Julian
Julian was the 25th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 7,603 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 20 places. More babies were named Julian in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning of Julius (Roman family name) · Latin
Say it JOO-lee-un /ˈdʒuliən/
- Rank in 2025
- #25 boys, up 9 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 7,603boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20178,455 babies
- Total since 1880
- 268,291babies recorded
What does the name Julian mean?
Julian comes from the Roman name Iulianus, 'belonging to Julius', from the family of Julius Caesar. Roman emperors and several early saints bore it. DMNES notes that in medieval England the feminine Juliana was far more common than the masculine Julian. Wiktionary records Julian as a medieval English girls' name too, a variant of Gillian.
Iūliānus (Latin, “of Julius”)
How sure is this? Well established.
See also: Latin names.
Nicknames for Julian
The usual nicknames for Julian are Jules. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Julian in the last five years, 1 were named Jules, against 1 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jules · also for Julietta, Julia, Juliette | Modern | #1,396 | 552 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Julians go by each one.
Julian popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 3,306 since 1890, 23 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #25 | 7,603 |
| 2020 | #34 | 7,552 |
| 2010 | #53 | 7,589 |
| 2000 | #87 | 4,590 |
| 1990 | #123 | 2,700 |
| 1980 | #280 | 753 |
| 1970 | #309 | 634 |
| 1960 | #352 | 492 |
| 1950 | #302 | 505 |
| 1940 | #238 | 510 |
| 1930 | #219 | 592 |
| 1920 | #195 | 693 |
| 1910 | #201 | 129 |
| 1900 | #226 | 79 |
| 1890 | #209 | 63 |
| 1880 | #296 | 32 |
How popular is Julian, counting every spelling?
Julian is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #28 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #25 for Julian on its own. Together these spellings went to 8,006 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Julian | 7,603 | #25 | 37,088 |
| Julien | 380 | #709 | 2,061 |
| Jullian | 23 | #4,461 | 142 |
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 Julian?
7,603 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Julian (2.11 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Julian born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is about 1 in 25. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 1 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Julian.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Julian?
About 237,600 people born in the US named Julian are alive today, with a median age of 16; half are between 8 and 26. That makes Julian mostly worn by children and young adults.
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.
Julian by state
How common Julian was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Rhode Island (2.9×), District of Columbia (2.4×), California (2.1×), Nevada (2.0×), New Mexico (1.8×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Montana, Mississippi, West Virginia.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Julian: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Julian, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Julian · Sibling names for Julian
Questions about the name Julian
What does Julian mean?
Julian means “of Julius (Roman family name)” (Latin origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Julian?
Julian was the 25th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 7,603 babies. That is its highest rank since records began in 1880. Over the last ten years it has moved up 20 places. More babies were named Julian in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Julian a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Julian in the US.
Where is Julian most popular?
In 2021–2025, Julian was most common in Rhode Island (12.45 per 1,000 boys), followed by District of Columbia and California.