boy's name
Julien
zhoo-lee-EN
- Origin French
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (France)
- Births on record 368,493
the United States
#709
2025 births
Julien is a boy's name, the French form of Julian, from a Roman family name whose meaning was never established. It peaked in 1985 and ranks 452nd in France and 709th in the United States.
- Julien is a name of French origin.
- Peaked in France in 1985, when 17,020 babies were given the name.
- It has been falling over the past decade in France.
- Today about 1 in 5,614 babies in France is given this name.
- First appears in birth records in 1900.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Julien over time
Births per decade in France, 1900s 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 |
|---|---|
| 1900s | 15,070 |
| 1910s | 12,750 |
| 1920s | 12,975 |
| 1930s | 7,450 |
| 1940s | 3,555 |
| 1950s | 2,395 |
| 1960s | 2,210 |
| 1970s | 38,645 |
| 1980s | 145,880 |
| 1990s | 69,465 |
| 2000s | 28,170 |
| 2010s | 5,695 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 940 |
What Julien means
Julien carries the meaning of the Roman name Julius, which is not securely known. Descended from Jupiter and youthful are both proposed, and neither is established.
Where Julien comes from
Julien is the French form of Julianus, itself derived from the Roman gens name Julius. What Julius meant has never been settled: the family claimed descent from Iulus, son of Aeneas and grandson of Venus — a claim that served Julius Caesar's politics well — while others propose the Latin iuvenis, young, or a link to Jupiter. Roman gens names frequently predate the words that appear to explain them. Julian the Apostate, emperor from 361, tried to restore the old Roman religion after Constantine's conversion and failed within two years; Julian of Norwich, an anchoress writing around 1395, produced the first book in English known to be written by a woman.
Julien in use
Julien peaked in France in 1985, when 17,020 babies were registered, and is falling in our data. It now ranks 452nd in France on 105 births, 709th in the United States on 390, 822nd in Ireland and 3667th in England and Wales, across 368,493 lifetime births in five of the seven markets we track. Its American position is stronger than most French names of this period manage.
How popular is Julien?
In 2025, Julien was given to 105 babies in France, ranking #452 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Julien is used
French counts are rounded to the nearest five and nothing below five is published, so these figures show the shape of the name's use rather than an exact tally. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Julien
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Julien also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Julien over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
1 nickname for Julien
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.
Julien 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.
- Basque
- Julen
- Brazilian Portuguese
- Juliano
- Bulgarian
- Yulian
- Czech
- Julius
- Danish
- Julius
- Estonian
- Julius
- Finnish
- Julius
- German
- Julius
- Italian
- Giuliano
- Latin
- Julius
- Norwegian
- Julius
- Romanian
- Iulian
- Russian
- Yulian
- Spanish
- Julio
- Swedish
- Julius
- Ukrainian
- Yulian
- Other forms
- Forms we hold no single language for — some are used across several, some are simply spelled differently.
- Juluan
Sibling names for Julien
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Julien — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Julien
What does the name Julien mean?
It carries the meaning of Julius, which is not securely known — descended from Jupiter and youthful are both proposed.
Is Julien the same as Julian?
Yes, the French and English forms of the Latin Julianus.
Who was Julian of Norwich?
An anchoress writing around 1395, whose Revelations is the first book in English known to be by a woman.
How popular is Julien?
452nd in France and 709th in the United States.
Is Julien a girl's or a boy's name?
Julien is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Julien?
Julien has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Julien?
Julien is usually shortened to Jules.
Is Julien a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Julien currently ranks #309 in France. It has been falling over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.