I never knew there was a Saint Julian until I researched this one-block street in Tompkinsville, Staten Island, wedged between two main routes, Bay and Van Duzer Streets, seen here looking west toward Ward’s Hill, one of a group of mini-mountains that many geologists and topographers say are the highest peaks on the east coast.
As it turns out there are a number of fellows who can claim the title of Saint Julian, according to wikipedia:
- Julian of Alexandria (died 250), one of the Martyrs of Alexandria under Decius
- Julian of Carthage (died 259), one of the Martyrs of Carthage under Valerian
- Julian of Antioch (died 305), venerated as a Christian martyr of the fourth century
- Julian Sabas (died 377), a hermit who is considered a saint.
- Julian of Toledo (642–690), Roman Catholic but born to Jewish parents
- Julian the Hospitaller, legendary Roman Catholic saint
- Julian of Le Mans (died 3rd century), venerated as first bishop of Le Mans
- Julian of Cuenca (1127–1208), bishop of Cuenca, Spain
- Julian of Antinoe, see Julian and Basilissa
- Julian, brother of Julius of Novara
- Julian, companion of Lucian of Beauvais
- Quintian, Lucius and Julian (died 430), African martyrs
- Julian of Emesa
I know “St. Julian” as “Arch Drude” Julian Cope’s best, or at least most tuneful, LP from 1984. Here’s one of the tracks
The Liverpudlian Cope, born almost exactly two months after me in 1957, forged British pop success with the band The Teardrop Explodes and later, found some popularity in the States with the album mentioned above. He has cranked out records, with varying success, for 40 years since, some esoterically concentrating on the pre-Roman Empire peoples of Britain and the joys of not driving automobiles.
I doubt he has ever heard of Saint Julian Place in Staten Island, though!
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9/11/25
6 comments
As long as Julian of Antioch didn’t perish while building the Holy Hand Grenade therefrom, I’m all for him.
There’s a San Julian St. in Downtown Los Angeles in the Skid Row area.
I’ve wondered by the abbreviation St. is almost always used on maps, names, and places, rather than spelling out the word saint.
There were many saints named Julian, and conversely, a Roman emperor named Julian the Apostate who rejected Christianity after his uncle Constantine made it the official religion.
Julian’s successor Jovian restored Christianity as he state religion.
Beer’s Atlas of 1874 has it listed as Washington Street in the village of Stapleton. Likely one of a few streets in Richmond County named for our Founding Father. No church or other religious property is located nearby that would explain why it’s named after St. Julian. Could be the first name of a nearby lot owner who gave himself an honorific title, much like St. George is named for real estate developer George Law, who was no saint.
“They ruined all our best names, like Bruce and Lance and Julian. Those were the toughest names we had!”–Homer Simpson
I remember seeing a Mad magazine one-panel cartoon in fall 1976 after the summer Olympics in Montrealwhere Bruce Jenner impressed the world with his athletic feats. It showed a couple arguing over what to name their baby. The mother was urging “Bruce,” but the father said “I don’t know, doesn’t ‘Bruce’ sound kind of effete or, you know…” At the same time in the cartoon, a word bubble was coming from the next room of the couple’s apartment from an unwatched TV: “Ladies and gentlemen, Bruce Jenner has just won the decathlon! BRUCE is the world’s greatest athlete!” to put a lie to the father’s assertion. Ahem.
Bill, absolutely cracking up — I had *just written* about that very same MAD comic in another on-line setting! May I suggest a minor correction: that wasn’t a one-panel comic, it was part of the satire on the TV series “The Incredible Hulk”, where someone asks the Bill Bixby character why his name was “Bruce” in the comics, but “David” in the show… and then the rest of it is how you describe!