Boy name · Latin
Julian
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: from the Roman name Julianus, from the family name JuliusJulian is a boy's name that is of Latin origin: from the Roman name Julianus, from the family name Julius. It is used in English, Polish and German.
- Meaning
- From the Roman name Julianus, from the family name Julius
- Origin
- Latin
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #25 in 2025
Meaning and origin of Julian
As a boy's name, Julian is of Latin origin: from the Roman name Julianus, from the family name Julius. It is used in English, Polish and German.
Julian is also a surname: the 2,427th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 14,572 people. See the most common last names.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
How popular is Julian?
- US rank in 2025
- #25
- 7,603 babies, 4,451 per million boys
- Best rank
- #25 in 2025
- Most babies: 8,455 in 2017
- Babies since 1880
- At least 264,985
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 402 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 489 per million |
| 1900s | 584 per million |
| 1910s | 697 per million |
| 1920s | 626 per million |
| 1930s | 460 per million |
| 1940s | 346 per million |
| 1950s | 239 per million |
| 1960s | 251 per million |
| 1970s | 412 per million |
| 1980s | 701 per million |
| 1990s | 1,421 per million |
| 2000s | 3,026 per million |
| 2010s | 4,230 per million |
| 2020s | 4,308 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #39 | #37 | #36 | #31 | #34 | #33 | #35 | #33 | #30 | #25 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for Julian
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Julescommon English nickname
Names spelled like Julian
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
- JulienFrench form of Julianus, from Julius (Latin, boy)
- JianHealthy, strong; to build (depends on characters) (Chinese, boy)
- JuanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
Names with a similar meaning
- JulianaFeminine form of Julian, from the Roman family name Julius (Latin, girl)
- MarianaFeminine of Marianus, from the Roman family name Marius (Latin, girl)
- RomanRoman, from Rome (Latin, boy)
- TatianaFrom the Roman family name Tatius (Latin, girl)
- VirginiaMaiden, from a Roman family name (Latin, girl)
- AdrienneFrom Hadria, a Roman town (Latin, girl)
- AntonellaPet form of Antonia, from the Roman family name Antonius (Latin, girl)
- JuliaFeminine of Julius (Latin, girl)
- SheilaFrom the Roman family name Caecilius (Latin, girl)
- AnthonyMeaning unknown; from the Roman family name Antonius (Latin, boy)
- AntonioFrom the Roman family name Antonius; the most common man's name in Spain (Latin, boy)
- AntoniosFrom the Roman family name Antonius, of unknown origin (Latin, boy)
- CamillaFrom the Roman family name Camillus (Latin, girl)
- EimíleFrom the Roman family name Aemilius (Latin, girl)
- EllianaVariant of Eliana, from Roman Aelius, traditionally linked to sun (Latin, girl)
Middle names for Julian
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a shorter length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Latin
- MaxThe greatest (Latin, boy)
- AdrianFrom Hadria (Latin, boy)
- FelixLucky, happy (Latin, boy)
- MartinDedicated to Mars (Latin, boy)
- OliverOlive tree (Latin, boy)
- AugustExalted, venerable (Latin, boy)
- MagnusThe great (Latin, boy)
- MarcoOf Mars (Latin, boy)
- MarcusOf Mars (Latin, boy)
- PatrickNobleman, patrician (Latin, boy)
- PaulSmall, humble (Latin, boy)
- VictorThe conqueror (Latin, boy)
- VincentConquering one (Latin, boy)
- CelestinoHeavenly (Latin, boy)
- ClemensMerciful (Latin, boy)
- ConstantineConstant, steadfast (Latin, boy)
- DanteEnduring, steadfast (Latin, boy)
- EmilianoRival, striving to equal (Latin, boy)
Julian: common questions
What does the name Julian mean?
Julian is of Latin origin: from the Roman name Julianus, from the family name Julius. Checked against Behind the Name.
Is Julian a boy or girl name?
Julian is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 23 girls and 7,603 boys in the US were named Julian, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for Julian?
Common nicknames for Julian include Jules.
How popular is the name Julian?
Julian ranked #25 in the US in 2025, with 7,603 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What names are similar to Julian?
Names spelled like Julian include Julien, Jian and Juan.
What middle names go with Julian?
Middle names that flow well with Julian include Beau, Dean, Ezra, Grant and Henry. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.

