How to say it
JU · li · a
/ˈdʒu.li.ə/
Feminine
Julia
Youthful, of the Julii
What it means
Feminine of Julius, the Roman family name traditionally derived from Iulus (son of Aeneas) or from Greek ioulos ('downy-bearded, youthful'). Julius Caesar's family was the Julii.
Julia is the feminine of Julius, the Roman family name traditionally traced to Iulus (Aeneas's son and the mythological founder of the Julii) or to the Greek ioulos ('downy, youthful'). The Julii were one of the great Roman patrician families; Julius Caesar's mother was Aurelia, but his family name passed to Augustus and through the Julio-Claudian dynasty. The name has been continuous in European usage for two thousand years. Shakespeare's Two Gentlemen of Verona has a Julia, and Julia Child the cookbook author + Julia Roberts the actress give the modern English-language anchor. The English Julia has been in the US top 100 since the 1990s. Common shorts: Julie, Jules, Jule.
Popularity over time
peaked at #26 in 1880, currently #131 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–present. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Julie is the standard short and now usually a separate given name; Jules works for both Julia and Julian.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- Julia Child American chef and television personality, Mastering the Art of French Cooking
- Julia Roberts American actress, Pretty Woman and Erin Brockovich (Oscar)
- Julia (Shakespeare) Heroine of Two Gentlemen of Verona
Spelling variants
- Júlia
- Giulia
- Julie
Names with the same feeling
See Julia from another angle
By style