Judah
Judah was the 178th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,050 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 176th; the most babies were born in 2021 (2,133). Over the last ten years it has moved up 56 places. More babies were named Judah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning praised · Hebrew
Say it JOO-duh /ˈdʒudə/
- Rank in 2025
- #178 boys, up 6 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,050boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20212,133 babies
- Total since 1880
- 36,431babies recorded
What does the name Judah mean?
Judah is the English form of Hebrew Yehudah, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah and the ancestor of the tribe and kingdom of Judah, from which the words Jew and Judaism derive. In Genesis 29:35 Leah names him as she declares that she will praise the Lord, and Wikipedia links the name to the root meaning 'to thank' or 'to praise'. Jude and Judas are the Greek-derived forms of the same name.
יְהוּדָה (Biblical Hebrew, “Yehudah”)ידה (Hebrew, “to thank, praise”)
How sure is this? Probable. The link to 'praise' is the biblical explanation and the usual etymology; the exact form is debated.
Related names: Jude, Judas, Yehuda, Judd.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean fame.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Judah', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Hebrew Bible, Genesis 29:35, JPS translation with notes (via Sefaria), Sefaria; verse reference and facts only, not quoted
- Wikipedia, 'Judah (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Nicknames for Judah
The usual nicknames for Judah are Jude. Some parents skip the long form: for every 100 boys named Judah in the last five years, 112 were named Jude, against 183 twenty years earlier.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jude · also for Judith | Modern | #155 | 11,771 |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Judahs go by each one.
Judah popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 853 since 1988, 41 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #178 | 2,050 |
| 2020 | #184 | 2,109 |
| 2010 | #295 | 1,111 |
| 2000 | #810 | 199 |
| 1990 | #1,356 | 68 |
| 1980 | #1,607 | 37 |
| 1970 | #2,571 | 14 |
| 1960 | #2,773 | 10 |
| 1950 | #2,900 | 8 |
| 1940 | #3,708 | 5 |
| 1930 | #3,804 | 6 |
| 1920 | #3,355 | 8 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Judah, counting every spelling?
Judah is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #190 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #178 for Judah on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,060 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judah | 2,050 | #178 | 10,474 |
| Juda | 10 | #7,933 | 81 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Judah?
2,050 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Judah (0.57 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Judah born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Judah.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Judah?
About 35,000 people born in the US named Judah are alive today, with a median age of 9; half are between 5 and 15. That makes Judah a young name: most people with it are children.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Judah by state
How common Judah was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Hawaii (2.6×), Tennessee (2.1×), Oklahoma (2.0×), Arkansas (1.8×), New Mexico (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Rhode Island, Utah, Massachusetts.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Judah: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Judah, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Judah · Sibling names for Judah
Questions about the name Judah
What does Judah mean?
Judah means “praised” (Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Judah?
Judah was the 178th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,050 babies. Its best year was 2023, when it ranked 176th; the most babies were born in 2021 (2,133). Over the last ten years it has moved up 56 places. More babies were named Judah in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Judah a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Judah in the US.
Where is Judah most popular?
In 2021–2025, Judah was most common in Hawaii (3.15 per 1,000 boys), followed by Tennessee and Oklahoma.