NameCensus.

UK surname

Julian

Derived from the Roman name "Iulianus," meaning "descended from Julus," the founder of the Roman Julian clan.

In the 1881 census there were 1,088 people recorded with the Julian surname, ranking it #3,658 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 1,506, ranked #4,108, down from #3,658 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to St Columb Major, London parishes and Roach. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Cornwall.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for Julian is 1,566 in 2013. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 38.4%.

1881 census count

1,088

Ranked #3,658

Modern count

1,506

2016, ranked #4,108

Peak year

2013

1,566 bearers

Map years

9

1851 to 2016

Key insights

  • Julian had 1,088 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #3,658 surname in that year.
  • The latest modern count shown here is 1,506 in 2016, ranked #4,108.
  • Within the historical census years, the highest count was 1,418 in 1911.
  • The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Julian surname distribution map

The map shows where the Julian surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

Julian surname density by area, 1881 census.

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Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

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Julian over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year Period Count Rank
1851 historical 666 #3,899
1861 historical 751 #3,643
1881 historical 1,088 #3,658
1891 historical 1,191 #3,601
1901 historical 1,285 #3,873
1911 historical 1,418 #3,403
1997 modern 1,454 #4,020
1998 modern 1,505 #4,034
1999 modern 1,545 #3,979
2000 modern 1,538 #3,978
2001 modern 1,502 #3,979
2002 modern 1,553 #3,963
2003 modern 1,486 #4,036
2004 modern 1,453 #4,107
2005 modern 1,470 #4,026
2006 modern 1,481 #4,012
2007 modern 1,509 #3,982
2008 modern 1,526 #3,950
2009 modern 1,543 #4,011
2010 modern 1,559 #4,052
2011 modern 1,550 #4,030
2012 modern 1,540 #3,988
2013 modern 1,566 #3,990
2014 modern 1,556 #4,033
2015 modern 1,541 #4,025
2016 modern 1,506 #4,108

Geography

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Where Julians are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around St Columb Major, London parishes, Roach and St Pancras. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Cornwall. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank Parish Area
1 St Columb Major Cornwall
2 London parishes London 1
3 Roach Cornwall
4 London parishes London 3
5 St Pancras London (North Districts)

Top modern areas

Rank Area District
1 Cornwall 024 Cornwall
2 Cornwall 030 Cornwall
3 Cornwall 009 Cornwall
4 Cornwall 019 Cornwall
5 Cornwall 028 Cornwall

Forenames

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First names often paired with Julian

These lists show first names that appear often with the Julian surname in historical and recent records.

Modern profile

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Neighbourhood profile for Julian

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For Julian, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the Julian surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every Julian household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, Julian is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

Julian is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

10
Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

Julian falls in decile 3 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname towards the more deprived end of the index.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

3
More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for Julian is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

6
Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate
White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with Julian, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Meaning and origin of Julian

The surname Julian has its origins in ancient Rome, where it was derived from the Roman family name Iulianus, meaning "of Iulus" or "descendant of Iulus." Iulus was a legendary figure in Roman mythology, considered the son of Aeneas and the founder of the Julii clan, from which the famous Julius Caesar belonged.

The Julian family was one of the most prominent and influential patrician families in ancient Rome, and the name Julian became widely used throughout the Roman Empire. As the Roman legions expanded their territories, the name spread across Europe and eventually to other parts of the world.

One of the earliest recorded appearances of the Julian surname can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, a survey of land ownership in England commissioned by William the Conqueror. The Domesday Book mentions several individuals with the surname Julian, indicating that the name had already been established in England by the late 11th century.

Over the centuries, the Julian surname has appeared in various historical records and documents across Europe. In France, for instance, the name can be traced back to the 12th century, where it was spelled as Julien or Jullien. In Italy, the surname Julian has a long and distinguished history, with notable figures such as the Renaissance artist and architect Giorgio Giulio Clovio (c. 1498-1578).

Other notable individuals with the Julian surname include Sir Hubert Julian (1879-1977), a British civil servant and diplomat who served as Governor of Fiji from 1924 to 1929, and Isaac Julian (1801-1877), a prominent American lawyer and politician who served as a member of the United States House of Representatives from Indiana.

In Spain, the Julian surname is closely associated with the city of Burgos, where it is believed to have originated. One of the most famous bearers of this name was Saint Julian of Cuenca (c. 1127-1208), a Spanish bishop and patron saint of hospitality and travelers.

The Julian surname has also been found in various forms and spellings throughout history, such as Julien, Jullien, Giuliani, and Giuliano, reflecting the diverse cultural and linguistic influences on the name as it spread across different regions and countries.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

1881 census detail

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Julian families in the 1881 census

These tables use 1881 census entries for people recorded with the Julian surname. Use the location tables for concentration, then the name and occupation tables for the people behind the surname.

Top counties

Total is the county count. Frequency and index adjust for local population size, so they are better concentration signals. Cornwall leads with 354 Julians recorded in 1881 and an index of 29.44x.

County Total Index
Cornwall 354 29.44x
Middlesex 163 1.53x
Yorkshire 137 1.30x
Surrey 48 0.93x
Devon 46 2.08x
Nottinghamshire 43 3.00x
Leicestershire 42 3.57x
Lincolnshire 42 2.47x
Glamorgan 41 2.22x
Lancashire 35 0.28x
Derbyshire 23 1.38x
Somerset 15 0.88x
Northamptonshire 13 1.30x
Angus 11 1.12x
Cambridgeshire 11 1.63x
Norfolk 8 0.49x
Cardiganshire 7 2.70x
Suffolk 6 0.46x
Gloucestershire 5 0.24x
Berkshire 4 0.50x
Huntingdonshire 4 1.90x
Northumberland 4 0.25x
Staffordshire 4 0.11x
Worcestershire 4 0.29x
Channel Islands 3 0.95x
Essex 3 0.14x
Bedfordshire 2 0.36x
Dorset 2 0.29x
Flintshire 2 0.70x
Hampshire 2 0.09x
Kent 2 0.06x
Durham 1 0.03x
Hertfordshire 1 0.14x
Sussex 1 0.06x

Top districts and towns

Districts give a more local view than counties. Total shows raw records, while frequency and index show local concentration. St Austell in Cornwall leads with 43 Julians recorded in 1881 and an index of 104.60x.

Place Total Index
St Austell 43 104.60x
St Pancras London 36 4.21x
Withiel 34 2297.30x
St Columb Major 26 260.52x
St Breock 25 384.62x
Roche 22 360.07x
Kensington London 20 3.39x
Mile End Old Town London 18 7.96x
Kenwyn 17 54.05x
Llandaff 17 27.62x
St Martin In Meneage 16 1111.11x
Lambeth 15 1.62x
Beverley St Martin 14 79.68x
Helston 14 112.00x
Beverley St Mary 13 84.58x
Boston 13 25.23x
Nottingham St Mary 13 3.51x
St George Hanover Square 13 6.95x
Plymouth Charles The 12 12.32x
Ecclesall Bierlow 11 5.14x
Redruth 11 32.33x
Westminster St James 11 10.07x
Great Driffield 10 46.30x
Islington London 10 0.97x
Liverpool 10 1.31x
Clerkenwell London 9 3.59x
Fimber 9 1384.62x
Holy Trinity 9 3.55x
Lindrck W Studly Royl 9 2195.12x
Luxulyan 9 225.00x
Plymouth St Andrew 9 5.28x
Wendron 9 53.89x
Aberdare 8 6.30x
Bodmin 8 40.20x
Boston Hall Hills 8 278.75x
Camborne 8 16.14x
Chelsea London 8 2.50x
Doncaster 8 10.40x
Madron Penzance 8 18.29x
Scalford 8 320.00x
St Clement 8 63.75x
Brampton 7 30.11x
Fowey 7 126.81x
Gerrans 7 216.05x
Hose 7 434.78x
Market Weighton Arras 7 102.34x
Sheepy Magna 7 460.53x
Snenton 7 12.44x
St Blazey 7 66.29x
St Peterat Gowts Lincoln 7 29.30x
Upton 7 673.08x
East Stonehouse 6 13.77x
Hackney London 6 1.01x
Heanor 6 24.13x
Hulme 6 2.28x
Little Bolton 6 3.70x
Nettleton 6 342.86x
Newington 6 20.70x
Panbride 6 116.96x
Rosedale East Side 6 419.58x
St Ives 6 25.50x
Sutton Bonnington 6 163.93x
Veryan 6 128.76x
Woodford 6 107.91x
Basford 5 7.58x
Battersea 5 1.28x
Cardiff St John 5 8.28x
Chadwell Wycombe 5 1282.05x
Cleethorpes 5 50.05x
Compton Gifford 5 72.15x
Ecclesfield 5 6.48x
Halifax 5 3.24x
Leeds 5 0.84x
Mawgan In Meneage 5 159.74x
Newlyn 5 97.47x
Southwark St George Martyr 5 2.34x
Streatham 5 6.34x
Welney 5 134.05x
Frome 4 9.78x
Lanteglos By Fowey 4 81.80x

Top female names

These are the female first names most often recorded with the Julian surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
Mary 79
Elizabeth 50
Sarah 28
Annie 21
Ellen 19
Jane 19
Ann 18
Emily 18
Emma 18
Eliza 17
Catherine 14
Edith 13
Harriet 12
Margaret 11
Alice 10
Hannah 9
Bessie 8
Selina 8
Louisa 7
Clara 6
Fanny 6
Kate 6
Martha 6
Ada 5
Anne 5
Florence 5
Gertrude 5
Isabella 5
Maria 5
Susan 5
Laura 4
Matilda 4
Constance 3
Elizh. 3
Elizth. 3
Esther 3
Eva 3
Frances 3
Harriett 3
Julia 3
Lydia 3
Rebecca 3
Rosina 3
Sophia 3
Bertha 2
Georgina 2
Lilian 2
Mabel 2
Marie 2
Minnie 2

Top male names

These are the male first names most often recorded with the Julian surname in 1881. Names are not merged, so initials, variant spellings and transcription quirks can appear as separate rows.

Name Count
John 81
William 65
George 34
Thomas 29
Henry 27
Richard 25
James 20
Charles 18
Joseph 13
Alfred 11
Harry 11
Robert 10
Arthur 9
Ernest 8
Frederick 8
Herbert 8
Samuel 8
Albert 6
Edward 6
Frank 6
Edmund 5
Francis 4
Jno. 4
Michael 4
David 3
Fred 3
Willie 3
Edwin 2
Fred. 2
Frederic 2
Jas. 2
Matthew 2
Rowland 2
Sampson 2
Tom 2
Walter 2
Absalom 1
Amos 1
Ben. 1
Benjamin 1
Benjemin 1
Bennett 1
Duke 1
Elwin 1
Evan 1
Frances 1
Humphrey 1
Humphry 1
Hy.F. 1
Hy.Geo. 1

FAQ

Julian surname: questions and answers

How common was the Julian surname in 1881?

In 1881, 1,088 people were recorded with the Julian surname. That placed it at #3,658 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the Julian surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 1,506 in 2016. That gives Julian a modern rank of #4,108.

What does the Julian surname mean?

Derived from the Roman name "Iulianus," meaning "descended from Julus," the founder of the Roman Julian clan.

What does the Julian map show?

The map shows local surname concentration for the selected year. Darker areas have a stronger concentration of Julian bearers relative to the surrounding population.

What records is this surname page based on?

The historical counts come from census surname records. The modern counts and neighbourhood summaries come from later surname distribution records. Counts are recorded bearers in those records, not a live estimate of everyone with the name today.