ESC 

Name Rank Total 

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1880

First Year

2026

Last Year

1947

Peak Year

#11

Peak Rank

383K

Total Count

144

Years Active

🌍

## Meaning & Origin of Judy

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures. 

Judy is a (usually) female personal name. It is sometimes a given name, but more often it is a hypocorism which takes the place of a given name, usually Judith. Jude is another occasionally used short form of the name.

Source: [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy%5F%28given%5Fname%29) (CC BY-SA 3.0). [Read more → ](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Judy%5F%28given%5Fname%29)

📖

## The Story of Judy

Judy first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby girl name in 1880, with 5 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1947, when 21,036 Judys were born — ranking #14 that year. As of 2026, Judy ranks #1,683 for baby girls with 123 births, gradually falling (-9%). In total, more than 383K Judys have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

## Popularity Over Time

## Popularity by State

ME

WA

MT

ND

MN

WI

MI

NY

VT

NH

MA

OR

ID

SD

IA

IL

IN

OH

PA

NJ

CT

RI

CA

NV

WY

NE

MO

KY

WV

VA

MD

DE

DC

UT

CO

KS

AR

TN

NC

SC

AK

AZ

NM

OK

LA

MS

AL

GA

HI

TX

FL

Top 10

11-50

51-100

101-500

500+

No data

🎶

## Names that sound like Judy

Phonetically similar names — useful when Judy is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name. 

* [Judi](/judi)
* Jeudi
* [Jedi](/jedi)
* Judo
* [Jodie](/jodie)
* [Judah](/judah)
* [Jody](/jody)
* [Jodi](/jodi)
* [Juda](/juda)
* [Judie](/judie)
* [Jodee](/jodee)
* Geddie

Source: [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/). Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated. 

❓

## Frequently Asked Questions about Judy

What does the name Judy mean?

Judy is a (usually) female personal name. It is sometimes a given name, but more often it is a hypocorism which takes the place of a given name, usually Judith. Jude is another occasionally used short form of the name.

How popular is Judy in 2026?

In 2026, Judy ranks #1,683 among girls' names in the U.S., with 123 babies given the name that year.

When was Judy most popular?

Judy reached its peak popularity in 1947, ranking #11 that year with 21,036 babies given the name.

In which U.S. states is Judy most popular?

Judy has historically been most popular in Nevada, Idaho, Utah. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named Judy.

Is Judy a unisex name?

In U.S. Social Security records, Judy is primarily a girl's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a boy's name.

What names go well with Judy?

Names that share a similar style or popularity range with Judy include Edna, Gladys, Joyce. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.

## Similar Names

[👧EdnaPeak #11](/edna)[👧GladysPeak #11](/gladys)[👧JoycePeak #11](/joyce)[👧BrendaPeak #11](/brenda)[👧CamilaPeak #11](/camila)[👧KaylaPeak #11](/kayla)[👧AlyssaPeak #11](/alyssa)[👧AddisonPeak #11](/addison)

## About the name Judy 

Judy is a girl baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 383K births in the dataset. Judy's peak popularity came in 1947 when it ranked #11\. Use the chart and map above to compare Judy's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

### Continue exploring 

* [ Top names of 1947 → ](/year/1947)
* [ Names of the 1940s → ](/decade/1940s)
* [ Names starting with "J" → ](/letter/j)
* [ Browse all girl names → ](/names/girls)
* [ Top names of 2026 → ](/year/2026)

Data sources

* Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. [Social Security Administration ](https://www.ssa.gov/oact/babynames/). 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 ](https://www.behindthename.com/) (used under their public API terms).
* Meaning prose and editorial summary — [Wikipedia ](https://en.wikipedia.org/) article extracts, licensed under [CC BY-SA 3.0 ](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0/).
* Predicted nationality distribution — [Nationalize.io ](https://nationalize.io/).
* Phonetically similar names — [Datamuse ](https://www.datamuse.com/api/).

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.