First available Census row |
| 2010 | #22,856 | 1,120 | 0.38 | -59 bearers (-5.0%) | Down 2,039 places |
| 2020 | #23,289 | 1,126 | 0.38 | +6 bearers (+0.5%) | Down 433 places |
For 2020, the Census Bureau published race and Hispanic-origin columns as counts rather than percentages. Name Census converts those counts back into shares so the ancestry section stays comparable with the older surname files.
Year on year
2010 vs 2020 Census
How has the Junk surname changed between Census years? The chart shows bearer count side by side, and the table compares rank, count, and frequency.
Census year comparison
20102020
| Metric | 2010 | 2020 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #22,856 | #23,289 | -1.9% |
| Count | 1,120 | 1,126 | 0.5% |
| Per 100K | 0.38 | 0.38 | -0.9% |
Between the 2010 and 2020 Census, the number of Junk bearers went from 1,120 to 1,126 (+0.5% change). The surname moved down 433 positions in the national ranking, going from #22,856 to #23,289.
FAQ
Junk surname: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. have the surname Junk?
Name Census estimates that about 1,291 living Americans carry the surname Junk. Using the current population baseline, that works out to roughly 1 in 265,495 residents.
How common is Junk?
Junk ranks #23,289 in the 2020 Census surname tables and is classified on this site as "Rare." The Census recorded the name at a frequency of 0.38 per 100,000 residents, which is about 0 people out of every 100,000.
How many people with this surname were counted in the Census?
The raw 2020 Census file counted 1,126 people with the surname Junk. That is different from the site's living-bearer estimate (1,291), which projects the surname's present-day count by applying the Census frequency rate to the current U.S. population.
What does 0.38 per 100,000 actually mean?
It is the Census Bureau's normalized frequency measure. A rate of 0.38 per 100,000 means that if you picked a random group of 100,000 U.S. residents, you would expect about 0 of them to have the surname Junk.
Has Junk become more or less common over time?
Between 2010 and 2020, the surname Junk went from 1,120 recorded bearers to 1,126. That is an increase of 6 (+0.5%). In the national ranking it fell from #22,856 to #23,289.
What does the Census say about the background of Junk?
Among Census respondents with the surname Junk, the largest self-reported group is White at 94.0%. The next largest groups are Two or More Races (3.2%) and Hispanic (1.8%). These figures come from the 2020 Census Bureau surname tables, based on how respondents described their own race and ethnicity.
Which group reports this surname most often?
White is the largest self-reported group for the surname Junk in the 2020 Census, accounting for 94.0% (1,059 people in the source table).
What is the full ancestry breakdown?
Junk appears across multiple self-reported groups in the Census data. The largest shares in the 2020 file are White (94.0%), Two or More Races (3.2%), Hispanic (1.8%). For 2020, the source file also published raw headcounts for each group, which is why this page can show both percentages and counts in the ancestry section.
Is this page using the latest Census data?
Yes. This page is using the latest surname file currently loaded on Name Census, which is 2020. The historical section above also keeps any older Census surname entries we have for Junk (2000, 2010, 2020).
Does the Census include every surname?
No. The Census Bureau only publishes surnames that appeared at least 100 times in a given decennial Census. That means very rare surnames are excluded entirely, and a surname can appear in one Census release but disappear from a later one if it falls below the reporting threshold.
Why don't the ancestry percentages always add up to exactly 100%?
There are two main reasons: rounding and suppression. The Census Bureau rounds published values, and it may suppress very small cells to protect privacy. For 2020, the Bureau also published raw group counts rather than direct percentages, so Name Census converts those counts back into shares for comparability across census years.
What does Junk mean?
An occupational surname derived from the Middle High German word junc, meaning "young man" or "young lord." The fuller origin note on this page goes into more detail.
Where does the surname data come from?
All surname statistics on Name Census are drawn from the US Census Bureau's decennial surname frequency tables. These files list every surname that appeared 100 or more times in the 2020 Census, along with a count, a per-100,000 rate, and a self-reported demographic breakdown. You can read the full explanation on our methodology page.
How does Name Census estimate living bearers?
For surnames, Name Census does not age cohorts the way it does for first names. Instead, it takes the Census Bureau's published frequency for Junk (0.38 per 100,000) and applies that rate to the current U.S. resident population to estimate how many living Americans have the surname today.
How many Americans have the surname Junk?
HowManyOfMe.org, our sister site, answers that with the living-bearer count in one glance.