Gulian
A feminine name of Celtic origin meaning "bright and fair".
Name Census estimates that about 10 living Americans carry the first name Gulian. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Gulian today is around 23 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Gulian births was 2002 (5 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Gulian. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Gulian. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
10
~ 1 in 34,275,434 Americans
Peak year
2002
5 babies that year
Average age
23
years old
2003 SSA rank
#11,501
Tracked since 2002
Popularity
Gulian: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Gulian by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Gulian during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Gulian
The name Gulian is believed to have its origins in the Armenian language and culture, with roots dating back to the ancient times of the Armenian Kingdom. It is derived from the Armenian word "guli," which means "rose" or "flower," symbolizing beauty, purity, and grace.
In the early days of Armenian history, the name Gulian was often associated with nobility and upper-class families. It is said to have been particularly popular among the aristocratic circles of the medieval Armenian Kingdom of Cilicia, which thrived between the 11th and 14th centuries in the region of present-day Turkey and Syria.
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Gulian can be found in the ancient Armenian epic poem "Daredevils of Sassoun," which dates back to the 8th century. The poem mentions a brave warrior named Gulian, who fought alongside the legendary heroes of the Armenian folklore.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Gulian. One of the most famous was Gulian Artsruni (885-923), an Armenian prince and military leader who played a crucial role in the defense of the Armenian Kingdom of Vaspurakan against the invading Arab forces.
Another prominent figure with the name Gulian was Gulian Khachatrian (1837-1905), an Armenian writer and educator who made significant contributions to the development of modern Armenian literature and education.
In the realm of music, Gulian Gurdjieff (1866-1949), a renowned Armenian philosopher, composer, and spiritual teacher, gained widespread recognition for his unique teachings and compositions that combined Eastern and Western traditions.
Another noteworthy individual was Gulian Shmavonian (1878-1953), an Armenian politician and diplomat who served as the first Prime Minister of the short-lived Armenian Republic in 1918-1919.
The name Gulian has also been carried by artists and intellectuals, such as Gulian Harutyunyan (1906-1992), an Armenian painter and artist who was known for his vibrant depictions of Armenian landscapes and cultural traditions.
While the name Gulian has its roots in the Armenian culture, it has transcended geographical boundaries and found its way into various communities around the world, reflecting the rich diversity and cross-cultural exchange that has shaped human history.
People
Gulian + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Gulian as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with G
Other first names starting with G with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Gulian: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Gulian?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 10 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Gulian going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 34,275,434 US residents.
Is Gulian a common name?
We classify Gulian as "Very Rare". It ranks above 28.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 10 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Gulian most popular?
The single biggest year for Gulian was 2002, when 5 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Gulian is about 23 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Gulian in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Gulian a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Gulian in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Gulian still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Gulian in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Gulian can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people have Gulian as a first name?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.