Jules is a unisex given name of French origin, derived from Julius, which was the name of several Roman emperors. It means "downy-bearded" or "youthful," referring to the young Julius Caesar. In France, Jules has been used as both a boys' and girls' name, but it is more commonly associated with males. The name gained popularity in English-speaking countries during the mid-20th century due to its use by prominent figures such as French author Jules Verne and French poet Jules Supervielle. Some well-known individuals bearing this name include French film director Jules Dassin and French Impressionist painter Jules Chéret. Alternate spellings of the name include Julio (Spanish), Giulio (Italian), and Julie (French feminine form).
The name Jules experienced a significant increase in popularity from the late 1990s to around 2016-2017, with a peak of 112 births in 2017. However, there has been a slight decline since then, with 77 births recorded in 2023. Over the entire period from 1987 to 2023, there were a total of 1915 babies named Jules.