Julian is a common male given name in the United States, Germany, Austria, the United Kingdom, Ireland, the Netherlands (as Juliaan), France (as Julien), Italy (as Giuliano), Russia [Iulian (Yulian)] Spain, Latin America (as Julián in Spanish and Juliano or Julião in Portuguese), Iulian in Romanian and elsewhere.
The name is based on the Roman name Julianus, which was derived from Julius. This was the name of the Roman emperor Julian (4th century). It was also borne by several early saints, including the legendary Saint Julian the Hospitaller. This name has been used in England since the Middle Ages, at which time it was also a feminine name (from Juliana, eventually becoming Gillian).
Variations Some variations of the name are:
People Notable people named Julian/Julián include:
Antiquity
Marcus Antonius Julianus, a procurator of Judea from 66 to 70 AD during the time of the First Jewish–Roman War Tettius Julianus (), commander of a legion under Marcus Aponius Saturninus Salvius Julianus (c.110–c.170), Roman jurist, often cited in legal texts as 'Julian' or 'Julianus' Didius Julianus (133 or 137–193), Roman emperor (rarely known as Julian I.) Gaius Asinius Nicomachus Julianus (born 185), Proconsul of Asia Julian of Pannonia (), Roman usurper Julius Julianus (), grandfather of the emperor Julian, Roman administrator under Constantine the Great Amnius Anicius Julianus (), politician of the Roman Empire Julian (emperor) (332–363), Flavius Claudius Julianus, Roman emperor (rarely known as Julian II.) Julianus Pomerius, a Christian priest in fifth century Gaul Julian of Eclanum, Italian Christian bishop Julianus ben Sabar (Julian ben Sabar, ), leader of the Samaritans Julian, Count of Ceuta (), Visigothic hero/traitor
Arts, actors, composers and musician Julian Adams, American actor Julian Edwin Adderley (1928–1975), better known as Cannonball Adderley, American jazz musician Julián Alarcón (1888–1957), Paraguayan composer and violinist J. Alden Weir (1852–1919), American painter Julian Anderson (born 1967), British composer and teacher of composition Julian Andretti (born 1970), Chilean pornographic actor and director Julian Antonisz (1941–1987), Polish filmmaker, artist, animator, screenwriter, composer and inventor Julián Apezteguia (born 1974), Argentine film cinematographer Julian Arahanga (born 1972), New Zealand actor Julián Arango (born 1968), Colombian actor Julián Arcas (1832–1882), Spanish guitarist and composer Julian Argüelles (born 1966), English jazz saxophonist Julian Armour (born 1960), Canadian cellist and artistic director Julian Ashton (1851–1942), Australian artist Julian Austin (born 1963), Canadian musician Julian Bahula (1938–2023), South African drummer, composer and bandleader Julian Bailey (born 1977), Canadian actor Julian Barnes (born 1946), English novelist Julian Barratt (born 1968), English actor, comedian, and musician Julian Barry (1930–2023), American screenwriter and playwright Julián Bautista (1901–1961), Spanish composer and conductor Julian Beck (1925–1985), American actor, stage director, poet and painter Julian Beeston, English electronic musician Julian Beever, British sidewalk chalk artist Julian Benson (1971–2025), Australian-born Irish choreographer Julian Berntzen (born 1981), Norwegian musical artist Julian Biggs (1920–1972), Canadian director and producer Julian Blaustein (1913–1995), American film producer Julian Bleach (born 1963), English actor Julian Bliss, British musical artist Julián Bonequi (born 1974), Mexican musician Julián Bourges (1910–1976), Argentine actor Julian Bovis, British artist and award-winning art director Julian Bream (1933–2020), English classical musician Julian Brown, British artist Julian Butler (born 1970), English musical artist Julian Byzantine (born 1945), British classical guitarist Julián Carrillo (1875–1965), Mexican musician Julian Casablancas (born 1978), American rock musician Julian Chagrin (born 1940), British-Israeli comedy actor Julian Charrière, French-Swiss conceptual artist Julian Cheung (born 1971), Hong Kong actor and singer Julian Christopher (1944–2023), American actor Julian Cihi, Japanese-American actor Julian Clarke (born 1977), Canadian film editor Julian Clarkson, English baritone Julian Clary (born 1959), English comedian Julian Clifford (1877–1921), English conductor, composer and pianist Julian Cochran (born 1974), English classical composer Julian Colbeck, British musician Julian Cope (born 1957), English rock musician Julian Coryell, American musician Julian Cubillos (born 1991), American musical artist Julian Curry (1937–2020), English actor Julian Daan (1945–2019), Cebuano actor, comedian and politician Sean Julian Danielsen (born 1982), guitarist and lead vocalist for American rock bands Smile Empty Soul and World Fire Brigade Julian Dash (1916–1974), American jazz musician Julian David (born 1989), German singer, actor and entertainer Julian Dawson (born 1954) British singer–songwriter, guitarist and author Julian Oliver Davidson (1853–1894), American marine painter Julian Dawes, English composer Julian Day, visual artist, composer and broadcaster Julian De La Chica, musical artist Julian De Zotti, Canadian actor, writer, director and producer Julian Deda (born 1980), Albanian comedian and actor Julian Dennison (born 2002), New Zealand actor Julian Dorio (born 1981), American drummer Julian Doyle, British filmmaker Julian Dutton, British comedian Julian Edwards (1855–1910), English composer Julian Egerton (1848–1945), English musician Julián Elfenbein (born 1972), Chilean musical artist Julian Eltinge (1881–1941), actor and female impersonator Julian Emery, British musical artist Julian Estrada (born 1996), Filipino teen actor Julian Euell (1929–2019), American jazz bassist Julian Fałat (1853–1929), Polish painter Julian Fane, Canadian musician Julián Farietta (born 1988), Colombian actor and model Julian Farino (born 1965), English film and TV producer and director Julian Fauth, Canadian musical artist Julián Felipe (1861–1944), Filipino composer Julian Fellowes (born 1949), English actor, novelist, film director, screenwriter and Conservative Party life peer Julian Fenton (born 1964), English musical artist Julian Firth (born 1961), English actor Julian Fontana (1810–1869), Polish musician Julian Fulton, American singer-songwriter Julian Gallagher (born 1968), British songwriter and record producer Julian Gargiulo (born 1972), Italian-American classical pianist Julian Gaskell, British musician Julian Gavin (born 1965), Australian-born British operatic tenor Julián Gayarre (1844–1890), Spanish opera singer Julián Gil (born 1970), Argentine-born Puerto Rican film, TV and stage actor Julian Gilbey (born 1975), British film director, screenwriter, film editor, cinematographer and actor Julian Glover (born 1935), English actor Julian Goldberger, American film director Julian Gough (born 1966), English-born Irish musician Julian P. Graham, American artist Julian Grant (born 1960), British composer Julian Grey (born 2006), American actor Julian Hamilton (born 1976), Australian musician Julian Hanshaw (born 1971), British cartoonist Julian Harries, British actor and playwright Julian Hoke Harris (1906–1987), American artist Julian Hatton (born 1956), American artist Julian Hector, BBC television producer Julian Hee (born 1978), Singaporean actor Julian Henriques (born 1951), British filmmaker and academic Julián Hernández (born 1972), Mexican multi-awarded filmmaker Julián de la Herrería (1888–1937), Paraguayan painter, engraver and ceramicist Julian Hilliard (born 2011), American actor Julian Miles Holland (born 1958), better known as Jools Holland, musician Julian Holloway (1944–2025), British actor Julian Hosking (1953–1989), British ballet dancer Julian Howarth, British sound mixer and recordist Julián Infante (1957–2000), Spanish guitarist and composer Julian Jarrold (born 1960), English film and TV director Julian Jordan (born 1995), Dutch DJ and music producer Julian Jordan (1850–1929), American musician and vocal instructor Julian Joseph (born 1966), British jazz musician, bandleader and broadcaster Julian Kay (born 1974), British actor Julian Kemp, director of TV and film Julian Jootaek Kim (born 1986), South Korean baritone opera singer, musical actor and crossover artist Julian King, American recording engineer Julian Knowles (composer) (born 1965), Australian musical artist Julian Konstantinov (born 1966), Bulgarian operatic bass Julian Koster (born 1972), American musician Julian Kostov (born 1989), Bulgarian actor, filmmaker, and athlete Julian Krainin (born 1941), American film producer Julian Kuerti (born 1976), Canadian conductor Julian Külpmann (born 1989), German drummer Julian Kytasty (born 1958), American kobzar, bandurist and flautist Julian Lage (born 1987), American guitarist and composer Julián Legaspi (born 1973), Uruguayan-Peruvian actor Julian Lennon (born 1963), English musician Julian Le Play (born 1991), Austrian musical artist Julian E. Levi (1900–1982), American painter Julian Lewis Jones (born 1968), Welsh actor Julian Lloyd Webber (born 1951), English cellist Julián López (born 1978), Spanish comedian and actor Julian MacKay, American ballet dancer Julián Marin (born 1990), Spanish musical artist Julian Marley (born 1975), English/Jamaican musician Julian Maroun (born 1993), Australian actor Julian Martinez (1879–1943), American painter Julián Mateos (1938–1996), Spanish actor Julian May (1931–2017), American fiction writer (female) Julian Mayfield (1928–1984), American dramatist and activist Julian McCullough (born 1979), American actor, writer and comedian Julian McMahon (1968–2025), Australian actor and model Julian Mendelsohn, Australian musical artist Julian Mitchell (born 1935), English screenwriter, novelist Julian Morris (born 1983), English actor Julian Morrow, Australian comedian Julian Nott (born 1960), British composer Julian Onderdonk (1882–1922), American painter Julian Opie (born 1958), English artist Julián Orbón (1925–1991), Spanish composer Julian Orchard (1930–1979), English comedy actor Julian Ovenden (born 1975), British actor Julian Pałka (1923–2002), Polish poster artist Julian Patrick (1927–2009), American opera singer Julian Pellicano (born 1980), American music conductor Julian Perkins, British early music conductor and keyboard player Julian Perretta (born 1989), English musical artist Julian Perry (born 1960), English painter Julian Phelps Allan (1892–1996), English sculptor Julian Philips (born 1969), British composer Julian T. Pinder, Canadian filmmaker Julian Piotrowiak (born 1970), Polish musical artist Julian Piper (1947–2019), British musician Julian Podger, English tenor Julian Prégardien (born 1984), German tenor Julian Priester (born 1935), American jazz trombonist Julian Quintart (born 1987), Belgian-born South Korea-based TV personality Julian Rachlin (born 1974), Lithuanian Jewish / Austrian classical musician Julian Raymond, American songwriter and music producer Julián Rebolledo, American actor Julian Rhind-Tutt (born 1967), English actor Julian Richards (born 1968), Welsh film director Julian Richings (born 1956), English Canadian actor Julian Ritter (1909–2000), American painter Julian Rivero (1890–1976), American actor Julian Rix (1850–1903), American landscape artist Julián Robledo (1887–1940), Argentine composer Julian Rogers (born 1947), Caribbean broadcaster and journalist Julián Román (born 1977), Colombian actor Julián Romea (1813–1868), Spanish theater actor and writer Julian Rosefeldt (born 1965), German artist and filmmaker Julian Royce (1870–1946), British actor Julian Rushton (born 1941), English musicologist Julian Samuel (born 1952), Canadian documentary filmmaker, writer and painter Julian Sands (1958–2023), English actor Julian Sas (born 1970), musical artist Julian Jay Savarin (born 1950), British musician and writer