Juniper

updated July 2015

Juniper ~ Evergreen ~ Latin

Juniper is quickly taking up residence in many of our hearts as a favorite. And it's pretty new to the naming scene, as it only appeared in the top 1,000 names for girls in 2011. There is a lot to love about Juniper—on the surface it's just a sweet nature name with a fashionable sound, but it has an interesting back story and a few religious namesakes that date back to the 1200s.

History
With a relatively new word name, sometimes there is very little history to discuss. But juniper is a fascinating word that actually has connections to a few names: Ginevra, Geneva, Genevieve, Guinevere, and by association, Jennifer. Those names aren't usually cited to mean juniper, but their latin roots sound so similar to the word that it's sometimes difficult to tell what the true origins are. For example, take a look at this excerpt from the book Dictionary of Patron Saints' Names by Thomas W. Sheehan:

The "Geneva" family of names may have originated from the word for juniper. The latin is junio and parere, which together means "producing youth" or, simply, evergreen. While the meanings and roots of this group of names could be related, using Juniper as a given name is much more rare.

There is a St. Juniper—a friar known for his generosity, comedy, and devotion to St. Francis of Assisi. There was also a Spanich Franciscan friar named Junípero Serra. Nature names can definitely go from favoring males to females, as is the case with Juniper—though I would still deem it a unisex name.

Because juniper shrubs are evergreens, they have loads of symbolism, while its berries have lots of uses in culinary arts. The berries give gin its flavor, and are often used in a sauce for wild game. They make a lovely essential oil that is said to relieve anxiety and exhaustion.

Popularity & Sound
The name Juniper is just fun to say. And its pet form, June, is on an upward trend and currently in the 300s out of the top 1,000 for girls. Juniper is taking off quickly and latest stats (2014) have it at #490. I expect it to rise in popularity, but I don't think it'll ever become top-100 popular (like Violet did, for example). Juniper just doesn't have the history and familiarity of some of the other antique-sounding nature names. But that may be perfect for those searching for a unique nature name with the added bonus of a built-in nickname.

Lovely Photos of Babies Named Juniper
I first ran into this name a couple of years ago on a blog written by a woman who named her little one Juniper. Scouring the internet for more babies with this name, I found a lot of posts that all happened to feature beautiful newborn photos of little Junipers. So I mean this in the least possible creepy-internet-stalking way, but here are some links to lovely pics of babies named Juniper! (Maybe it will help some of you who want to imagine your baby with this name.)

• Here's a photo shoot with a newborn baby boy named Juniper
• Here's a graphic designer who created a birth announcement for a girl named Juniper
• And another photographer, this time with a little niece named Juniper
• Here's a blogger with a girl named Juniper
• And one more blogger with a new baby Juniper

Fictional Junipers

• Reese Witherspoon's character in the 2012 movie Mud
• The Life and Times of Juniper Lee, a cartoon which ran from 2005-2007
• In the Junie B. Jones childrens' book series, Junie is short for Juniper
• Joon from the movie Benny & Joon is also short for Juniper