Julius

Julius strides in from the Roman Forum, toga hem brushing marble. The family name of Gaius Julius Caesar, it likely derives from an older Latin word meaning youthful or downy-bearded. Through centuries it gathered weight, passed down to saints, popes, and the jazz bassist Julius Monk. Groucho's brother, the astronomer Ptolemy's admirer, and a long line of German and Nordic namesakes kept it in circulation even as its Caesarean associations softened. Ranked 389 in the U.S., it has quietly joined the classical revival beside Atlas and Cassius. Three syllables of old gold, formal yet approachable, a name that expects to be taken seriously.