Younger
A surname that originally meant “the younger” or “junior,” often used to distinguish a son from an older man of the same name.
The #3,357 most common surname in the United States (2010 Census) — about 1 in every 28,968 Americans shares it.
Etymology
This name comes from Middle English forms meaning “younger” or “the younger,” used as a label to distinguish one person from another, especially a son from an older father or namesake. It ultimately goes back to Old English geong, meaning “young,” with the comparative sense later developing into the surname form. In effect, it is the English equivalent of Latin junior.
History
Historical surname dictionaries treat Younger as a straightforward nickname or distinguishing byname, and it appears in medieval records in that sense. It belongs to the broad group of surnames formed from age-terms such as Senior, Young, and Elder. The form has remained in use as a surname, especially in English-speaking areas, without much change in spelling.
Origin
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Variant spellings
Fun fact
Older surname guides explicitly gloss Younger as the opposite of Senior, showing how directly medieval naming could describe family rank or age.
From the historical record
“Jung. YOUNGER (Eng.) Junior [cdmpan of Young] YOUNGHUSBAND [v. Young and Husband] Roger le Yonghusband.— Co/. Rot. Orig. YOUNGLING (Eng.) Youth {O.K.geongling— -ling, dim. suff.] YOUNGMAN [v. Young, and -t- E. wah]”
— Surnames of the United Kingdom: a concise etymological dictionary (2 vols in 1)