Julia
Julia was the 131st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,172 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 26th; the most babies were born in 2001 (8,838). Over the last ten years it has moved down 42 places. More babies were named Julia in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning Origin uncertain · Latin
Say it JOOL-yuh /ˈdʒuljə/
- Rank in 2025
- #131 girls, down 23 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,172girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20018,838 babies
- Total since 1880
- 477,993babies recorded
What does the name Julia mean?
Julia is the feminine form of Julius, the name of a Roman patrician family borne by Julius Caesar. DMNES calls the family name of uncertain origin: the Romans connected it with a Greek word for 'downy-bearded', but DMNES finds little support for that, and another proposal links it with Jove (Jupiter). DMNES lists Roman empresses and early saints named Julia, and notes that it was not common in England until the 18th century, as Wikipedia also says.
Iūlia (Latin, “feminine of Iulius”)Iūlius (Latin, “Roman family name”)
How sure is this? Uncertain. The family name Julius is of uncertain origin ('downy-bearded' is an ancient guess; 'of Jove' is another proposal).
Other explanations you may read: Means 'youthful' or 'downy-bearded'.
Related names: Julie, Juliet, Juliana, Julian, Julio, Giulia.
See also: Latin names.
Sources for this meaning
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Julia', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Julius', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
- Wiktionary, entry 'Julia', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Julia (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Julia
The usual nicknames for Julia are Julie and Jules. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 girls named Julia in the last five years, 16 were named Julie, against 17 twenty years earlier. Jules is also gaining on the full name.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Girls, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julie · also for Julietta, Juliette, Juliana | Traditional | #873 | 1,945 |
| Jules · also for Julietta, Julian, Juliette | Modern | #2,131 | 429 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are girls given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Julias go by each one.
Julia popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,743 since 1882.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #131 | 2,172 |
| 2020 | #108 | 2,508 |
| 2010 | #55 | 4,677 |
| 2000 | #29 | 8,769 |
| 1990 | #83 | 3,914 |
| 1980 | #98 | 3,069 |
| 1970 | #121 | 3,178 |
| 1960 | #122 | 3,790 |
| 1950 | #119 | 2,727 |
| 1940 | #91 | 2,709 |
| 1930 | #90 | 2,880 |
| 1920 | #55 | 4,889 |
| 1910 | #49 | 2,074 |
| 1900 | #46 | 1,766 |
| 1890 | #40 | 1,275 |
| 1880 | #26 | 783 |
How popular is Julia, counting every spelling?
Julia is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #157 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #131 for Julia on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,172 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julia | 2,172 | #131 | 11,821 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Julia?
2,172 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Julia (0.60 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Julia born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Julia.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Julia?
About 310,200 people born in the US named Julia are alive today, with a median age of 31; half are between 21 and 56. That makes Julia mostly worn by adults in their thirties to fifties. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Julia by state
How common Julia was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in District of Columbia (3.6×), New Hampshire (2.4×), Delaware (2.4×), Massachusetts (2.3×), Connecticut (2.1×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Vermont, West Virginia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Julia: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Julia, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Julia · Sibling names for Julia
Questions about the name Julia
What does Julia mean?
The origin of Julia is uncertain: the family name Julius is of uncertain origin ('downy-bearded' is an ancient guess; 'of Jove' is another proposal).
How popular is the name Julia?
Julia was the 131st most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 2,172 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 26th; the most babies were born in 2001 (8,838). Over the last ten years it has moved down 42 places. More babies were named Julia in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Julia a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Julia in the US.
Where is Julia most popular?
In 2021–2025, Julia was most common in District of Columbia (5.32 per 1,000 girls), followed by New Hampshire and Delaware.