Julia
Girl name · #131 in 2025 · Well-known
How old is the name Julia? In official American birth records, Julia has been tracked continuously since 1880, giving it 145 years of documented American history.
Julia ranks #131 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 2,172 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #89, so the name has been falling over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 829 girls born in 2025 was named Julia.
Babies named Julia per year. Source: Official national birth records.
The 145-year story
Julia first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 783 girls received the name. Its peak came in 2001, when 8,838 girls were named Julia — good for #27 that year. Today's parents encounter it on its way down the popularity curve, which for many parents is exactly the appeal. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare Julia against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another Julia in class?
On our rarity read — which blends how common Julia is today with its five-year momentum — the name reads as "well-known". A low score means broad familiarity: teachers will spell it right, and your child may share it with a classmate. For many families that's a feature, not a bug.
Where Julia is most common
Geography matters for names, and Julia is no exception. Adjusted for how many girls are born in each state, Julia is most common in MA (3 per 1,000), NE (2.5 per 1,000), CT (2.5 per 1,000), IL (2.3 per 1,000), NV (2.2 per 1,000) — against a national average of about 1.7 per 1,000 girls. These are per-capita rates, so they show where Julia is a genuine regional favorite rather than just where the most babies are born.
Nicknames & related forms of Julia
Julia carries a whole family of nicknames and spellings — names that will feel like the same name in a classroom.
Counted as one name, the Julia family went to about 2,568 girls in 2025 — together they'd rank around #103, versus #131 for Julia alone.
Names like Julia
Statistically, parents drawn to Julia tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Natalia, Alana, Kiara, Lydia, and Cecilia.
NataliaAlanaKiaraLydiaCeciliaTaliaJadeSerena
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named Julia | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 2,172 | #131 |
| 2024 | 2,372 | #116 |
| 2023 | 2,299 | #121 |
| 2022 | 2,545 | #111 |
| 2021 | 2,433 | #114 |
| 2020 | 2,508 | #108 |
| 2019 | 2,787 | #99 |
| 2018 | 3,010 | #93 |
| 2017 | 3,125 | #93 |
| 2016 | 3,344 | #88 |
| 2015 | 3,375 | #89 |
| 2014 | 3,605 | #86 |
| 2013 | 3,754 | #75 |
| 2012 | 3,882 | #65 |
| 2011 | 4,350 | #58 |
| 2010 | 4,677 | #55 |
| 2009 | 4,996 | #50 |
| 2008 | 5,620 | #41 |
| 2007 | 6,133 | #34 |
| 2006 | 6,884 | #31 |
| 2005 | 7,089 | #31 |
| 2004 | 7,149 | #32 |
| 2003 | 7,437 | #33 |
| 2002 | 7,965 | #33 |
| 2001 | 8,838 | #27 |
Frequently asked questions
How old is the name Julia?
In official American birth records, the name Julia first appeared in 1880 (over 145 years ago), when 783 newborn girls received the name. It has over a century of continuous American history.
Is Julia a popular girl name?
Julia ranked #131 among girls in 2025 with 2,172 babies given the name — inside the top 500: established but not ubiquitous. Ten years earlier it ranked #89.
When was the name Julia most popular?
Julia peaked in 2001, when 8,838 American girls received the name (ranked #27 that year). Since 2001 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name Julia?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 829 newborn American girls was named Julia. On our rarity scale (rarity blended with momentum) we classify it as "well-known".
Data source: Official American birth records, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect registered birth records for American families.