girl's name
Julia
JOO-lee-uh
- Origin Latin
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 605,607
the United States
#131
2025 births
Julia is a girl's name of Latin origin, the feminine of the Roman family name Julius. The meaning of Julius itself is uncertain — it is variously linked to Jupiter and to a Greek word for a young man's first beard, and may simply be an inherited clan name.
- Julia is a name of Latin origin.
- Peaked in 2001, when 8,849 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,526 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Julia over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 9,838 |
| 1890s | 13,482 |
| 1900s | 16,152 |
| 1910s | 39,405 |
| 1920s | 40,538 |
| 1930s | 25,132 |
| 1940s | 28,017 |
| 1950s | 32,575 |
| 1960s | 34,313 |
| 1970s | 23,537 |
| 1980s | 33,625 |
| 1990s | 60,112 |
| 2000s | 70,994 |
| 2010s | 35,938 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 14,335 |
What Julia means
Julia belongs to the Roman gens Julia and has no settled meaning of its own. The common gloss "youthful" follows one proposed derivation from the Greek ioulos, referring to downy first facial hair, and is not established.
Where Julia comes from
Julia is the feminine of Julius, the name of one of Rome's oldest patrician families, who claimed descent from Iulus, son of Aeneas — a lineage Julius Caesar used to political advantage by connecting his family to Venus. Whether the clan name derives from Jupiter, from the Greek ioulos, or from a source now lost is unresolved. Julia appears in the New Testament in Paul's letter to the Romans, which gave it Christian standing, and it has been used continuously in Europe since. The month of July is named for Julius Caesar, so the name and the month share a source.
Julia in use
July is named for Julius Caesar, so Julia and the month descend from the same Roman family name.
How popular is Julia?
In 2025, Julia was given to 2,172 babies in the United States, ranking #131 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Julia is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
How Julia is spelled
Birth registers count each spelling separately, so every one has its own ranking.
| Spelling | What it is | Births on record |
|---|---|---|
| Jùlia | Jùlia is a rare spelling of Julia, written with a grave accent and recorded about 125 times, mostly in France. | 125 |
| Júlia | Júlia is a rare spelling of Julia, written with a fada and recorded 19 times, mostly in Ireland. | 19 |
| Jülia | Jülia is a rare spelling of Julia, written with a diaeresis and recorded about 5 times, mostly in France. | 5 |
Names that peaked alongside Julia
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Julia also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Julia over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Julia
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Julia in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
Sibling names for Julia
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Julia — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Julia
What does the name Julia mean?
Its meaning is uncertain — Julia belongs to the Roman clan Julius, whose own root is unresolved.
Is Julia connected to July?
Yes. Both descend from Julius Caesar's family name.
Does Julia mean youthful?
That follows one proposed derivation from the Greek ioulos, but it is not established.
How popular is the name Julia?
In 2025, Julia was given to 2,172 babies in the United States, ranking #131 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Julia a girl's or a boy's name?
Julia is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Julia?
Julia has 2 syllables.
When was Julia most popular?
Julia peaked in 2001, when 8,849 babies were given the name. It has been falling over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Julia?
Julia is usually shortened to Jules and Julie.
Is Julia a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Julia currently ranks #20 in the United States. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.