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

Jude, 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 Jude surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Jude in America

Jude is the 11767th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Jude surname appeared 2,662 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 1 people would have the surname Jude.

We can also compare 2010 data for Jude 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 Jude

The surname JUDE has its origins in the Middle English and Old French words Judeu and Ju, derived from the Latin Iudaeus meaning "Jew". It is believed that the name was first adopted as a surname by Jewish families in England and France during the medieval period.

The earliest recorded instances of the surname JUDE date back to the late 12th century in England, where it appeared in the Pipe Rolls of Yorkshire and Lincolnshire. One of the earliest known bearers of the name was Richard Jude, who was listed in the Hundred Rolls of Oxfordshire in 1273.

During the 13th and 14th centuries, the JUDE surname was particularly prevalent in the counties of Warwickshire, Gloucestershire, and Oxfordshire in England. It is thought that the name may have originated in these areas due to the presence of Jewish communities and settlements.

In the medieval period, the JUDE surname was often associated with individuals involved in trade, finance, and scholarly pursuits. One notable figure was Sir Saul Jude (1330-1398), a wealthy merchant and financier from London who served as a financial advisor to King Edward III.

The JUDE surname also has a rich history in Germany, where it was often spelled as Jude or Juden. One prominent German bearer of the name was Samuel Jude (1592-1668), a renowned rabbi and Talmudic scholar from Frankfurt.

In France, the surname JUDE was sometimes spelled as Judé or Judée. One notable French bearer was Étienne Judé (1570-1645), a renowned physician and philosopher from Burgundy.

Other historical figures with the JUDE surname include Sir Walter Jude (1450-1521), an English lawyer and judge who served as Chief Justice of the King's Bench during the reign of Henry VIII, and Sir Thomas Jude (1610-1675), an English politician and member of the Long Parliament during the English Civil War.

While the JUDE surname has its roots in the Jewish community, over time it has been adopted by people of various backgrounds and religious affiliations. However, its origins and historical significance remain closely tied to the Jewish diaspora and the cultural and intellectual contributions of Jewish communities throughout Europe.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Jude

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

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 Jude 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 Jude 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 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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