Jude
Jude is an English unisex, primarily masculine given name. It is ultimately derived from the Hebrew name יְהוּדָה, which can be transliterated as Yehuḏa, means "praise", and whose short form was more directly adopted into English as Judah. Jude is an English variant of Judas, a name derived from Ἰούδας (Ioudas), the Ancient Greek form of יְהוּדָה.
- English
- Biblical
Meaning & Origin of Jude
What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.
Jude is an English unisex, primarily masculine given name. It is ultimately derived from the Hebrew name יְהוּדָה, which can be transliterated as Yehuḏa, means "praise", and whose short form was more directly adopted into English as Judah. Jude is an English variant of Judas, a name derived from Ἰούδας (Ioudas), the Ancient Greek form of יְהוּדָה.
Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →
Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)
- English
- Biblical
The Story of Jude
As a girl name
The earliest SSA record of Jude as a girl name dates back to 1934, when 7 babies received it. 2018 was its biggest year on record, with 146 newborns named Jude — #1,497 in the national rankings. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 36% of all recorded Judes. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #2,051 among girl names with 95 births, falling sharply (-18%). In total, more than 3K Judes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1930s through the 2020s.
As a boy name
Jude first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a boy name in 1912, with 5 babies given the name that year. The name hit its high-water mark in 2015: 2,668 births, good for #156 nationwide. The 2010s were its strongest decade, accounting for roughly 45% of all recorded Judes. In the latest 2026 data it stands at #162 among boy names with 2,214 births, gradually falling (-10%). In total, more than 56K Judes have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1910s through the 2020s.
Popularity Over Time
Popularity by State
Variants & Related Forms of Jude
Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with Jude. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Names that sound like Jude
Phonetically similar names — useful when Jude is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.
Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.
Frequently Asked Questions about Jude
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About the name Jude
Jude is a unisex baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1912 and has accumulated 56K births in the dataset. Jude's peak popularity came in 2015 when it ranked #151. Use the chart and map above to compare Jude's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.
Continue exploring
- Top names of 2015 →
- Names of the 2010s →
- Names starting with "J" →
- Browse all boy names →
- Top names of 2026 →
- Browse unisex names →
Data sources
- Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
- Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
- Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
- Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
- Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .
Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.