Meaning: Its source is Justinus, a Latin name meaning "Fair-minded."

Languages: This boy's name is used in English and French.

Alternative Spellings: Justen

Variant Forms: Justis and Justo

Feminine Forms: Justine

Non-English Forms: Giustino, Justino, Justus, Justyn and Justiniano

Source Forms: Justinus

Popularity: The name Justin ranked 23rd in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of 2000-2003 Social Security Administration statistics, 56th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census and 19th in popularity for males of all ages in a sample of the 1994 US Census.

This name is highly rated both on the 1990 U.S. Census list and in state data recording the most popular baby names.

Narrative: This name was popular among early Christians, who favored names that celebrated cherished concepts like justice. This is understandable, given that many of the common names of the time -- such as Marcus, Demetrius, and Julius -- were based on the pantheon of rejected pagan gods.

The name received only moderate use in subsequent centuries, but then suddenly emerged as a powerhouse of the 1970s and 1980s. Though no obvious explanation is at hand, it is interesting to note that other boy names starting with ''J'' joined Justin in its rise to popularity -- including Jason, Jeremy, Jesse and Joshua.

Meaning: Its source is Justinus, a Latin name meaning "Fair-minded."

Popularity: The name Justin ranked 2791st in popularity for females of all ages in a sample of the 1990 US Census.

Though this name appears on the 1990 U.S. Census lists, it is used by only a small percentage of the general population.

This name is usually reserved for boys. In part, it could owe its position on the US Census popularity list to incorrectly filled-out census forms.