The name Julian is a girl's name meaning "youthful or sky father".

Three Syllable Names for Girls

6 Letter Girl Names

Names Ending in N for Girls

Names That Mean Father

Names That Mean Youthful

Names That Mean Sky

Two Syllable Names for Girls

Sibling Names: The Ultimate Guide

Top Baby Names 2024 Revealed!

Top Baby Names 2024: The Playground Analysis

Cancer Baby Names Make a Splash

Leo Baby Names Burn Hot

Ancient Roman Names For Modern Babies

Top Baby Names 2025: The Playground Analysis

The Most Popular Baby Name Endings of 2023

Liberal and Conservative Baby Names Toe the Party Line

States’ Most Popular Names 2014

Exploring the Meaning of Julian

O Boy! The Best Boy Names Ending in O

Brother Names

International Boy Names: Italy, Germany, and Ireland

Best J Names for Boys

100 Brilliant Boy Names in Translation

Vintage British Nicknames

Twin Names: The Ultimate Guide

Names That Let You Have It Both Ways

Quirky Saint Names to Spice Up Your List

Some may think that the girls have enough variations of the ancient Roman emperor's name Julius of their own – from Julia to Juliet to Julianne – without using the usually-male Julian too. But Julian actually has a long history of use as a unisex name, and was considerably more popular for girls than boys in Medieval England. A famous female bearer is Julian of Norwich, an important medieval mystic and theologian whose work Revelations of Divine Love is the first book in English known to have been written by a woman.

 Julian was derived from Iulianus, which in turn came from Julius, a Roman family name. Its origin is shrouded in history, but possible roots include Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthful"; Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father".

Down to the last few weeks

Your top ten BOYS names of today

Based on the names I like but cannot use, what names would you suggest?

~ if you had a son right now, what would you name him?

— looking beyond george and john 🌿

Perfect name for a future girl or boy?

Boy Names for Girls

Medieval Names

Julian

Nameberry

The name Julian peaked for girls at #1054 in 1890. The name is most popular in JULIAN, JULIAN, and JULIAN. Julian is also used for boys, ranking #25 in 2025.

The name Julian is a boy's name of English, Latin origin meaning "youthful, downy-bearded, or sky father".

English Names

Latin Names

Names Ending in -ian for Boys

English Names for Boys

Latin Names for Boys

6 Letter Boy Names

UK Baby Names

UK Boy Names

Names Ending in N for Boys

Names That Mean Variation

Names That Mean Downy

Names that Peaked in 2017

Names that Peaked in 2018

Two Syllable Names for Boys

Names that Peaked in 2019

Boy Dog Names That Start With J

Boy Cat Names That Start With J

Dog Names That Start With J

Cat Names That Start With J

English Names that Start With J

Latin Names that Start With J

Cool and charming, with plenty of flair and sophistication, Julian manages to strike the balance between being a sensible classic and contemporary choice. Appealingly international, it is no wonder Julian is a rising star.
 
The name Julian derived from Iulianus, which in turn came from the Roman family name, Julius. Its origins are hard to pin down, but possible roots include the Latin iuvenis, meaning "youthful"; the Greek ioulos, meaning "downy-bearded"; or Jovis, a form of Jupiter, which means "sky father."
 
A well-travelled name with plenty of history, Julian, rather fittingly, was the name of St. Julian the Hospitaller, the patron saint of travellers. Other famous Julians include Julian the Apostate, a 4th century Roman emperor, the activist and politician, Julian Bond, the singer and documentary maker, Julian Lennon, and the novelist, Julian Barnes.
 
Beyond the history books, Julian has also made its mark on popular culture. It was used by Shirley Jackson in her mystery novel, We Have Always Lived in The Castle and by Jessica Love in her award-winning picture book Julian is a Mermaid. It has also been given to characters on TV shows such as "Alias", "Law & Order", and BBC "Ghosts".
 
Julian is currently a firm favorite in the US, where it has been given to 7000 boys each year and remained in the Top 50 for the last decade. It’s also made waves in Austria, Sweden, Chile, The Netherlands, and Mexico, where it ranks in the Top 100 of each country.
 
The name holds sway with celebrities too, with Robert De Niro, Lisa Kudrow, Jerry Seinfeld, Paula Patton, Robin Thicke, Daniel Wilcox, and Jennifer Paz among those who’ve chosen it for their sons.
 
Though significantly more popular for boys, in Medieval England, Julian was considered unisex. A handful of girls are still given the name today, though Julia and Juliet are parents’ current preferences.
 
If the handsome, versatile Julian appeals to you, but the popularity holds you back, then you could consider one of its variants, such as Guiliano, Jolyon, Julen, or Jules, or perhaps even Jupiter for something very bold.

Hispanic Baby Names

Cancer Baby Names

Names from Children's Books

Vintage Baby Names

Victorian Boy Names

Antique Baby Names Back in Style

Leo Baby Names

Popular English Boy Names

Mexican Baby Names

Top 2000s Baby Names

Top 2010s Names

Nameberry's Top Boy Names of the 2010s

Fashionable Classic Baby Names

Royal Names

Catholic Baby Names (with Meanings and Popularity)

Rabbit Names

Classic Boy Names 

Old-Fashioned Cat Names

Top 2020s Baby Names

Handsome Boy Names

Vintage Boy Names 

Baby Boy Names 2021

Cat Names

Old-Fashioned Baby Names

The REAL Top Baby Names for Boys

English Names with International Style

Victorian Names from the 1800s

Alternatives to Jordan

The Witcher Names

Old-Fashioned Boy Names

Old-Fashioned Names

Black Hero Names

Boy Names That Peaked in 2018

Dog Names

July Names

Saint Names For Boys 

Confirmation Names for Boys (with Meanings and Definitions)

Sparkling Summer Baby Names

Royal Names for Boys

Trendy Celebrity Baby Names

Three Syllable Boy Names

Boy Names Always in the Top 1000

Top 100 Boy Names 2024

Names With Lots of Spellings

Saint Names

English

Latin

Canada

Future

England

scotland

Australia

Germany

Netherlands

Mexico

sweden

Norway

Belgium

switzerland

Austria

Poland

Chile

The name Julian is currently ranked #25 in U.S. births. and peaked for boys at #25 in 2025. The name is most popular in JULIAN, JULIAN, and JULIAN. Julian is occasionally used for girls in 2025.

Julius

Giuliano

Julian

Julian Rank in US Top 1000

Julian Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Popularity of the name Julian

20 Names Similar to Julian

The name Julian in Nameberry Blog Posts

The name Julian in Nameberry Forums

More Lists containing Julian

Advanced Search

Advanced Search

Find your type.

The Nameberry App Is Live

The Nameberry App Is Live