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Jude Name Meaning, Origins & History

Jude

Pronunciation: JOOD

Meaning Obeys the law Origin Hebrew Gender Boy
BOYS RANK
#155
TREND
1
GIRLS RANK
#2,041
TREND
115
Peak Years
2015, 2014, 2019
Lowest Years
1912, 1914, 1917
Energy Archetype
Courageous & Inventive

Rank shows the name’s position among U.S. baby names for each gender in 2025. Trend shows how many places it rose or fell since 2024. Rank 1 is the most popular. Based on U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA) data. Peak and lowest years are based on the number of boys named Jude in the available records.

Fun Facts About the Name Jude

  • More than 56 thousand babies named Jude: U.S. records list 56,980 babies given the name Jude from 1880 through 2025. Even 3,023 girls received the name Jude - about 1 girl for every 18 boys.

What Does the Name Jude Mean?

Jude is an English given name meaning "praised." It is the English form of the Greek Ioudas (Ἰούδας), which in turn represents the Hebrew name Yehudah (יְהוּדָה). The Hebrew name is traditionally connected with the root yadah (יָדָה), meaning "to praise" or "give thanks," so Yehudah is commonly explained as "praised" or "let him be praised." This customary meaning is reflected in Genesis 29:35, where Leah names her son Judah and says, "This time I will praise the LORD." Some scholars treat the precise Hebrew etymology as uncertain, but the praise meaning is the traditional and most widely repeated explanation. The same Hebrew name also lies behind the English forms Judah and Judas; Jude is the form used in English for particular New Testament figures and for the epistle that bears the name.

Jude Name History & Origins

In the Hebrew Bible, Yehudah is the name of the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, the ancestor of the tribe of Judah and the kingdom of Judah. Greek-speaking Jews rendered the name as Ioudas in the Septuagint, and the New Testament uses Ioudas for several men, including Judas Iscariot, Judas Barsabbas, Judas the Galilean, and the author of the Epistle of Jude. English translations distinguish these figures by using Judas for the betrayer and Jude for the epistle's author and for the apostle called Jude, who is also identified in tradition with Thaddaeus. The Epistle of Jude opens with "Jude, a servant of Jesus Christ and brother of James," and Christian tradition venerates St. Jude as a saint invoked in desperate cases.

The English form Jude comes from the Latin Iudas, the same Latin form that produced Judas; the two English names diverged in use rather than in ultimate origin. Jude has been used as a personal name in English-speaking countries and in modern cultural works such as Thomas Hardy's 1895 novel Jude the Obscure and the Beatles' 1968 song "Hey Jude." These are later associations, not the source of the name. In German, Jude is the ordinary noun for "Jew," so the English given name differs in language and pronunciation from that common noun.

How Popular is the Name Jude?

Jude recorded its highest annual U.S. birth count in 2015. Its best rank was #151 in 2021.

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.

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.

Famous People Named Jude

Jude Law
Jude Law

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How the Name Jude 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.

Dependable, very down-to-earth and well grounded, you are always looking for meaningful work, a career where you can take pride in your work and do the best job you are capable of. Your prime desire is to build protected and secure environment at home and at work. You can be very persuasive in achieving goals and gaining objectives. You can be very detailed and well-organized and possess great organizational skills. At times you may appear too stubborn and overly critical to others, but your practical approach to life and productivity makes you one of the most beneficent members of community.

✦ Jude's Deeper Meaning & Tips for Parents Discover Jude's symbolic numbers and practical tips for choosing a name that complements your child's birth date.
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