Female Equivalent Of “Junior”: Complete Guide (Helpful Examples)

While we come by “junior” as a name for sons to get from their fathers, it seems like the female equivalent isn’t all that popular. So, what do you call a girl with the same name as her mother? In this article, we’ll dive into the female version of Junior!

What Is The Female Equivalent Of “Junior”?

The female equivalent of “junior” is also “junior.” There is no difference between male and female names here. While “junior” isn’t as common for women, it is still used when possible. For example, Mary Jane Junior could be a daughter’s name if her mother is Mary Jane.

What Is The Female Equivalent Of "Junior"?

If you refer to The Cambridge Dictionary, you can see what “junior” means when referring to a person if you scroll down. It is “used to refer to your son.” Typically, the son has a name that’s identical to his father.

Can A Girl Be A Junior?

It is possible for a girl to be a junior, and that can be abbreviated to Jr if she wants it to be. However, it’s not common practice and isn’t traditional.

When women marry, they often take their husband’s last name. For this reason, many women won’t take the junior suffix because when they marry, they won’t have the same name as their mother anymore, and it will no longer apply.

The origin of the word Junior helps us to differentiate between a father and a son. If they both have the same name, like “Barney Jones,” then it may be confusing when written down. However, if we called the son “Barney Jones Jr,” then we could differentiate them.

Its origin started with males because it’s more common and traditional for males to pass down the family name. Usually, a Junior would become a Senior when they move on to have children, and their children would be the new Juniors passing on the family name.

The meaning always applied to women too, but not many parents jumped at the chance to use it in this way.

Why Do People Think That Only Boys Are Called Junior?

Many people believe that Junior is only used to talk about boys, but this is a common misconception.,

While it’s more common for boys to be called Juniors, it isn’t reserved for one gender. Any child can be a Junior if they copy the name of one of their parents.

Tradition usually dictates people’s familiarity with these things. Since it’s traditional for women to marry and change their names, they’ll never have an authentic Junior tag. Let’s show you what we mean:

  • The mother is Sarah Jenkins.
  • The daughter is Sarah Jenkins Junior.
  • Sarah Jenkins Junior marries Paul Rutherford.
  • Now she is Sarah Rutherford, and the Junior is lost.

Junior can only apply when both the first and last names are the same as the parent.

Can A Girl Be A Jr After Her Father?

While a girl being called Junior after her mother is rare, it’s even rarer to find a girl called Jr after her father. However, just because it’s rare doesn’t mean it’s impossible.

Most girls don’t get given male names at birth, which is why it’s so uncommon for them to be named Junior after their fathers. It’s traditional for a father to name his son with his name to continue the family name and legacy, but not so common for it to apply to a girl.

However, if the father has a gender-neutral name, it’s entirely possible for a daughter to be named after him.

  • The father is Jesse Pinkman (Jesse is a gender-neutral name).
  • No son was born, and Jesse instead got a daughter.
  • He wants to continue the family legacy, so he calls his daughter by his name.
  • His newborn daughter is now Jesse Pinkman Jr.

It’s a tradition that some people believe in more than others. That’s why it’s not always the most common thing. However, if Jesse Pinkman wanted to continue his name on, then this might be his only option, and it works well (until she marries someone with a different surname).

It’s also worth noting that not everyone has to follow the Junior rules if they don’t want to. They’re more traditional rules rather than actual laws you have to abide by.

For example, if you’re name is John Stewart, your son could be named any of these three things:

  • John Stewart Junior
  • John Stewart II
  • John Stewart

The first example has already been covered. The second example uses the more royal Roman numerals to indicate a passing of a name. The third example shows nothing has changed, and the same name is shared. It’s up to you which tradition you prefer.

Can A Girl Be Name Jr After Non-Family Members?

Generally, when we want to name someone Junior, we always want them to carry a family member’s name.

Junior is used to continue a family name or legacy. That’s why it’s not acceptable for a girl (or boy) to be named Junior after a non-family member, as they’re not continuing on a name.

If two parents name their child after a celebrity like Michael Jackson without that name belonging to their family, then they’re not using Junior correctly. This is not a traditional practice and should not be used if you want to name your girl Junior correctly.

Step-By-Step Guide: How To Name A Girl Junior

Finally, let’s go through a quick guide to naming a girl Junior to see if you’re ready to do so!

  1. The mother is called Charlotte Tate.
  2. They want to name their daughter after her to hold the family name.
  3. The daughter is born and named Charlotte Tate.
  4. Junior must be included to pay respect to the family name.
  5. Charlotte Tate Junior is the daughter’s name.

It’s up to Charlotte Tate Junior whether she keeps Junior or shortens it to Jr. However, it only works if both names are taken. For example, if only the first name is taken, but the mother has a different surname, then she will no longer work as a Junior!

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