Total births
476,250
Girls' name · since 1880
Julia
Julia has 476,250 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2001 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #116
- among girls today
- 476,250
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.3%
- more common than other girls
476,250 babies have been named Julia since 1880, making it today's #116 girls' name.
Julia has 476,250 recorded births among girls since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #116 as of the latest data, more common than 99.3% of girls, busiest in the 2000s -- see the year-by-year trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution below, all drawn directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #116 among girls today
- 476,250 born since 1880
- 2000s peak decade
- 99.3% more common than other girls
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Julia is currently the #116 girls' name in America, more common than 99.3% of girls - 476,250 born since 1880, peaking in the 2000s.
- #116
- among girls today
- 476,250
- born since 1880
- 2000s
- peak decade
- 99.3%
- more common than other girls
Julia vs. every other girls name in current SSA rankings
#116
of 17,726 girls in use
More common than 99.3% of names given to girls today.
2000s
Peak decade
15% of everyone ever named Julia was born in this single decade.
2001
Single peak year
8,838 babies were named Julia in 2001 - its busiest year on record.
How Julia compares
476,250 Top 0% higher than 100% of 17,726 names currently given to girls
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked girls names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
Julia's all-time total is 1,247x the median girls name, and Olivia still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Julia | Median girls name (Emerly) | #1 girls name (Olivia) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 476,250 | 382 | 567,345 |
| Peak-year births | 8,838 | 48 | 19,840 |
Julia's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Divide Julia's SSA record in two at 1953 and the more recent half accounts for 62% of all births, the earlier half the remaining 38%, consistent with a name still gaining ground rather than fading. Its calmest year was 1881, with only 737 births recorded -- set against the 2001 peak of 8,838, that's the full swing in one name's fortunes.
Julia at a glance
Top 1,000 girls' namePeak year
2001
Current rank
#116
Active since
1880
Julia popularity over time - girls
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2001)
- 8,838
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Julia popularity over time - boys
1,743 total births recorded since 1882 (Julia as boys' name)
Julia by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2000s was Julia's strongest decade.
70,880 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 15% of all-time use.
Julia births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 9,800
1880s
9,800 births
- 1890s 13,448
1890s
13,448 births
- 1900s 16,107
1900s
16,107 births
- 1910s
1910s
39,259 births
- 1920s
1920s
40,331 births
- 1930s 24,938
1930s
24,938 births
- 1940s 27,891
1940s
27,891 births
- 1950s
1950s
32,457 births
- 1960s
1960s
34,179 births
- 1970s 23,414
1970s
23,414 births
- 1980s
1980s
33,354 births
- 1990s
1990s
59,954 births
- 2000s
2000s
70,880 births
- 2010s
2010s
35,909 births
- 2020s 14,329
2020s
14,329 births
What this shows Peak: 2000s at 70,880 births (15% of all-time use).
How Julia compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Julia's total volume
Julia vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Julia by state
Where Julia concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 38,756 | 8.1% |
| #2 | New York | | 38,513 | 8.1% |
| #3 | Pennsylvania | | 29,413 | 6.2% |
| #4 | Texas | | 29,217 | 6.1% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 20,919 | 4.4% |
| #6 | Ohio | | 19,553 | 4.1% |
| #7 | New Jersey | | 17,155 | 3.6% |
| #8 | Massachusetts | | 14,977 | 3.1% |
California share of Julia's total US births 8.1%
Even split
38,756 of 476,250 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Julia appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Julia? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 476,250 babies named Julia. Today it holds rank #116 among girls. Its busiest year on record was 2001, with 8,838 births.
When was Julia most popular? ▼
Julia was most popular in the 2000s decade with 70,880 total births. The single peak year was 2001.
Where is Julia most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Julia are California (38,756 births), New York (38,513 births), Pennsylvania (29,413 births).
How long has the name Julia been used? ▼
Julia has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Julia? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Julie, Juliana, Julianna, Juliette, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Julia's data
- Julia's decade-level peak was the 2000s (70,880 total births); usage has since declined to 14,329 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- California records the most Julias (38,756 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. California names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Julia
Nearby Names Like Julia
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Julia
Julie Girl
#763 511,253 births
Juliana Girl
#252 67,748 births
Julianna Girl
#352 52,285 births
Juliette Girl
#129 40,981 births
Juliet Girl
#282 37,966 births
Compare Julia side by side: Julia vs Julie Julia vs Juliana Julia vs Julianna
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Julia
Hadley #115
46,595 births · Peak 2014
Serenity #117
77,550 births · Peak 2013
Rose #114
500,586 births · Peak 1917
Eliza #118
70,569 births · Peak 2021
Raelynn #113
34,671 births · Peak 2022
Margaret #119
1,264,774 births · Peak 1921
Alaia #112
17,682 births · Peak 2024
Eva #120
284,761 births · Peak 1918
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Julia: #116 Girls' Name - 476,250 Births, Peak 2001." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/julia. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Julia draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.