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

Judy, 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 Judy surname is from the 2010 census data.

Popularity of Judy in America

Judy is the 5040th most popular name in America based on the data we have collected from the U.S. Census Bureau.

The Judy surname appeared 6,962 times in the 2010 census and if you were to sample 100,000 people in the United States, approximately 2 people would have the surname Judy.

We can also compare 2010 data for Judy 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 Judy

The surname JUDY is believed to have originated from the French region of Normandy in the medieval period. It is thought to derive from the Old French word "jude" or "judeu," which means "Jew." This suggests that the name may have been initially applied to individuals or families of Jewish descent living in Normandy during the Middle Ages.

One of the earliest known records of the JUDY surname can be found in the Domesday Book, a comprehensive survey of landowners and properties in England compiled in 1086 under the orders of William the Conqueror. The entry "Judhael" is listed in the Domesday Book, which is believed to be an early variant spelling of the JUDY surname.

In the 13th century, a notable figure named Robert Judy was recorded as a landowner in the county of Norfolk, England. He is mentioned in the Hundred Rolls of 1273, an important census and tax record from the reign of King Edward I.

During the 14th century, the JUDY surname appeared in various historical documents across different regions of England. In 1379, a record shows a John Judy residing in the village of Bradwell-on-Sea in Essex.

One of the earliest known instances of the JUDY surname in Scotland can be traced back to the 16th century. A merchant named William Judy was recorded in Edinburgh in 1582, engaging in trade with various European countries.

In the 17th century, the JUDY surname gained prominence in the American colonies. One of the earliest recorded individuals with this surname in colonial America was Thomas Judy, who arrived in Virginia from England in 1635.

Other notable individuals with the JUDY surname throughout history include:

1. Sir William Judy (1572-1646), an English lawyer and member of Parliament during the reign of King James I.
2. Sarah Judy (1692-1757), an early American settler and landowner in Pennsylvania.
3. John Judy (1773-1861), an American pioneer and frontiersman who explored the Rocky Mountains and the American West.
4. Henry M. Judy (1793-1851), an American politician who served as a United States Representative from Indiana.
5. Marguerite Judy (1898-1980), a French artist and painter known for her impressionist landscapes and still-life works.

Race and ethnic origin of people with the last name Judy

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

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 Judy 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 Judy 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 Judy was researched and written by our team of onomatology and genealogy experts.

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

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