Julian Name Meaning

Updated on November 17, 2022

Fact checked by Aaron Johnson

smiling baby boy in striped overalls — Jessica Peterson / Getty Images

The name Julian has both Latin and Greek roots and is derivative of the name Julianus. Julian is most often used as a boy's name. Its female variants are Julianne, Julia, and Julianna. If you are looking to add some French flair, try spelling Julian with an 'e.' Julian means "downy," "sky father," and “youthful."

The name Julian has both ancient ties and present-day appeal. It is also on-trend though not yet overdone. The name suits a variety of personalities, too. Your Julian might be a gentle poet or a clever scientist, a talented musician, or a well-rounded athlete. The options really are as endless as this name is versatile.

Origin: Greek/Latin
Gender: Julian is most often used as a boy's name.
Pronunciation: Jool-ee-in

Although many baby names are separated by gender, Verywell Family believes that sex does not need to play a role in your name selection process. It’s important to select a name that you feel suits your new baby the best.

How Popular is the Name Julian?

Julian has been a slow and steady boys' name in the U.S. for over a century. In 1900 it was in 226th place on the charts. Ever since then, it has remained in the top 1000 names. In fact, the lowest it has ever fallen was 366th place in 1962.

In 1963, Julian Lennon was born and from that year onwards, the name made a gradual climb up the charts. Julian landed in the top 100 in 2000 when it reached 87th place. It has remained in the top 100 ever since with its most popular year being 2019 when it sat at 31st place.

Name Variations

There are some variations of the name Julian, including:

Jolyon (Latin)
Juliano (Greek)
Julien (French)
Julius (French)
Julio (Greek)
Julyan (Greek)

Similar Names

Here are some names similar to Julian:

Elliot
Gideon
Hayden
Julias
Phineas
Jayden
Jude
Sebastien

Other English names to consider:

Acton
Alvin
Blake
Braxton
Cameron
Edward
Ellis
Grayson
Harry
Landon
Oscar
Parker
Preston

Other names that start with J:

Jacob
Jamie
Jann
Jared
Jasper
Jaxon
Jedd
Jeremy
Joel
Jonah
Jonathon
Jordan
Josiah
Judd

Suggested Sibling Names

Potential sibling names for baby Julian could be:

Archie
Ayla
Brynn
Cate
Caden
Evelyn
Jake
Kira
Leah
Maeve
Nick
Owen
Poppy
Paxton
Ruby
Violet
Zeke

Famous People Named Julian

Here’s a list of famous people who are also named Julian:

Julian Assange, an Australian entrepreneur and founder of WikiLeaks
Julian Casablancas, the lead singer of The Strokes
Julian Edelman, an American professional football player
Julian Lennon, an English singer, songwriter, photographer, filmmaker, author, and philanthropist and the son of John Lennon
Julian McMahon, an Australian-American actor, model, and son of a former Prime Minister of Australia
Julian Morris, an English actor

Still searching for the perfect baby name? Check out these related baby name lists for even more options:

2 Sources

Verywell Family uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.

Hanks P, Hardcastle K, Hodges F. A Dictionary of First Names. Oxford University Press; 2016.
Social Security Administration. Get Ready for Baby: Popularity of a Name.

By Shannon Day
Shannon Day is a freelance writer specializing in parenting, lifestyle, and women's humor. She has been published in several online parenting and lifestyle sites as well as in print. Shannon is also the co-author of Martinis & Motherhood: Tales of Wonder, Woe & WTF?!

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