Girl · #118 in 2026

Julia

Julia is a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. The given name Julia had been in use throughout Late Antiquity but became rare during the Middle Ages, and was revived only with the Italian Renaissance. It became common in the English-speaking world only in the 18th century. Today, it is frequently used throughout the world.

Current Rank
#118
Peak Rank
#26 (2001)
Total Babies
479K
5-Yr Trend
-14%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
2001
Peak Year
#26
Peak Rank
479K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of Julia

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

Julia is a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. The given name Julia had been in use throughout Late Antiquity but became rare during the Middle Ages, and was revived only with the Italian Renaissance. It became common in the English-speaking world only in the 18th century. Today, it is frequently used throughout the world.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

The Story of Julia

Julia first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 783 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 2001, when 8,838 Julias were born — ranking #27 that year. As of 2026, Julia ranks #118 for baby girls with 2,315 births, gradually falling (-14%). In total, more than 479K Julias have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Names that sound like Julia

Phonetically similar names — useful when Julia is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about Julia

What does the name Julia mean?
Julia is a feminine given name. It is a Latinate feminine form of the name Julio and Julius. The given name Julia had been in use throughout Late Antiquity but became rare during the Middle Ages, and was revived only with the Italian Renaissance. It became common in the English-speaking world only in the 18th century. Today, it is frequently used throughout the world.
How popular is Julia in 2026?
In 2026, Julia ranks #118 among girls' names in the U.S., with 2,315 babies given the name that year.
When was Julia most popular?
Julia reached its peak popularity in 2001, ranking #26 that year with 8,838 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is Julia most popular?
Julia has historically been most popular in Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Jersey. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Julia.
Is Julia a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, Julia is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.
What names go well with Julia?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Julia include Edith, Sara, Alexandra. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

Similar Names

👧
Edith
Peak #26
👧
Sara
Peak #26
👧
Alexandra
Peak #26
👧
Kaylee
Peak #26
👧
Lainey
Peak #26
👧
Hattie
Peak #27
👧
Mattie
Peak #25
👧
Katherine
Peak #25

About the name Julia

Julia is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 479K births in the dataset. Julia's peak popularity came in 2001 when it ranked #26. Use the chart and map above to compare Julia's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.