Jude

Latin diminutive of Judah, Hebrew
"praised"

Jude Origin and Meaning

The name Jude is a boy's name of Latin origin meaning "praised".

Jude is a modern star, maintaining a steady level of popularity -- but not TOO much popularity, in the US at least. Thank Jude Law and the great Lennon-McCartney song "Hey Jude", double-handedly responsible for propelling Jude up the charts.

Saint Jude was the apostle who intervened on behalf of people with problems and became the patron saint of lost causes. This positive Biblical association helps to distance the name for the similar Judas, borne by the traitorous Judas Iscariot.

A literary name, appearing in Thomas Hardy's tragic novel, Jude the Obscure and in the more recent (but equally tragic) A Little Life by Hanya Yanagihara, Jude is also notably borne by footballer Jude Bellingham. The name is occasionally used for girls (as in Martha Stewart's granddaughter)--but more often as a shortened form of Judith/Judy.

Currently a US Top 200 name, in the UK, it entered the Top 20 in 2023.

# 161 in the US

Jude Rank in US Top 1000

# 14 on Nameberry

Jude Rank in Nameberry Top 1000

Jude Popularity

Famous People Named Jude

  • Jude
    Biblical half,brother of Jesus; author of the Epistle of Jude
  • (David) Jude Heyworth Law
    English actor
  • River Jude Phoenix
    American actor
  • (Michael) Jude Christodal
    American singer,songwriter
  • Jude Gordon Grammer (b. 2004)
    son of actor Kelsey Grammer
  • Jude Swanberg
    American child actor; son of director Joe Swanberg
  • Jude Hull
    son of ice hockey player Brett Hull
  • Jude Sidney Sampson (b. 2010)
    son of TV presenter Kirsty Gallacher and Paul Sampson
  • Jude Michael Crook (b. 2003)
    son of actor Mackenzie Crook
  • Jude Jones (b. 2016)
    son of American actress and singer Jayma Mays and English actor Adam Campbell

Jude in Pop Culture

  • Jude
    epistle in the New Testament
  • Jude Fawley
    main character in Thomas Hardy's "Jude the Obscure"
  • "Hey Jude
    " song by the Beatles inspired by John Lennon's son Julian
  • Jude
    main character in movie "Across the Universe," inspired by "Hey Jude"
  • Jude Lizowski
    main character on animated series "6Teen"
  • Jude Heartfillia
    character in anime "Fairy Tail"
  • Jude Baker
    character on TV's "One Tree Hill"
  • Jude Jacobs
    later Jude Adams,Foster, character on Freeform's "The Fosters"
  • "Jude
    " novel by Kate Morgenroth and its main character
  • Jude the Entropic Man
    character in Marvel Comics
  • The Judes
    Canadian rock band
  • Jude Keffy
    Horn, character in the novel 'Ten Thousand Saints' by Eleanor Henderson
  • Jude St. Francis
    main character in the novel "A Little Life" by Hanya Yanagihara
  • Brigadier Jude Scanlon
    character in Melina Marchetta's novel "On the Jellicoe Road"
  • Jude Mercer
    character in "The Sins That Bind Us" by Geneva Lee
  • Jude Harley
    character in "Hiveswap"
  • Jude Sweetwine
    main character in the novel 'I'll Give You the Sun' by Jandy Nelson
  • Jude Weatherbourne
    main character in the Age of Darkness series by Katy Rose Pool