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Jules

♂ Boy

Pronounced JOOL-ehs /ˈdʒul.ɛs/Low

Meaning: French form of Julius, from the Roman name often taken to mean 'youthful' or 'downy/soft-haired'.Low

In 30 seconds: Jules is the French form of Julius, a Roman name often read as 'youthful' or 'downy, soft-haired'. It is brisk, single-syllable, and unmistakably French.
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Origin LowFrench, Latin
MeaningFrench form of Julius, from the Roman name often taken to mean 'youthful' or 'downy/soft-haired'.
U.S. rank (2024)#1837 ↘ Falling
2024 U.S. births88 boys (0.01% of U.S. boys)
Peak year1928
Total births (all-time)≈ 9,251

Popularity in the U.S. · SSA data

peak 192818802024

U.S. births per year (Social Security Administration, 1880–present). Pink marker = peak year.

History & Origin

Jules descends from the Latin Julius, a Roman family name that tradition has linked to ideas of youth or soft, downy hair. In French it became the standard everyday form, worn by writers, statesmen, and ordinary citizens alike. Bearers such as the Belgian statesmen Jules d'Anethan and Jules Malou show how firmly it sat in nineteenth-century public life.

Pronounced 'zhool', it has a smooth, polished sound that has made it a quiet favorite for boys outside France as well. It connects directly to the wider Julius family without needing a longer form.

Did you know? Jules is the French form of Julius, from the Roman family name Julius — possibly meaning 'youthful' or 'downy-bearded' and linked to Jupiter.
Overall data confidence 55%
Behind the Name - Jules — etymology, usage, pronunciation, and related formsU.S. Social Security Administration — 2024 popularity rank and count supplied in the batch input CSV

Variations

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Nicknames

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Famous Bearers

  • ★Jules d'Anethan (1803–1888)
    Male public figure listed on Behind the Name.
  • ★Jules Malou (1810–1886)
    Male public figure listed on Behind the Name.

If you like Jules…

Julius— The Roman name that Jules is the French form of.
Julien— Another French boy's name from the same Julius root.
Julian— English relative drawn from the same Latin Julius source as Jules.
Jude— Shares Jules's short, single-syllable French-flavored brevity.

Frequently Asked

What does the name Jules mean?

Jules is the French form of Julius (and a short form of Julian/Julia), from the Roman family name Julius, possibly meaning 'youthful' or 'downy-bearded' and linked to Jupiter.

How do you pronounce Jules?

It's commonly said JOOL-ehs /ˈdʒul.ɛs/.

Is Jules a boy or girl name?

In this batch and in recent U.S. usage data, Jules is used as a boy name.

How popular is Jules?

In 2024, Jules ranked #1837 in the U.S. for boys, with 88 births recorded.