boy's name
Judah
JOO-da
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 2
- Letters 5
- Popularity Top 1000 (US)
- Births on record 39,559
the United States
#178
2025 births
Judah is a boy's name of Hebrew origin meaning "praised." It comes from Yehudah, the name of Jacob's fourth son, and gave the words Judea, Jew and Judaism their name.
- Judah is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in 2021, when 2,178 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade.
- Today about 1 in 1,586 babies in the United States is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1912.
- 2 syllables, with the stress on syllable 1.
Judah over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. The striped bar is the 2020s, still in progress — it covers 2020 to 2025, not a full ten years.
Show the numbers
| Decade | Births |
|---|---|
| 1910s | 23 |
| 1920s | 59 |
| 1930s | 44 |
| 1940s | 32 |
| 1950s | 78 |
| 1960s | 107 |
| 1970s | 349 |
| 1980s | 509 |
| 1990s | 1,037 |
| 2000s | 5,108 |
| 2010s | 16,236 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 12,849 |
What Judah means
Judah means praised, or he shall be praised. The Hebrew root is y-d-h, to praise or give thanks, and Genesis explains the name at the moment it is given.
Where Judah comes from
Judah transliterates the Hebrew Yehudah, borne by Jacob's fourth son by Leah, who names him with a declaration of praise. His tribe held the territory around Jerusalem and gave its name to the kingdom of Judah, from which come Judea, Jew and Judaism — so an enormous amount of vocabulary descends from one man's name. Judah Maccabee led the second-century BC revolt commemorated at Hanukkah. Jude is the same name shortened, deliberately spelled apart from Judas in English.
Judah in use
Our data shows Judah peaking in 2021 and still rising, and it first appears in our records in 1912. Jude, the shortened form, is separately on this site — and the split between them is deliberate rather than accidental, since English created Jude precisely to avoid Judas.
How popular is Judah?
In 2025, Judah was given to 2,091 babies in the United States, ranking #178 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Where Judah is used
US figures omit any name given to fewer than five babies in a year, so the rarest names are absent from the source rather than absent from use. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Judah
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Judah also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Judah over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Judah
Each one is a name in its own right — the figure underneath is how it is doing today, so you can see which short forms are rising and which have faded.
Judah in other languages
The same name as it is spelled elsewhere — not shortenings, and not different names that merely sound alike. Each one has its own record here.
- Hebrew
- Yehudah
Sibling names for Judah
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Judah — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Judah
What does the name Judah mean?
Judah means "praised," from the Hebrew root y-d-h, to praise.
Are Judah and Jude the same name?
Yes. English created Jude as a separate spelling so the apostle would not share a name with Judas.
Do Jew and Judaism come from Judah?
Directly. The tribe gave its name to the kingdom of Judah, from which Judea, Jew and Judaism all descend.
How popular is the name Judah?
In 2025, Judah was given to 2,091 babies in the United States, ranking #178 that year. It is a well-established, commonly used name.
Is Judah a girl's or a boy's name?
Judah is given almost entirely to boys in birth records.
How many syllables are in Judah?
Judah has 2 syllables.
When was Judah most popular?
Judah peaked in 2021, when 2,178 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Judah?
Judah is usually shortened to Jude and Judd.
Is Judah a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Judah currently ranks #178 in the United States. It has been rising over the past decade. Everything else — how it sounds with your surname, who it reminds you of — is yours.