Total births
264,985
Boys' name · since 1880
Julian
Julian has 264,985 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 2017 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #30
- among boys today
- 264,985
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other boys
Julian currently ranks #30 among boys' names in America, with 264,985 babies recorded since 1880.
Julian has 264,985 recorded births among boys since 1880, per the U.S. Social Security Administration, ranked #30 as of the latest data, more common than 99.8% of boys, busiest in the 2010s -- 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.
- #30 among boys today
- 264,985 born since 1880
- 2010s peak decade
- 99.8% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
Julian is currently the #30 boys' name in America, more common than 99.8% of boys - 264,985 born since 1880, peaking in the 2010s.
- #30
- among boys today
- 264,985
- born since 1880
- 2010s
- peak decade
- 99.8%
- more common than other boys
Julian vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#30
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.8% of names given to boys today.
2010s
Peak decade
30% of everyone ever named Julian was born in this single decade.
2017
Single peak year
8,455 babies were named Julian in 2017 - its busiest year on record.
How Julian compares
264,985 Top 1% higher than 99% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys 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
Julian's all-time total is 722x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | Julian | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 264,985 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 8,455 | 23 | 22,252 |
Julian's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting Julian's full recorded timeline at 1953, 91% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 9% in the earlier half -- usage has skewed toward the present, not a one-decade spike. Its quietest year on record was 1880, with just 32 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 2017 peak of 8,455 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
Julian at a glance
Top 100 boys' namePeak year
2017
Current rank
#30
Active since
1880
Julian popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (2017)
- 8,455
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Julian popularity over time - girls
3,306 total births recorded since 1890 (Julian as girls' name)
Julian by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
2010s was Julian's strongest decade.
79,530 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 30% of all-time use.
Julian births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 440
1880s
440 births
- 1890s 558
1890s
558 births
- 1900s 793
1900s
793 births
- 1910s 4,650
1910s
4,650 births
- 1920s 6,897
1920s
6,897 births
- 1930s 4,860
1930s
4,860 births
- 1940s 5,157
1940s
5,157 births
- 1950s 4,827
1950s
4,827 births
- 1960s 4,835
1960s
4,835 births
- 1970s 6,800
1970s
6,800 births
- 1980s 12,933
1980s
12,933 births
- 1990s 27,674
1990s
27,674 births
- 2000s
2000s
60,391 births
- 2010s
2010s
79,530 births
- 2020s
2020s
44,640 births
What this shows Peak: 2010s at 79,530 births (30% of all-time use).
How Julian compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to Julian's total volume
Julian vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
Julian by state
Where Julian concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | California | | 56,063 | 21.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 37,446 | 14.1% |
| #3 | New York | | 15,756 | 5.9% |
| #4 | Florida | | 14,928 | 5.6% |
| #5 | Illinois | | 13,128 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Arizona | | 8,232 | 3.1% |
| #7 | Georgia | | 7,814 | 2.9% |
| #8 | Pennsylvania | | 7,695 | 2.9% |
California share of Julian's total US births 21.2%
Even split
56,063 of 264,985 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
Julian appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Julian? ▼
Since 1880, Social Security records show 264,985 babies named Julian. Today it holds rank #30 among boys. Its busiest year on record was 2017, with 8,455 births.
When was Julian most popular? ▼
Julian was most popular in the 2010s decade with 79,530 total births. The single peak year was 2017.
Where is Julian most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Julian are California (56,063 births), Texas (37,446 births), New York (15,756 births).
How long has the name Julian been used? ▼
Records for Julian go back to 1880, giving 146 years of history through 2025.
What names are similar to Julian? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Julius, Julio, Julien, Jules, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with Julian's data
- Julian's usage has stayed within range of its 2010s decade-level peak (79,530 total births) through the 2020s (44,640) -- a comparatively stable name, not a fading trend.
- California records the most Julians (56,063 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 Julian
Nearby Names Like Julian
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Julian
Julius Boy
#386 84,628 births
Julio Boy
#600 63,775 births
Julien Boy
#701 13,791 births
Jules Boy
#1835 9,383 births
Jullian Boy
#4360 2,821 births
Compare Julian side by side: Julian vs Julius Julian vs Julio Julian vs Julien
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to Julian
Santiago #29
103,828 births · Peak 2025
David #31
3,676,654 births · Peak 1955
Dylan #28
418,679 births · Peak 2001
Joseph #32
2,669,490 births · Peak 1956
Alexander #27
736,123 births · Peak 1993
Matthew #33
1,654,075 births · Peak 1983
Owen #26
245,644 births · Peak 2016
Luke #34
323,020 births · Peak 2014
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. "Julian: #30 Boys' Name - 264,985 Births, Peak 2017." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/julian. 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 Julian 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.