Julian
JOO-lee-ən
A classic Roman name meaning “downy-bearded,” later carried by saints, scholars, and emperors.
Meaning
Julian comes from the Latin name Julianus, formed from Julius. In the excerpted 19th-century sources, Julius is glossed as meaning “downy bearded,” and Julian is treated as the derivative form. It is also noted that Julian can be used for both males and females, though it is more often masculine today.
Origin
Latinvaries by culture
Fun fact
One excerpt notes that Julian was sometimes used as a female name as well as a male one.
Confidence: sourced. Sources: History of Christian Names, Praenomina; or, the etymology of the principal Christian names of Great Britain and Ireland.