Girl's name
Julia
Say it JOO-lee-uh
Latin origin possibly descended from Jove; or downy-bearded
3 syllables
Where Julia is loved, common and rare
Loved in Spain, the Netherlands and Poland. Common across Canada, France, Sweden and ten more places. Rare in Ireland, the UK, Slovenia and two more places.
1 in 491 girls born in Ireland in 2025
Catalonia 1stThe Netherlands 4thPoland 6th
LovedCommonRare
Every place
In 26 of the 40 official lists, among them Catalonia (1st), the Netherlands (4th) and Poland (6th).
Show all 26 placesShow less
| Place | Rank | Girls | Share |
|---|---|---|---|
| Catalonia region as Júlia | 1st 2025 | 449 | 1 in 43 |
| The Netherlands | 4th 2025 | 634 | about 1 in 96 |
| Poland | 6th 2025 | 3,207 | 1 in 37 |
| Spain | 6th 2024 | 2,071 | rank only |
| Quebec province | 16th 2025 | 242 | about 1 in 107 |
| France | 19th 2025 | 1,690 | 1 in 170 |
| Sweden | 35th 2025 | 241 | about 1 in 167 |
| Switzerland | 43rd 2025 | 140 | 1 in 243 |
| Hungary as Júlia | 47th 2025 | 218 | rank only |
| Austria | 56th 2025 | 148 | 1 in 241 |
| Berlin city | 66th 2023 | 46 | about 1 in 315 |
| British Columbia province | 66th 2023 | 37 | about 1 in 323 |
| Munich city | 73rd 2025 | 19 | about 1 in 221 |
| Ontario province | 78th 2024 | 122 | about 1 in 446 |
| Norway | 85th 2025 | 71 | 1 in 307 |
| Cologne city | 94th 2023 | 14 | about 1 in 439 |
| Ireland | 118th 2025 | 43 | 1 in 491 |
| Northern Ireland | 146th 2025 | 13 | 1 in 560 |
| Slovenia | 146th 2025 | 10 | about 1 in 661 |
| Scotland | 154th 2025 | 27 | 1 in 663 |
| England and Wales | 244th 2025 | 190 | 1 in 1,333 |
| Italy | 251st 2024 | 70 | 1 in 2,560 |
| Israel ג'וליה | 330th 2024 | 72 | about 1 in 1,090 |
| Bonn city | 40th 2025 | 14 | about 1 in 215 |
| Leipzig city | 66th 2025 | 8 | about 1 in 328 |
| Rostock city | 92nd 2025 | 2 | about 1 in 492 |
Rare, below the listed names: New South Wales, Victoria, Queensland, South Australia and New Zealand.
Not in a short top list, so no figure: Nova Scotia (top 21), Denmark (top 50), Finland (top 50), Iceland (top 10), Estonia (top 25), Moscow (top 61), Turkey (top 30), Argentina (top 20) and Croatia (top 50).
Germany publishes no national statistics on first names. German figures here are city lists (Berlin, Munich, Cologne, Bonn, Leipzig, Rostock), never the country.
Israel publishes names in Hebrew script. The Latin spelling shown is our transliteration; the published form is shown beside it.
Sources: Idescat (Institut d'Estadística de Catalunya) (Catalonia); Sociale Verzekeringsbank (SVB) (the Netherlands); Ministerstwo Cyfryzacji, rejestr PESEL (dane.gov.pl) (Poland); INE (Instituto Nacional de Estadística) (Spain); Retraite Québec (Banque de prénoms, Données Québec) (Quebec); INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (France); Skatteverket (Swedish Tax Agency) (Sweden); Bundesamt für Statistik (BFS) / Office fédéral de la statistique (OFS) (Switzerland); Belügyminisztérium, Nyilvántartások (kormany.hu) (Hungary); Statistik Austria (OGDEXT_VORNAMEN_1) (Austria); BerlinOnline GmbH; Landesamt für Bürger- und Ordnungsangelegenheiten (LABO) / Standesämter (Berlin); BC Vital Statistics Agency (BC Data Catalogue) (British Columbia); Landeshauptstadt München, Statistisches Amt (opendata.muenchen.de) (Munich); Ontario Office of the Registrar General (Ontario Data Catalogue) (Ontario); Statistics Norway (SSB) (Norway); Stadt Köln, Standesamt (offenedaten-koeln.de) (Cologne); Central Statistics Office (CSO) (Ireland); NISRA (Northern Ireland); Statistični urad Republike Slovenije (SURS), SiStat (Slovenia); National Records of Scotland (Scotland); Office for National Statistics (England and Wales); ISTAT, Contanomi (Italy); Central Bureau of Statistics (Israel) (Israel); Bundesstadt Bonn, Standesamt (opendata.bonn.de) (Bonn); Stadt Leipzig, Standesamt (opendata.leipzig.de) (Leipzig); Hanse- und Universitätsstadt Rostock (opendata-hro.de) (Rostock). How we count, and every source
About the name
From the Latin Iulia, Julia is the feminine of Iulius, the name of a Roman family, and early Christian saints helped carry it across Europe. The meaning of Iulius is uncertain. It is possibly from a form meaning 'descended from Jove', the chief Roman god, or possibly from the Greek ioulos, 'first downy beard'.
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In English it is JOO-lee-uh, three flowing syllables. The name changes shape as it travels: Giulia in Italian, the accented Júlia in Portuguese, Catalan and Hungarian, Julija in Slavic and Baltic languages, and Juliane and Jule in German, with Julie as a close French cousin.
Julia is a mainstay of continental Europe. It is the most popular girls' name in Catalonia, in the top five in the Netherlands and close to the top in Spain, and it sits in the top twenty in Quebec. In France it peaked around 2019 and is now easing back in many countries.
Meaning, origin, pronunciation
- Pronounced
- JOO-lee-uh, 3 syllables
- Meaning
possibly descended from Jove; or downy-bearded
- Origin
- Latin
- Other spellings
- Julie
- Jula
- Giulia
- Julija
- Julita
- Julchen
- Jule
- Juli
- Julika
- Juliane
- Julina
- Xulia
- Jolia
- Juliana
- Hülya
- Yuliya
- Iulia
Counted together here: Júlia and Júlía.
Etymology
From Latin Iulia, feminine of the Roman gens name Iulius, popularized by early saints. The Latin entry says Iulius is possibly from *Iovilios "descended from Jove" or from Greek ioulos "first downy beard".
From the Wiktionary entry, CC BY-SA 4.0, shortened.
Over time
Over five years: rising in 3 of 26 regions, falling in 12.
Show the yearsShow less
Rank in each place since 1996; higher on the chart is more popular.
Ten years of ranks
Her rank each year, English-speaking regions first. A blank means no published rank for her that year.
| Region | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| England and Wales | 93 | 91 | 111 | 119 | 130 | 138 | 201 | 194 | 223 | 244 |
| Scotland | 79 | 87 | 72 | 74 | 109 | 126 | 105 | 119 | 188 | 154 |
| Northern Ireland | 137 | 134 | 92 | 94 | 281 | 190 | 152 | 209 | 212 | 146 |
| Ireland | 49 | 46 | 46 | 59 | 77 | 73 | 99 | 94 | 75 | 118 |
| Ontario | 33 | 55 | 55 | 48 | 65 | 60 | 56 | 74 | 78 | |
| British Columbia | 65 | 100 | 62 | 62 | 68 | 73 | 93 | 66 | ||
| South Australia | 202 | 272 | ||||||||
| Quebec | 36 | 37 | 31 | 24 | 25 | 21 | 20 | 23 | 21 | 16 |
| France | 21 | 19 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | 14 | 17 | 16 | 19 |
| The Netherlands | 4 | 1 | 5 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 4 | |
| Austria | 14 | 13 | 18 | 21 | 19 | 29 | 33 | 41 | 37 | 56 |
| Switzerland | 13 | 13 | 16 | 18 | 23 | 16 | 27 | 30 | 35 | 43 |
| Berlin | 31 | 36 | 57 | 32 | 46 | 45 | 53 | 66 | ||
| Munich | 11 | 26 | 23 | 20 | 52 | 44 | 35 | 51 | 84 | 73 |
| Cologne | 45 | 56 | 47 | 50 | 50 | 63 | 94 | 94 | ||
| Bonn | 32 | 28 | 29 | 50 | 33 | 51 | 34 | 53 | 141 | 40 |
| Leipzig | 77 | 42 | 57 | 85 | 37 | 73 | 112 | 130 | 54 | 66 |
| Rostock | 58 | 107 | 19 | 53 | 202 | 133 | 82 | 68 | 99 | 92 |
| Norway | 45 | 59 | 43 | 44 | 62 | 50 | 70 | 76 | 79 | 85 |
| Sweden | 6 | 13 | 17 | 16 | 19 | 22 | 27 | 32 | 36 | 35 |
| Iceland | 16 | 30 | 4 | |||||||
| Spain | 9 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 6 | |
| Catalonia | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 |
| Italy | 238 | 235 | 206 | 188 | 242 | 225 | 221 | 272 | 251 | |
| Poland | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Hungary | 56 | 53 | 51 | 51 | 52 | 58 | 55 | 57 | 52 | 47 |
| Slovenia | 209 | 121 | 119 | 202 | 144 | 177 | 156 | 112 | 168 | 146 |
| Israel | 664 | 747 | 413 | 349 | 388 | 297 | 320 | 311 | 330 |
England and Wales, 1996 to 2025
| Year | Rank | Girls | per 100,000 girls |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 244 | 190 | 75.0 |
| 2024 | 223 | 214 | 83.0 |
| 2023 | 194 | 256 | 99.8 |
| 2022 | 201 | 250 | 94.9 |
| 2021 | 138 | 359 | 131.0 |
| 2020 | 130 | 384 | 143.1 |
| 2019 | 119 | 429 | 153.2 |
| 2018 | 111 | 472 | 163.7 |
| 2017 | 91 | 576 | 192.6 |
| 2016 | 93 | 578 | 188.2 |
| 2015 | 86 | 640 | 207.8 |
| 2014 | 97 | 593 | 193.4 |
| 2013 | 82 | 678 | 219.8 |
| 2012 | 79 | 751 | 233.2 |
| 2011 | 78 | 759 | 236.2 |
| 2010 | 77 | 796 | 247.9 |
| 2009 | 84 | 766 | 244.4 |
| 2008 | 85 | 713 | 225.8 |
| 2007 | 92 | 601 | 196.3 |
| 2006 | 156 | 341 | 114.0 |
| 2005 | 218 | 220 | 76.3 |
| 2004 | 261 | 166 | 58.1 |
| 2003 | 281 | 144 | 51.7 |
| 2002 | 333 | 108 | 40.4 |
| 2001 | 282 | 135 | 50.4 |
| 2000 | 271 | 143 | 52.3 |
| 1999 | 233 | 175 | 62.1 |
| 1998 | 234 | 175 | 60.5 |
| 1997 | 231 | 174 | 59.3 |
| 1996 | 223 | 184 | 62.2 |
Sources: Office for National Statistics (1996-2025), OGL v3.
France since 1925
Half of the babies named Julia in France since 1925 were born in or after 2009. First recorded in 1925. Her peak year there: 2019, at 715.0 per 100,000 girls.
Babies named Julia per 100,000 girls born in France, by five-year period. Her 2019 peak is averaged into its five-year period, so the line sits below it.
Sources: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms (édition 2025) (1900-2025), Licence Ouverte / Etalab 2.0.
Sister names for Julia
1 in 228 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Julia.
1 in 95 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Julia.
1 in 571 in Ireland
1 in 166 in Northern Ireland
1 in 1,266 in England and Wales
Rose and fell with Julia.
1 in 1,509 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Julia.
1 in 754 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Julia.
1 in 515 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Julia.
1 in 729 in Northern Ireland
Rose and fell with Julia. Ends in -ia, like Julia.
1 in 3,018 in Ireland
Rose and fell with Julia.
Middle names for Julia
1 in 107 in Northern Ireland
Julia Charlotte
3-2 beats · initials JC
Changes the beat after Julia: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 86 in Ireland
Julia Sophie
3-2 beats · initials JS
Changes the beat after Julia: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 57 in Northern Ireland
Julia Grace
3-1 beats · initials JG
Changes the beat after Julia: 3 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 71 in Scotland
Julia Olivia
3-4 beats · initials JO · Julia slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
Changes the beat after Julia: 3 syllables, then 4 syllables. Julia slides into Olivia: vowel meets vowel.
1 in 102 in Ireland
Julia Mia
3-2 beats · initials JM
Changes the beat after Julia: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 132 in Northern Ireland
Julia Ruby
3-2 beats · initials JR
Changes the beat after Julia: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
1 in 214 in Northern Ireland
Julia Rose
3-1 beats · initials JR
Changes the beat after Julia: 3 syllables, then 1 syllable.
1 in 173 in Northern Ireland
Julia Nora
3-2 beats · initials JN
Changes the beat after Julia: 3 syllables, then 2 syllables.
Same style as Julia
Names whose popularity rose and fell with hers across regions and decades.
1 in 754 in Ireland
98% alike: moves with Julia across countries and decades.
1 in 1,243 in Ireland
98% alike: moves with Julia across countries and decades.
1 in 571 in Ireland
97% alike: moves with Julia across countries and decades.
1 in 515 in Ireland
96% alike: moves with Julia across countries and decades.
1 in 260 in Northern Ireland
96% alike: moves with Julia across countries and decades.
1 in 852 in Scotland
96% alike: moves with Julia across countries and decades.
1 in 311 in Ireland
95% alike: moves with Julia across countries and decades.
1 in 729 in Northern Ireland
95% alike: moves with Julia across countries and decades.
Famous people named Julia
Julia Roberts, Julia Gillard, Julia Kristeva, Julia Child, Julia Stiles, Julia Louis-Dreyfus, Julia Garner and Julia Ormond.
Show all 8Show less
-
American actress (born 1967)
-
Prime Minister of Australia from 2010 to 2013 born 1961
-
Bulgarian philosopher, psychoanalyst & academic born 1941
-
American chef 1912 to 2004
-
American actress born 1981
-
American actress born 1961
-
American actress (born 1994)
-
British actress born 1965
People: Wikidata (CC0), linked to Wikipedia in this page's language when an article exists.
Questions about Julia
5 questions, on how popular she is, what it means, how to say it, whether she is rising and sister names.
Show all 5 questionsShow less
How popular is Julia?
Her best rank is No. 1 in Catalonia in 2025, about 1 in 43 girls. She is in the published lists of 26 of our 40 regions.
What does Julia mean?
Wiktionary glosses Julia as "possibly descended from Jove; or downy-bearded".
How do you pronounce Julia?
JOO-lee-uh, with 3 syllables.
Is Julia getting more popular?
Over five years: rising in 3 of 26 regions, falling in 12.
Which sister names go with Julia?
The deck's top five sisters for Julia: Eva, Anna, Sara, Clara and Lina. Each is scored on style, era, popularity and origin, with sound clashes flagged.