Fun Facts About the Name Judah
- More than 36 thousand babies named Judah: U.S. records list 36,392 babies given the name Judah from 1880 through 2025. Even 853 girls received the name Judah - about 1 girl for every 42 boys.
What Does the Name Judah Mean?
Judah is the English form of the Hebrew name יְהוּדָה (Yehudah), which is built on the root ידה (y-d-h), meaning "to praise" or "to give thanks." The literal sense is usually rendered "praised" or "let him be praised." The book of Genesis gives the name an explicit wordplay: after bearing her fourth son, Leah says, "This time I will praise the LORD," using the Hebrew verb 'odeh, and the text states that she therefore named him Yehudah (Genesis 29:35). The same root yields the noun todah, "thanksgiving" or "thank offering." From Yehudah also come the later term Yehudi ("Jew") and the name of the territory and kingdom of Judah.
The name passed into Greek as Ἰούδας (Ioudas) and into Latin as Iudas. Because of that, one underlying name appears in English Bibles under two spellings, Judah and Judas; the difference is a translation convention, not a difference in meaning or origin.
Judah Name History & Origins
In the Hebrew Bible, Judah is the fourth son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of the tribe of Judah. He appears in the Joseph story in Genesis, where he argues for selling Joseph instead of killing him and later offers himself as a pledge for Benjamin's safety. Jacob's blessing in Genesis 49 assigns Judah the leading role among the tribes, and the royal line from David onward belongs to Judah. After the reign of Solomon, the southern kingdom took the name Judah, and its people were called Yehudim, the source of the English word "Jew."
The Greek form Ioudas runs through the New Testament: it names Judas Iscariot, Judas Barsabbas, and Judas (not Iscariot), and it stands in the genealogies of Jesus in Matthew and Luke, where older English versions read "Judas" for that ancestor. The name also appears in Second Temple and rabbinic history. Judah Maccabee led the revolt against the Seleucid empire in the second century BCE, and Judah ha-Nasi, head of the Sanhedrin around 200 CE, is credited with compiling the Mishnah.
English translations have generally used "Judah" for the patriarch, the tribe, and the kingdom, and "Judas" for the New Testament figures, even though the underlying name is the same. The title "Lion of Judah," drawn from Genesis 49:9 and applied to Jesus in Revelation 5:5, became a royal emblem; Ethiopian emperors used "Conquering Lion of the Tribe of Judah" among their titles, and the phrase was taken up in Rastafari. As a given name, Yehudah has been used continuously in Jewish communities, while the English form Judah is also used by Christians. Modern Hebrew uses the form Yehudah.
How Popular is the Name Judah?
Judah recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2021. Its best rank was #176 in 2023.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #3,674 | 41 | 0.0026% |
| 2024 | #3,772 | 40 | 0.0025% |
| 2023 | #3,871 | 39 | 0.0024% |
| 2022 | #3,246 | 50 | 0.0031% |
| 2021 | #3,462 | 45 | 0.0027% |
| 2020 | #3,114 | 51 | 0.0032% |
| 2019 | #3,418 | 46 | 0.0027% |
| 2018 | #4,191 | 34 | 0.0020% |
| 2017 | #3,662 | 42 | 0.0024% |
| 2016 | #4,778 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2015 | #4,650 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2014 | #4,314 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 2013 | #4,695 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2012 | #5,468 | 25 | 0.0014% |
| 2011 | #4,742 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2010 | #4,912 | 29 | 0.0016% |
| 2009 | #5,290 | 27 | 0.0015% |
| 2008 | #6,678 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2007 | #5,985 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2006 | #5,808 | 23 | 0.0012% |
| 2005 | #6,119 | 20 | 0.0011% |
| 2004 | #6,620 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2003 | #6,428 | 18 | 0.0010% |
| 2002 | #7,611 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2001 | #7,504 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 2000 | #6,972 | 15 | 0.0008% |
| 1999 | #9,857 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1998 | #8,253 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1997 | #8,649 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1996 | #9,144 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1995 | #9,095 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1993 | #9,999 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1990 | #13,953 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1988 | #12,668 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #178 | 2,050 | 0.1200% |
| 2024 | #179 | 2,069 | 0.1206% |
| 2023 | #176 | 2,096 | 0.1227% |
| 2022 | #180 | 2,094 | 0.1200% |
| 2021 | #182 | 2,133 | 0.1220% |
| 2020 | #184 | 2,107 | 0.1221% |
| 2019 | #189 | 2,073 | 0.1156% |
| 2018 | #201 | 2,022 | 0.1114% |
| 2017 | #205 | 1,931 | 0.1044% |
| 2016 | #231 | 1,680 | 0.0886% |
| 2015 | #234 | 1,650 | 0.0861% |
| 2014 | #239 | 1,550 | 0.0807% |
| 2013 | #263 | 1,350 | 0.0714% |
| 2012 | #271 | 1,306 | 0.0689% |
| 2011 | #286 | 1,229 | 0.0647% |
| 2010 | #295 | 1,111 | 0.0579% |
| 2009 | #323 | 992 | 0.0500% |
| 2008 | #392 | 771 | 0.0378% |
| 2007 | #421 | 692 | 0.0333% |
| 2006 | #488 | 530 | 0.0258% |
| 2005 | #511 | 481 | 0.0241% |
| 2004 | #558 | 411 | 0.0207% |
| 2003 | #651 | 306 | 0.0155% |
| 2002 | #649 | 295 | 0.0152% |
| 2001 | #728 | 239 | 0.0123% |
| 2000 | #810 | 199 | 0.0101% |
| 1999 | #904 | 166 | 0.0086% |
| 1998 | #992 | 139 | 0.0073% |
| 1997 | #1,000 | 128 | 0.0068% |
| 1996 | #1,230 | 91 | 0.0048% |
| 1995 | #1,122 | 104 | 0.0055% |
| 1994 | #1,284 | 83 | 0.0043% |
| 1993 | #1,370 | 71 | 0.0036% |
| 1992 | #1,423 | 65 | 0.0033% |
| 1991 | #1,458 | 61 | 0.0030% |
| 1990 | #1,356 | 68 | 0.0033% |
| 1989 | #1,506 | 55 | 0.0027% |
| 1988 | #1,218 | 70 | 0.0037% |
| 1987 | #1,450 | 50 | 0.0027% |
| 1986 | #1,465 | 47 | 0.0026% |
| 1985 | #1,535 | 43 | 0.0023% |
| 1984 | #1,373 | 48 | 0.0027% |
| 1983 | #1,257 | 54 | 0.0030% |
| 1982 | #1,553 | 40 | 0.0022% |
| 1981 | #1,193 | 60 | 0.0033% |
| 1980 | #1,607 | 37 | 0.0021% |
| 1979 | #1,550 | 38 | 0.0022% |
| 1978 | #1,219 | 54 | 0.0033% |
| 1977 | #1,193 | 55 | 0.0033% |
| 1976 | #1,585 | 34 | 0.0022% |
| 1975 | #1,467 | 37 | 0.0024% |
| 1974 | #1,279 | 44 | 0.0028% |
| 1973 | #1,848 | 24 | 0.0015% |
| 1972 | #1,793 | 25 | 0.0015% |
| 1971 | #1,843 | 24 | 0.0014% |
| 1970 | #2,573 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1969 | #2,778 | 11 | 0.0006% |
| 1968 | #2,255 | 14 | 0.0008% |
| 1967 | #2,687 | 10 | 0.0006% |
| 1966 | #2,007 | 16 | 0.0009% |
| 1965 | #2,690 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1964 | #2,960 | 9 | 0.0005% |
| 1963 | #2,764 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1962 | #3,836 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1961 | #2,627 | 11 | 0.0005% |
| 1960 | #2,773 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1959 | #3,149 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1958 | #2,725 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1957 | #3,768 | 6 | 0.0003% |
| 1956 | #2,879 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1955 | #2,869 | 9 | 0.0004% |
| 1954 | #2,260 | 13 | 0.0006% |
| 1953 | #2,618 | 10 | 0.0005% |
| 1952 | #3,999 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1950 | #2,900 | 8 | 0.0004% |
| 1949 | #3,154 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1948 | #3,933 | 5 | 0.0003% |
| 1947 | #3,230 | 7 | 0.0004% |
| 1945 | #2,657 | 8 | 0.0006% |
| 1940 | #3,708 | 5 | 0.0004% |
| 1937 | #3,791 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1934 | #2,479 | 10 | 0.0010% |
| 1933 | #3,466 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1932 | #2,982 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1931 | #2,770 | 9 | 0.0009% |
| 1930 | #3,804 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1928 | #2,953 | 9 | 0.0008% |
| 1926 | #3,955 | 6 | 0.0005% |
| 1924 | #2,554 | 12 | 0.0011% |
| 1923 | #2,393 | 13 | 0.0012% |
| 1922 | #4,074 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1921 | #4,665 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1920 | #3,355 | 8 | 0.0008% |
| 1919 | #3,955 | 6 | 0.0006% |
| 1918 | #4,489 | 5 | 0.0005% |
| 1917 | #3,398 | 7 | 0.0008% |
| 1912 | #2,728 | 5 | 0.0012% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
Explore More Lists with Name Judah
Most Popular Boy Names That Start with J
Unique Short Boy Names That Start with J
How the Name Judah Shapes Your Personality and Life?
You are honest, benevolent, brilliant and often inventive, full of high inspirations. You are courageous, honest, determined, original and creative. You are a leader, especially for a cause. Sometimes you do not care to finish what you start, and may leave details to others. You can do well in position of authority, and prospers in intellectual and professional fields. Emergencies may raise your intuitive abilities in order to resolve conflict or situation. You become very creative under the pressure, and have quite original ideas to make the best out of it.
Position and social status is very important for you and you are always looking for way to improve your position in society. You have power and ability to chose your own destiny and achieve anything you want in life. You can expand in any direction according to your will and the set of values. You have passion for justice and belong to the position of authority. You have an inherent courage and endurance to accomplish "The Impossible Dream". With the power comes responsibility. You hold keys to the material world, but with this gift comes high spiritual responsibility to be fair and true to others. You are philosophical and mature, determined and intense with a desire to endure, often religious.
✦ Judah's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Judah's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.