Judaea
The Hebrew feminine name meaning "She will be praised" or "Praised one".
Name Census estimates that about 142 living Americans carry the first name Judaea. It is a predominantly female name (96.5% of registrations). The average person named Judaea today is around 13 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Judaea births was 2021 (12 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Judaea. 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
142
~ 1 in 2,413,763 Americans
Peak year
2021
12 babies that year
Average age
13
years old
2021 SSA rank
#11,549
Tracked since 1996
Gender
Gender distribution for Judaea
Judaea leans heavily female at 96.5% of total registrations, but 5 boys have also been registered with the name over the years, giving it a small but present crossover presence.
Judaea as a male name
- Ranked #13,036 in 2021
- 5 male births in 2021
- Peak: 2021 (5 births)
Judaea as a female name
- Ranked #11,549 in 2024
- 8 female births in 2024
- Peak: 2020 (10 births)
Popularity
Judaea: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Judaea from the 1990s through to the 2020s, spanning 4 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 2010s, with 51 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Judaea 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 Judaea during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Judaea
The given name Judaea finds its origins in ancient Judea, a region that encompassed parts of modern-day Israel and the Palestinian territories. The name likely stems from the Hebrew name "Yehudah," which means "praised" or "celebrated." It is believed to have originated around the 8th century BCE, during the time of the ancient Israelite kingdoms.
The name Judaea was closely associated with the kingdom of Judah, one of the two successor kingdoms to the united monarchy of Israel after its division. The kingdom of Judah was centered around the city of Jerusalem and was home to the influential tribe of Judah, from which the name derives.
Historically, the name Judaea appears in various ancient texts and religious scriptures. It is mentioned in the Hebrew Bible, also known as the Tanakh, as well as in the New Testament. The region of Judaea played a significant role in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ, and it is referenced frequently in the Gospels.
One of the earliest recorded examples of the name Judaea can be found in the Book of Genesis, where Judah, the fourth son of Jacob, is a prominent figure. Another notable individual bearing the name was Judas Maccabeus, a Jewish priest and rebel leader who led a successful revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the 2nd century BCE.
Throughout history, several notable individuals have borne the name Judaea or variations of it. Here are five examples:
1. Judas Iscariot (c. 1st century CE) - One of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, known for his betrayal of Jesus, which led to his crucifixion.
2. Judah the Prince (c. 135-220 CE) - A renowned Jewish scholar and chief editor of the Mishnah, one of the most influential works of rabbinic Judaism.
3. Judah Halevi (c. 1075-1141) - A celebrated Spanish Jewish philosopher, poet, and physician, known for his philosophical works and Hebrew poetry.
4. Judah P. Benjamin (1811-1884) - An American lawyer, politician, and statesman who served as a Senator from Louisiana and later as the Attorney General and Secretary of State for the Confederate States of America during the American Civil War.
5. Judah L. Magnes (1877-1948) - A prominent American rabbi, scholar, and leader in the Zionist movement, who played a significant role in the establishment of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.
These are just a few examples of individuals who have borne the name Judaea or its variations throughout history, reflecting its deep roots in ancient Judea and the enduring legacy of the name across various cultures and religions.
People
Judaea + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Judaea 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
Judaea: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Judaea?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 142 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Judaea 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 2,413,763 US residents.
Is Judaea a common name?
We classify Judaea as "Very Rare". It ranks above 69.5% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 143 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Judaea most popular?
The single biggest year for Judaea was 2021, when 12 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Judaea is about 13 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Judaea in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Judaea a female name?
Yes, 96.5% of people registered as Judaea in the SSA data are female. 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.
Is Judaea still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Judaea in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Judaea can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
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.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people are called Judaea?
For a faster, more casual read, check HowManyOfMe.org — our sister site built around that single question.