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Name at a glance

Junia

Junia is a Latin name often connected with youth or the Roman family name Junius.

Ranked #1998 in the 2025 SSA records, peaked at #981 in 1883, rising over the past 5 years.

Junia is named in Romans 16 and is important in Christian discussions of early church ministry, witness, and the roles of women among the first believers.

Browse names
OriginLatin
GenderGirl
FeelEarly church
PronunciationJOO-nee-uh

Is Junia biblical?

Yes

Biblical status Direct biblical person

Junia is a named person in Scripture, greeted by Paul in Romans 16:7; the record affirms the feminine reading 'Junia' over the older 'Junias.'

Is Junia a Christian name?

Yes, in specific traditions

Christian tradition Tradition-specific

Junia is venerated in Orthodox tradition with Andronicus and has a small modern revival in academic, Catholic, and Protestant circles.

TraditionsOrthodox

Plain answer

Junia is a New Testament name from Romans 16:7, established mainly in Orthodox tradition through her commemoration with Andronicus, with a modern scholarly revival.

Confidence Moderate Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Junia

Junia is usually treated as a Latin feminine name related to Junius. Its exact meaning is less central than its New Testament mention and its place in early Christian memory.

Name story

A name from Romans 16

Junia appears in Paul's greetings in Romans 16, a chapter full of named co-workers, households, and early Christian relationships.

The verse has received much attention because Junia is described in connection with the apostles and as someone who was in Christ before Paul.

Christian reading

Honor in the early church

Junia's name reminds readers that the early Christian movement included many women whose labor and witness mattered.

For families, Junia can feel elegant, ancient, and distinctively Christian without being common.

Sound

How to pronounce Junia

Phonetic
JOO-nee-uh
IPA
/ˈdʒuːniə/

3 syllables · stress: JOO-nee-uh · ends in a vowel

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Iunia
  • Junias
  • Juna

Short forms and nicknames

  • June
  • Junie

Languages

Junia in other languages

Greek
ἸουνίαIounia
Latin
Iunia
Spanish
Junia
French
Junie
German
Junia
Italian
Giunia

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Junia is significant because of Romans 16:7 and the long discussion around her role in the early church. The name carries themes of witness, endurance, and honorable service.

Scripture

The biblical figure

Junia is greeted by Paul in Romans 16 and is described as being in Christ before him and notable in connection with the apostles.

Bearers

Notable people named Junia

  • biblical

    JuniaChristian believer Paul greets in Romans 16:7 with Andronicus, in a phrase read as 'outstanding among the apostles' or 'well known to the apostles'; the subject of much scholarship on women in early church ministry

  • modern

    Junia LifrakFrench poet and writer, born 1955

Saint

Saint Junia

Traditions
Orthodox

Junia is commemorated in Orthodox tradition together with Andronicus, both named by Paul in Romans 16:7 in a phrase read as "outstanding among the apostles" or "well known to the apostles." The Roman Martyrology preserves a parallel commemoration on the same day.

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Junia is much rarer than Julia or June, but interest has grown as readers pay closer attention to the named women of the New Testament.

Recent US use

Junia in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#1998
Peak rank
#981 in 1883
Recent trend
rising over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
83 (since 1883)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

Across cultures

Use across cultures

Junia has had a small contemporary revival in academic, Catholic, and Protestant Christian circles since the 1990s. Textual scholarship has established that Romans 16:7 reads most naturally as "Junia" (feminine) rather than the older masculine reading "Junias", and the recovery of the feminine reading has made the name a marker of awareness for women's roles in the early church.

Sibling fit

Sibling name suggestions

For families

For families looking at Junia

Junia may suit parents who want a graceful and uncommon New Testament girl name. It has an ancient sound, a strong Christian association, and a gentle modern feel.

Common questions

What does Junia mean?

Junia is a Latin name often linked with Junius and sometimes associated with youth.

Is Junia in the Bible?

Yes. Junia is named in Romans 16:7.

Is Junia a Christian name?

Yes. Junia is a New Testament name with strong early church associations.

Sources

Sources for Junia

  • The Oxford Dictionary of English Christian Names, E. G. Withycombe (3rd edition)Supports: Latin etymology; feminine name related to Junius.
  • The Epistle to the Romans, King James Version (KJV 1769)Supports: biblical figure; greeted by Paul in Romans 16:7.
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, David Hugh Farmer (5th edition)Supports: Saint Junia; commemorated with Andronicus; feast day (May 17).

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

PriscillaBoth are early Christian women named in Paul's letters; Junia in Romans 16:7, named among the apostles in a phrase whose reading is debated, Priscilla in Romans 16:3 as a teacher with her husband.PhoebeBoth are named in Romans 16; Junia and Phoebe are listed within four verses of each other in Paul's closing greetings.LydiaBoth are New Testament women defined by their substantive role in the early church; Junia as a prominent early Christian named among the apostles, Lydia as the first European convert and church host.JoannaBoth are New Testament women named directly in the early-church narrative texts; Joanna in Luke 8:3, Junia in Romans 16:7.