Justine is of French origin, derived from the Latin name Iustinus, which means "just" or "fair". It gained popularity during the Middle Ages through the work of the Italian Renaissance writer Giovanni Boccaccio's character named Justine in his collection of novellas, "The Decameron". The name was further popularized by the French enlightenment author Jean-Jacques Rousseau's character Justine in his novel "Emile". Justine is often associated with the qualities of fairness and justice due to its etymological roots. It has been used as a given name since the Middle Ages, but it became more widespread during the 20th century. In English-speaking countries, Justine is typically pronounced /ˈdʒuːstɪn/, with stress on the first syllable and rhyming with "just" and "tin".
The name Justine had a fluctuating popularity over the years, with significant peaks and valleys. The highest points occurred between 1976 and 1988, reaching as high as 159 births in 1988. However, from the late 1990s onwards, there has been a consistent decline in its popularity, with fewer than 20 births annually since 2008, including just 6 births in 2020. Overall, Justine has been given to 2412 newborn girls over the course of these years.