Jud
A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "he shall be praised".
Name Census estimates that about 426 living Americans carry the first name Jud. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jud today is around 57 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jud births was 1961 (17 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jud. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
People living today
426
~ 1 in 804,588 Americans
Peak year
1961
17 babies that year
Average age
57
years old
2020 SSA rank
#10,042
Tracked since 1915
Popularity
Jud: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jud from the 1910s through to the 2020s, spanning 12 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1960s, with 115 total registrations. Usage has dropped considerably from its 1960s peak. The most recent decade brought in only a fraction of the registrations that the name once attracted.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jud by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jud during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Geography
Where Juds live
Origin
Meaning and history of Jud
The name Jud has its origins in the Hebrew language and culture, with roots dating back to ancient times. It is a diminutive form of the name Judah, which is derived from the Hebrew word "Yehudah," meaning "praised" or "celebrated."
One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Jud can be found in the Bible, where Judah was one of the twelve sons of Jacob and the eponymous ancestor of the Tribe of Judah. The name gained significance in the biblical narrative, as it was through the line of Judah that the Messiah was prophesied to come.
Throughout history, the name Jud has been borne by several notable individuals. One of the earliest was Jud Sirik, a 7th-century Armenian prince and military leader who played a pivotal role in defending his homeland against the Arab invasion.
In the 13th century, Jud ben Moses ha-Kohen was a renowned Jewish philosopher and astronomer from Toledo, Spain. His works contributed significantly to the advancement of astronomy and influenced the development of scientific thought during the Middle Ages.
During the English Civil War in the 17th century, Jud Critchett was a prominent Puritan minister and chaplain who supported the Parliamentary cause against the Royalists. His sermons and writings were influential in shaping the religious and political discourse of the time.
In the realm of literature, Jud Süß, also known as Joseph Süß Oppenheimer, was a Jewish banker and court Jew in 18th-century Württemberg, Germany. His life and controversial trial served as the inspiration for the novel "Jud Süß" by Wilhelm Hauff, published in 1827.
Another notable figure bearing the name Jud was Jud Fry, an American outlaw and gunfighter who lived in the late 19th century. Fry gained notoriety for his involvement in the Lincoln County War in New Mexico and was known for his skill with a gun.
These are just a few examples of individuals throughout history who carried the name Jud, highlighting its enduring presence across diverse cultures, professions, and eras.
People
Jud + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jud as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jud: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jud?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 426 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jud going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 804,588 US residents.
Is Jud a common name?
We classify Jud as "Very Rare". It ranks above 83% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 622 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jud most popular?
The single biggest year for Jud was 1961, when 17 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jud is about 57 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
Is Jud a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jud in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.