Judy
Judy was the 1874th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 105 babies. Its best year was 1946, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1947 (21,037). Over the last ten years it has moved down 431 places. More babies were named Judy in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Meaning pet form of Judith · English, Hebrew
Say it JOO-dee /ˈdʒudi/
- Rank in 2025
- #1,874 girls, down 291 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 105girls
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a girl’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 194721,037 babies
- Total since 1880
- 384,073babies recorded
What does the name Judy mean?
Judy is a pet form of Judith, as Wiktionary notes, and has been used as a formal name since the early 20th century. Judith is Hebrew Yehudit 'woman of Judea, Jewish woman', the heroine of the apocryphal Book of Judith, as DMNES notes. Judy Garland (born Frances Gumm) is a famous bearer. A rare men's Judy is a separate form related to Judah.
יְהוּדִית (Yehudit) (Biblical Hebrew, “woman of Judea”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Related names: Judith, Jodie, Judi.
See also: Hebrew names, names from places.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Judy', Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Judith', DMNES (Durham University)
Judy popularity since 1880
A few boys are given the name too: 1,094 since 1929.
| Year | Rank (girls) | Babies (girls) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #1,874 | 105 |
| 2020 | #1,583 | 133 |
| 2010 | #1,707 | 123 |
| 2000 | #1,089 | 190 |
| 1990 | #576 | 402 |
| 1980 | #408 | 549 |
| 1970 | #177 | 1,828 |
| 1960 | #48 | 8,855 |
| 1950 | #25 | 14,207 |
| 1940 | #16 | 11,382 |
| 1930 | #342 | 366 |
| 1920 | #483 | 201 |
| 1910 | #803 | 29 |
| 1900 | #1,136 | 12 |
| 1890 | #1,148 | 7 |
| 1880 | #883 | 5 |
How popular is Judy, counting every spelling?
Judy is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #1,534 for girls in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #1,874 for Judy on its own. Together these spellings went to 120 girls in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Judy | 105 | #1,874 | 604 |
| Judi | 9 | #10,474 | 51 |
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 Judy?
105 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Judy (0.03 per 1,000 births). For a girl named Judy 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 80 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Judy.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Judy?
About 258,100 people born in the US named Judy are alive today, with a median age of 74; half are between 67 and 80. That makes Judy a name most people associate with older generations.
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.
Judy by state
How common Judy was among girls born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in New Jersey (3.0×), New York (2.5×), Michigan (1.6×). In 36 states fewer than five girls 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 Judy: their share of US girls followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Judy, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Judy · Sibling names for Judy
Judy is also a nickname for Judith.
Questions about the name Judy
What does Judy mean?
Judy means “pet form of Judith” (English, Hebrew origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Judy?
Judy was the 1874th most popular name for girls in 2025, given to 105 babies. Its best year was 1946, when it ranked 11th; the most babies were born in 1947 (21,037). Over the last ten years it has moved down 431 places. More babies were named Judy in the 1940s than in any other decade.
Is Judy a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a girl’s name given the name Judy in the US.
Where is Judy most popular?
In 2021–2025, Judy was most common in New Jersey (0.23 per 1,000 girls), followed by New York and Michigan.