girl's name
Juliet
JOO-lee-et (English)
- Origin English
- Gender Girl
- Syllables 3
- Letters 6
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 42,429
the United States
#274
2025 births
Juliet is thirteen in the play, and Shakespeare says so twice — the Nurse gives her age precisely, which most productions quietly ignore and most readers never notice. The Nurse gives her age precisely, and Shakespeare changed it from his source, where she is sixteen.
- Juliet is a name of English origin.
- Peaked in 2016, when 1,402 babies were given the name.
- Its usage has held steady over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 2,918 babies in the United States is given this name.
- 3 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Juliet Over Time
Births per decade in the United States, 1880s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, which so far covers 2020 to 2025.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1880s | 112 |
| 1890s | 152 |
| 1900s | 226 |
| 1910s | 661 |
| 1920s | 803 |
| 1930s | 578 |
| 1940s | 823 |
| 1950s | 1,193 |
| 1960s | 2,082 |
| 1970s | 2,316 |
| 1980s | 1,605 |
| 1990s | 2,414 |
| 2000s | 5,484 |
| 2010s | 13,009 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 6,513 |
What Juliet Means
Juliet means downy-bearded or devoted to Jove, carried from Julius. Neither reading of that Roman family name has ever been established, so the meaning is inherited and uncertain.
Where Juliet Comes From
Juliet is the English form of the Italian Giulietta, a diminutive of Julia and so of the Roman gens Julia. That family name is read either as downy-bearded, from the first growth of facial hair, or as devoted to Jove, and neither has carried the field. Shakespeare took the story from Arthur Brooke's poem of 1562 and made his Juliet thirteen — Brooke's is sixteen, so the change is deliberate. Julio and Julianna, elsewhere on this site, share the root.
Juliet in Use
Juliet peaked in the United States in 2016, when 1,402 babies were registered, and it is stable rather than falling. It now ranks 274th in the United States on 1,136 births, 418th in Scotland on 8, 468th in Ireland on 8 and 664th in England and Wales on 57, across 42,429 lifetime births in five markets. It is on record from 1880.
How Popular Is Juliet?
In 2025, Juliet was given to 1,136 babies in the United States, ranking #274 that year. It ranks among the top 1,000 names in the United States.
Where Juliet 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.
Names That Peaked Alongside Juliet
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents Who Like Juliet Also Like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Juliet over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
How to Say Juliet
- English JOO-lee-et /ˈdʒuː.li.ɛt/
1 nickname for Juliet
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.
Juliet 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 Juliet
Names from the same era that do not rhyme or share an initial with Juliet — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common Questions About Juliet
What does the name Juliet mean?
Downy-bearded or devoted to Jove, through Julius. Neither reading is settled.
How old is Juliet in the play?
Thirteen. Shakespeare's source made her sixteen, so the change is deliberate.
Is Juliette the same name?
Yes — the French spelling.
How popular is Juliet?
274th in the United States, and stable rather than falling.
Is Juliet a girl's or a boy's name?
Juliet is given almost entirely to girls in birth records.
How many syllables are in Juliet?
Juliet has 3 syllables.
What are the nicknames for Juliet?
Juliet is usually shortened to Jules.
Is Juliet a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Juliet currently ranks #274 in the United States. Its usage has held steady over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.