Jude first name popularity, history and meaning

Find out how popular the first name Jude has been for the last 50 years (from 1974 to 2023) and learn more about the meaning and history.

Meaning of Jude

A masculine name of Hebrew origin meaning "praised".

Popularity of Jude by gender

Based on the last 50 years of data, Jude is more commonly used as a male name, with approximately 95% of people named Jude being male.

For the most recent data in 2023, there were 2,258 male babies and 119 female babies born with the name Jude.

Yes—according to the SSA data, 119 baby girls were named Jude in 2023, despite it being a predominantly male name. We'd love to know why!

Year Male Count Female Count
2023 2,258 119
2022 2,288 128
2021 2,502 126
2020 2,435 113
2019 2,551 138
2018 2,495 146
2017 2,514 123
2016 2,523 117
2015 2,667 138
2014 2,590 115
2013 2,516 99
2012 2,484 90
2011 2,478 75
2010 2,301 77
2009 2,094 89
2008 1,689 48
2007 1,159 46
2006 981 49
2005 1,083 42
2004 755 34
2003 563 35
2002 423 36
2001 342 37
2000 262 27
1999 153 27
1998 131 14
1997 128 13
1996 139 14
1995 98 12
1994 101 16
1993 87 0
1992 92 10
1991 95 7
1990 88 8
1989 92 0
1988 82 7
1987 68 6
1986 102 7
1985 75 13
1984 83 0
1983 77 5
1982 100 0
1981 97 11
1980 92 7
1979 91 9
1978 82 10
1977 115 10
1976 133 8
1975 107 9
1974 130 14

The history of the first name Jude

The name Jude has its origins in ancient Judea, a region located in the southern part of the Levant, where it was derived from the Hebrew name "Judah". The name itself is rooted in the Hebrew word "yadah", which means "to praise" or "to give thanks". It was a popular name among the Jewish community in Judea during Biblical times and has maintained its significance throughout history.

One of the earliest and most notable references to the name Jude can be found in the Bible, particularly in the Book of Genesis, where Judah is mentioned as one of the twelve sons of Jacob. The name is also found in the New Testament, where it is associated with Judas Iscariot, one of the twelve apostles of Jesus Christ, and Jude the Apostle, the author of the Epistle of Jude.

The name Jude gained widespread popularity during the early Christian era, as it was adopted by numerous saints and religious figures. One of the most notable individuals bearing this name was St. Jude Thaddeus, one of the Twelve Apostles, who is venerated as the patron saint of hopeless causes and difficult situations.

Throughout history, the name Jude has been associated with various notable individuals, including Jude the Obscure (1857-1922), the protagonist of the novel by Thomas Hardy, and Jude Law (born 1972), the British actor known for his roles in films such as "The Talented Mr. Ripley" and "Sherlock Holmes".

Other famous people named Jude include Jude Ciccolella (born 1942), an American character actor; Jude Deveraux (born 1947), an American author of historical romance novels; and Jude Taylor (1952-1998), an English singer-songwriter and guitarist.

In addition to these individuals, there have been several notable literary and artistic works that have featured the name Jude, further solidifying its cultural significance. For example, "Hey Jude" by The Beatles, released in 1968, is one of the most famous and influential songs in rock music history.

Data source

The first name data used on this page comes from the Social Security Administration (SSA). They've been collecting data on baby names since 1880.

The history and meaning of the name Jude was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

If you have a correction or suggestion to improve the history of Jude, please contact us.

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If you found the data or information on this page useful in your research, please use the tool below to properly cite or reference Name Census as the source. We appreciate your support!

"Jude first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com. Accessed on October 31, 2024. http://namecensus.com/first-names/jude-meaning-and-history/.

"Jude first name popularity, history and meaning". NameCensus.com, http://namecensus.com/first-names/jude-meaning-and-history/. Accessed 31 October, 2024

Jude first name popularity, history and meaning. NameCensus.com. Retrieved from http://namecensus.com/first-names/jude-meaning-and-history/.

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