Find out how popular the last name Judd is in the United States and learn more about the meaning, history, and race and ethnic origin of people in America who are named Judd.

Judd, like all of the last names we have data for, is identified by the U.S. Census Bureau as a surname which has more than 100 occurrences in the United States in the Decennial Census survey. The most recent statistics we have for the Judd surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Judd in America

Judd is the 1991st most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Judd surname appeared 18,110 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 6 people would have the surname Judd.

We can also compare 2010 data for Judd to data from the previous census in 2000. The table below contains all of the statistics for both years in a side-by-side comparison.

The history of the last name Judd

The surname Judd is of Old English origin, derived from the personal name Judd, a diminutive form of the name Jordan. It is believed to have originated in the areas of Devon and Cornwall in South West England during the early medieval period.

One of the earliest recorded instances of the name Judd can be found in the Domesday Book of 1086, which mentions a landowner named Judd in the county of Devon. This suggests that the name was already established in that region by the late 11th century.

The name Judd is also closely associated with the town of Juddridge, located in the county of Dorset. This place name is derived from the Old English words "Juddes" and "hrycg," meaning "Judd's ridge," indicating that the surname may have been connected to this particular location.

In the 13th century, a notable figure bearing the name Judd was Sir John Judd, a prominent landowner and knight who lived in the county of Somerset. He is mentioned in several historical records from that period.

During the 16th century, the name Judd gained further recognition with the birth of Sir Andrew Judd (1492-1558), a prominent English merchant and benefactor who founded the Tonbridge School in Kent. He is considered one of the most influential figures with this surname.

Another notable individual was Thomas Judd (1516-1590), an English Protestant clergyman and writer who authored several religious works during the Reformation period.

In the 17th century, Samuel Judd (1622-1694) was a renowned English nonconformist minister and author who played a significant role in the Puritan movement.

The 18th century saw the prominence of Sylvanus Judd (1789-1860), an American author and educator who published several popular works on grammar and rhetoric.

Throughout history, the surname Judd has been associated with various notable individuals across different fields, including politics, literature, and education, reflecting its long-standing presence and significance within English-speaking communities.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Judd

We also have some data on the ancestry of people with the surname Judd.

The below race categories are the modified race categories used in the Census Bureau's population estimates program. All people were categorized into six mutually exclusive racial and Hispanic origin groups:

1. White only
2. Black only
3. American Indian and Alaskan Native only
4. Asian and Pacific Islander only
5. Hispanic
6. Two or More Races

For the most recent 2010 census data, the race/ethnic origin breakdown for Judd was:

Note: Any fields showing (S) means the data was suppressed for privacy so that the data does not in any way identify any specific individuals.

Since we have data from the previous census in 2000, we can also compare the values to see how the popularity of Judd has changed in the 10 years between the two census surveys.

Data source

The last name data and ethnic breakdown of last names is sourced directly from the Decennial Census survey, conducted every 10 years by the United States Census Bureau.

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

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

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