Jude
Jude was the 155th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,384 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 152nd; the most babies were born in 2015 (2,668). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1 places. More babies were named Jude in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning praised (from Judah) · Hebrew, Greek
Say it JOOD /dʒud/
- Rank in 2025
- #155 boys, down 1 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,384boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20152,668 babies
- Total since 1880
- 57,006babies recorded
What does the name Jude mean?
Jude is the English form used for the apostle Judas Thaddaeus, chosen to distinguish him from Judas Iscariot, as Wiktionary explains. Judas is the Greek form of Hebrew Yehudah (Judah), the fourth son of Jacob and Leah. In Genesis 29:35 Leah names him as she declares that she will praise the Lord, and Wikipedia and Wiktionary both give 'praise' or 'praised' as the meaning. Wikipedia notes that Jude is now used for both boys and girls, though mainly boys.
יְהוּדָה (Biblical Hebrew, “Yehudah, Judah”)ידה (Hebrew, “to praise, give thanks”)
How sure is this? Probable. Genesis connects Judah with 'praise'; the exact grammatical form of the name is debated.
Related names: Judah, Judas, Yehuda, Judd.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean fame.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jude', 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, 'Jude (given name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
Jude popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 3,024 since 1934, 93 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #155 | 2,384 |
| 2020 | #154 | 2,441 |
| 2010 | #168 | 2,301 |
| 2000 | #680 | 262 |
| 1990 | #1,162 | 88 |
| 1980 | #933 | 92 |
| 1970 | #681 | 147 |
| 1960 | #735 | 110 |
| 1950 | #1,356 | 29 |
| 1940 | #1,101 | 36 |
| 1930 | #3,441 | 7 |
| 1920 | — | — |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Jude, counting every spelling?
Jude is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #167 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #155 for Jude on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,390 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jude | 2,384 | #155 | 11,771 |
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 Jude?
2,384 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jude (0.66 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jude 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 Jude.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jude?
About 52,600 people born in the US named Jude are alive today, with a median age of 11; half are between 6 and 17. That makes Jude 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.
Jude by state
How common Jude was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Louisiana (2.4×), District of Columbia (2.2×), Utah (2.1×), North Dakota (2.1×), Montana (2.0×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Alaska, Rhode Island, New York.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jude: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jude, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jude · Sibling names for Jude
Jude is also a nickname for Judah and Judith.
Questions about the name Jude
What does Jude mean?
Jude means “praised (from Judah)” (Hebrew, Greek origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Jude?
Jude was the 155th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,384 babies. Its best year was 2019, when it ranked 152nd; the most babies were born in 2015 (2,668). Over the last ten years it has moved up 1 places. More babies were named Jude in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Jude a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jude in the US.
Where is Jude most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jude was most common in Louisiana (3.23 per 1,000 boys), followed by District of Columbia and Utah.