"Looking for a baby girl name that will fit perfectly with your growing family? With so many possibilities, it can be hard to narrow it down to just one name. From choosing to use a popular baby name, selecting a unique name, or picking a trendy baby name, the list really goes on. And I can’t forget to mention the pressure that some families have to use a family name. But one baby name trend we’re currently exploring is whether or not we’ll start seeing baby girls named after their mothers. Will there be a rise in female ‘Juniors’?
One study in 2022 revealed that about 97 percent of couples who were married in the United States passed on the father’s surname to their first child. With this statistic, finding a way to carry on a mother’s name does sound intriguing. Olivia Jr., Sarah Jr., Emma Jr., anyone? Read on to discover the difference between “junior” and “II.” Plus, the top female junior names we would most likely see today.
Why ‘Junior’ is Predominantly Male
Naming a baby girl after yourself is giving peak girlhood vibes, which I love. But I’m not going to lie, while I fully support naming a baby girl after her mother, the thought of me naming my baby girl “Patty Jr.” did sound a little odd at first. But why is there even an inkling of discomfort and rarity to this baby-naming tactic in the first place? One reason might be that “Junior” is historically predominantly male.
One Reddit user asked, “Why are there only male ‘Jr.’s and not female?” The general consensus says it’s because only men were historically able to be property owners. With that, it was important that their names were carried on within the family.
The Difference Between ‘Jr.’ vs. ‘II’
I’ve seen ‘Juniors’ and names ending with ‘II,’ ‘III,’ ‘IV,’ and so on. Is there a difference between using ‘Junior’ versus ending a name with a Roman numeral? There aren’t official rules as to how to use one or the other. However, ‘Junior’ is commonly used “when the child is being named directly after his father [or mother],” and using ‘II’ is used “when the child is to have the name of an earlier male [or female] relative.” It is also mentioned that in order for the II suffix to be used, a baby’s whole name—first, middle, and last—has to exactly match the parent’s name.
With the high percentage of babies having their father’s last name, it makes sense why hearing a female II or junior is rarer. But are women really open to passing on their first name to their daughters?
Can a Female be a ‘Junior’?
Absolutely, females can be a ‘Junior.’ As a mother, deciding whether you want to pass your name on to your daughter is a personal preference. Maggie Mertens, in an article for The Atlantic, wrote that, “For certain mothers, sharing a name with a child is an intrinsically feminine act simply because it’s unexpected in our society.” One famous example of a Jr. is Carolina Herrera de Baez, the daughter of Venezuelan-American fashion designer Carolina Herrera.
So, why don’t we see more girls being named after their mothers? Katherine Morna Towne, a consultant with Nameberry, one of the leading site experts in baby naming, concluded from reader responses that there are several reasons as to why there aren’t more girls directly named after their mothers.
Moms Would Rather Pass on Other Female Names Than Their Own
According to Towne, people “prefer to name daughters after the beloved women in their lives,” like their grandmothers, sisters, and close friends. It is pretty sweet to honor important women in our lives in this way.
People Prefer to Be More Creative With Passing Down Girl Names
Using a mother’s name as a middle name seems more creative than doing a complete ‘copy and paste.’ Other readers suggested passing on a mother’s maiden name or initials instead, which honors mom regardless of the baby’s sex.
Trending Baby Girl Names Change More Rapidly
Comparatively, trendy girl names seem to change more rapidly than boy names. There are the Jessicas and the Ashleys of the ‘80s and ‘90s. Then there are the Madisons and Emmas of the 2000s. Guessing what era you’re from has become a fun game to play, depending on your name. With 2025 being the year of ‘vintage baby names,’ it will be interesting to see how names will age in the years to come.
Moms Don’t Want to Pass on Their Names
Simply said, readers gave Towne the feedback that moms either don’t like their names or would rather give their daughters a unique name that differs from their own.
The Most Popular Female Names That Could Be a ‘Junior’ Today
What female names might be likely ‘Juniors’ in the future? Knowing more women over the age of 40 are having babies, could there be some Jessica and Jennifer Juniors born to Generation Beta? I’ve broken down the most popular baby girl names by decade, according to the U.S. Social Security Administration.
Top 10 Baby Girl Names of the 2000s
- Emily
- Madison
- Emma
- Olivia
- Hannah
- Abigail
- Isabella
- Samantha
- Elizabeth
- Ashley
The Most Popular Baby Girl Names of the ‘90s
- Jessica
- Ashley
- Emily
- Sarah
- Samantha
- Amanda
- Brittany
- Elizabeth
- Taylor
- Megan
Top 10 Baby Girl Names of the ‘80s
- Jessica
- Jennifer
- Amanda
- Ashley
- Sarah
- Stephanie
- Melissa
- Nicole
- Elizabeth
- Heather
Top 10 Baby Girl Names of the ‘70s
- Jennifer
- Amy
- Melissa
- Michelle
- Kimberly
- Lisa
- Angela
- Heather
- Stephanie
- Nicole
Patty Schepel, Editorial Assistant
As the editorial assistant, Patty works with The Everymom’s team on pitches, creating original articles, updating existing content, photo sourcing, writing shopping product descriptions, inputting freelance articles, and more. When she’s not working, you can find her spending time with her family, training for half marathons—she ran one 16 weeks pregnant—traveling, cooking, reading a rom-com, and keeping her sourdough starter, Rose, alive.