FastNamesJustin
Latin name meaning "Derived from Latin Justinus, a derivative of Justus meaning 'just', 'fair', 'righteous', or 'upright'.". Ranked 233rd for boys in 2025.
Meaning and origin of Justin
Derived from Latin Justinus, a derivative of Justus meaning 'just', 'fair', 'righteous', or 'upright'.
Linguistically, Justin is classified under Latin naming traditions. It is typically pronounced "JUS-tin".
Popularity and ranking
In official US Social Security birth records from 1880 through 2025, Justin has been given to a total of 790,469 boys. It has also been given to 3,804 girls.
Peak year: Justin reached its highest relative share among boys in 1988, when 35,055 babies received the name (18,312 per million births).
All-time best rank: 7th place, first achieved in 1988.
Recent standing (2025): Ranked 233rd with 1,512 births. Ten years earlier in 2015, it ranked 110th (down 123 spots).
Busiest decade: More boys were named Justin in the 1980s than in any other decade (289,825 births).
| Decade | Recorded births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 55 |
| 1890s | 117 |
| 1900s | 139 |
| 1910s | 938 |
| 1920s | 1,292 |
| 1930s | 819 |
| 1940s | 1,216 |
| 1950s | 2,295 |
| 1960s | 6,706 |
| 1970s | 86,539 |
| 1980s | 289,825 |
| 1990s | 220,135 |
| 2000s | 122,991 |
| 2010s | 45,603 |
| 2020s | 11,799 |
Source: Social Security Administration, national baby name data, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
Where Justin is most common in the US
Accounting for when Justin was in fashion nationally, it has been most heavily concentrated in the following states (measured against the expected rate from each state's births):
- Wyoming: 1.6 times the national rate (1,929 births since 1910).
- Montana: 1.4 times the national rate (3,029 births since 1910).
- Vermont: 1.4 times the national rate (1,782 births since 1910).
- West Virginia: 1.4 times the national rate (6,640 births since 1910).
- North Dakota: 1.3 times the national rate (2,784 births since 1910).
Source: Social Security Administration, baby names by state, data through 2025. Names given to fewer than five babies of one sex in a state in a year aren't published, so totals are a little lower than actual births.
How many people have the name Justin?
About 751,000 living American boys and men share the name Justin. Additionally, an estimated 3,700 living American girls and women share the name.
The median age of an American named Justin is 36 years old.
Estimated from Social Security Administration records (1880–2025) and official SSA cohort mortality tables.
History of the name Justin
Justin originates from the classical Latin cognomen Justinus, a patronymic or adjectival extension of justus, meaning 'righteous', 'equitable', or 'lawful'. The name was carried with honor in the Roman Empire, most famously by Saint Justin Martyr (c. 100–165 AD), an early Christian philosopher and apologist whose eloquent defenses of Christian doctrine to the Roman Senate made him a major patristic figure.
Justin was also borne by two Byzantine emperors, Justin I (founder of the Justinian dynasty) and Justin II, further reinforcing its imperial and ecclesiastical stature in Late Antiquity and medieval Europe. In England and the English-speaking world, Justin saw sporadic medieval use, often preserved through religious veneration and monastic traditions.
In the second half of the twentieth century, Justin witnessed an explosive surge in the United States. Climbing swiftly from modest mid-century standing, it entered the national top twenty in 1979 and ascended into the top ten in 1988, remaining in the top ten for five consecutive years. It became a cultural touchstone of late-twentieth-century American youth culture and continues to be borne by prominent figures in music and sports.
Notable people named Justin
- Justin Timberlake (1981–), American singer-songwriter, actor, and record producer
- Justin Bieber (1994–), Canadian singer and global pop star
- Justin Trudeau (1971–), 23rd Prime Minister of Canada
- Justin Verlander (1983–), American Major League Baseball pitcher and two-time Cy Young Award winner
Variants and related names
Spelling variants
Diminutives and nicknames
Related names
Sources and references
- Patrick Hanks, Kate Hardcastle, Flavia Hodges. A Dictionary of First Names (2006), p. 148.
- E. G. Withycombe. The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names (1977), p. 184.
- Douglas Harper. Online Etymology Dictionary. Reference link.