Jupiter

Latin
"godfather"

Jupiter Origin and Meaning

The name Jupiter is a boy's name meaning "godfather".

Jupiter's partner Juno has entered the mainstream, so it's possible that her divine mate could follow. But not necessarily for boys — Jupiter is currently mostly female in the US, thanks to its similarity to Juniper. Stars including Ed Sheeran and Ashley Tisdale recently welcomed daughters named Jupiter, which could shift the balance even more towards the girls.

The name of the supreme Roman deity and the largest planet has until recently had either too hippie or too grandiose a feel for most mortals, but with the rise of sound-alike Juniper and space names such as Orion and Mars, Jupiter may find new favor.

Short form Jupe is adorable.

More background on that deity: Jupiter was the king of the Roman gods, and god of the sky, the equivalent of Greek Zeus. His name may have originated as a title. It can be interpreted to mean "father of the sky" or "father of the gods" (dyew-peter > iou piter > iuppiter (the form of the name used in Latin) > Jupiter). With Juno and Minerva, he made the Capitoline triad, whose worship was at the very centre of Roman religion.

# 940 on Nameberry

Jupiter Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Jupiter Popularity

Famous People Named Jupiter

  • Jupiter Hammon
    American poet
  • Jupiter Apple
    stage name of Flávio Basso, Brazilian singer
  • Jupiter Ghosh
    Bangladeshi cricketer

Jupiter in Pop Culture

  • Jupiter "Jupe" Jones
    main character in the Three Investigators series by Robert Arthur
  • Jupiter
    villain in Robin Jarvis' Deptford Mice Trilogy
  • Jupiter
    villain in Pokemon Diamond and Pearl
  • Sailor Jupiter aka Makoto Kino
    female character in anime 'Sailor Moon'
  • Jupiter Jones
    female character in film "Jupiter Ascending"
  • Jupiter
    character in "Amphitryon" by Moliere
  • Jupiter North
    character in the "Nevermoor" series by Jessica Townsend