Octavian comes from the Roman family name Octavianus, derived from Octavius and ultimately from octavus, "eighth"; it was the name of Gaius Octavius, who became the first Roman emperor as Augustus. In the United States the name is a grand alternative to Julian or Lucian: Octavian ranked number 2905 in 2000, peaked at number 2166 in 2021 and was given to 51 boys in 2025, placing it at number 2592.