Judson
Judson was the 934th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 252 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 301st; the most babies were born in 2023 (282). Over the last ten years it has moved down 46 places. More babies were named Judson in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Meaning son of Judd (Jordan) · English, Hebrew
Say it JUD-sun /ˈdʒʌdsən/
- Rank in 2025
- #934 boys, down 61 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 252boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2023282 babies
- Total since 1880
- 13,881babies recorded
What does the name Judson mean?
Judson is an English patronymic surname, 'son of Judd'. Bardsley (1901) explains Judd as a medieval pet form of Jordan, one of the favorite baptismal names of the period when surnames formed, though he allows that it could be an early form of Jude. Wiktionary and Wikipedia give the same Jordan derivation. Jordan is the name of the river in the Holy Land, Hebrew Yarden. As a first name Judson is a transfer from the surname.
Judd (Middle English, “pet form of Jordan”)יַרְדֵּן (Biblical Hebrew, “the river Jordan”)
How sure is this? Probable. Bardsley thinks Jordan more likely than Jude as the source of Judd.
See also: English names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Judson', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Wikipedia, 'Judson (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation)
- Charles W. Bardsley, A Dictionary of English and Welsh Surnames, with Special American Instances (1901), s.v. 'Judd', Henry Frowde (public domain; Internet Archive scan)
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jordan', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation)
Nicknames for Judson
The usual nicknames for Judson are Jud.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jud | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Judsons go by each one.
Judson popularity since 1880
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #934 | 252 |
| 2020 | #873 | 259 |
| 2010 | #1,302 | 132 |
| 2000 | #1,472 | 84 |
| 1990 | #1,017 | 109 |
| 1980 | #757 | 135 |
| 1970 | #665 | 152 |
| 1960 | #784 | 95 |
| 1950 | #691 | 98 |
| 1940 | #651 | 86 |
| 1930 | #648 | 90 |
| 1920 | #585 | 114 |
| 1910 | #506 | 31 |
| 1900 | #462 | 25 |
| 1890 | #398 | 21 |
| 1880 | #301 | 31 |
How popular is Judson, counting every spelling?
Judson is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #853 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #934 for Judson on its own. Together these spellings went to 270 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judson | 252 | #934 | 1,314 |
| Juddson | 18 | #5,307 | 98 |
| Judsen | — | — | 34 |
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 Judson?
252 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Judson (0.07 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Judson 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 33 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Judson.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Judson?
About 9,500 people born in the US named Judson are alive today, with a median age of 27; half are between 10 and 51. That makes Judson mostly worn by children and young adults. The wide spread shows a name popular in two different eras.
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.
Judson by state
How common Judson was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Alabama (5.8×), Mississippi (4.5×), South Carolina (3.0×), Kentucky (3.0×), Arkansas (2.8×). In 23 states fewer than five boys a year got the name, too few for SSA to publish, so those states show as zero.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Judson: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Judson, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Judson · Sibling names for Judson
Questions about the name Judson
What does Judson mean?
Judson means “son of Judd (Jordan)” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: probable.
How popular is the name Judson?
Judson was the 934th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 252 babies. Its best year was 1880, when it ranked 301st; the most babies were born in 2023 (282). Over the last ten years it has moved down 46 places. More babies were named Judson in the 2010s than in any other decade.
Is Judson a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Judson in the US.
Where is Judson most popular?
In 2021–2025, Judson was most common in Alabama (0.89 per 1,000 boys), followed by Mississippi and South Carolina.