boy's name
Jude
JOOD
- Origin Hebrew
- Gender Boy
- Syllables 1
- Letters 4
- Popularity Top 100 (E&W)
- Births on record 96,146
the United States
#155
2025 births
Jude is a name of Hebrew origin meaning "praised" or "thanks." It comes from Yehudah, the name of one of the twelve tribes of Israel, and reaches English through the Greek Ioudas as a deliberately distinct form of Judas.
- Jude is a name of Hebrew origin.
- Peaked in US records in 2015, when 2,806 babies were given the name.
- It has been rising over the past decade in US records.
- Today about 1 in 243 babies in England and Wales is given this name.
- First appears in US birth records in 1912.
- 1 syllable, with the stress on syllable 1.
Jude over time
Births per decade in the United States, 1910s to 2020s. Jude is more popular in England and Wales — see the country table below. 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 | 27 |
| 1920s | 41 |
| 1930s | 235 |
| 1940s | 410 |
| 1950s | 805 |
| 1960s | 1,082 |
| 1970s | 1,320 |
| 1980s | 924 |
| 1990s | 1,234 |
| 2000s | 9,795 |
| 2010s | 26,252 |
| 2020s (to 2025) | 14,881 |
What Jude means
Jude means praised, or he shall be praised. The Hebrew root is y-d-h, to praise or give thanks, and the biblical text explains the name at the moment it is given.
Where Jude comes from
Jude descends from the Hebrew Yehudah, borne by Jacob's fourth son and given to the tribe and kingdom that produced the words Judea and Jew. Genesis glosses the name as praise at the point of naming. The Greek New Testament renders it Ioudas, which English splits into two: Judas for the betrayer, and Jude for the apostle and the author of the epistle, so the two men would not share a name in English. Jude the Apostle became the patron saint of lost causes, and the name carries a further literary weight from Thomas Hardy's Jude the Obscure of 1895 and, more happily, the Beatles' Hey Jude.
Jude in use
Our records show Jude rising and peaking in 2015, and the split spelling did its job — Jude is a well-used name across both markets while Judas is effectively unused. It appears in our data for girls as well, though rarely.
How popular is Jude?
In 2025, Jude was given to 2,168 babies in England and Wales, ranking #14 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
Where Jude is used
England and Wales figures withhold any name given to fewer than three babies in a year. The historical chart above uses US records, the only series running back to 1880. Data & sources.
Names that peaked alongside Jude
These names rose and fell in the same era, which is why they tend to sound like they belong together.
Parents who like Jude also like
Names whose popularity has risen and fallen in step with Jude over the last century — the same taste, a different name.
2 nicknames for Jude
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.
Jude 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.
Sibling names for Jude
Names from the same era that won't rhyme or share an initial with Jude — the two things that make a sibling set grate.
Common questions about Jude
What does the name Jude mean?
Jude means "praised," from the Hebrew Yehudah and the root y-d-h, to praise.
Is Jude the same name as Judas?
They are the same name in Greek. English deliberately split them so the apostle Jude would not share a spelling with Judas Iscariot.
Is Jude a boy's or a girl's name?
Overwhelmingly a boy's name in our data, with a small number of girls recorded.
How popular is the name Jude?
In 2025, Jude was given to 2,168 babies in England and Wales, ranking #14 that year. It is one of the most popular names in England and Wales.
How many syllables are in Jude?
Jude has 1 syllable.
When was Jude most popular?
Jude peaked in 2015, when 2,806 babies were given the name. It has been rising over the past decade.
What are the nicknames for Jude?
Jude is usually shortened to Judy and J.
Is Jude a good name?
That is not something records can settle, but they can tell you what you would be choosing. Jude currently ranks #6 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.