The baby name Judah has transformed from Biblical rarity to mainstream favorite over the last few decades.
Thanks to Racheli for suggesting our Baby Name of the Day.
MEANING OF THE NAME JUDAH
The Hebrew name Yehuda likely comes from the Hebrew word yadah – praise. In fact, his mother, Leah, specifically says that she will “praise the Lord” for this son.
In the Old Testament, Judah is one of Jacob’s twelve sons. He marries Tamar.
All twelve of Jacob’s son go on to form the twelve tribes of Israel.
The Kingdom of Judah produced some famous figures. Judah is the ancestor of King David, and thus, Jesus himself.
There’s also Judah Maccabee, a Jewish priest who led a revolt during the second century. They revolted against the Seleucid Empire, and, more broadly, against Greek influence on Jewish life. The celebration of Hanukkah tells part of the story of the uprising.
JUDAS
The Greek form of Judah is Judas, which appears throughout the New Testament.
Judas Iscariot famously betrayed Jesus during the Last Supper.
Maybe not surprisingly, Judas has become a synonym for betrayal, and has been used rarely as a given name, at least in the US.
THE LION OF JUDAH
Back to the Book of Genesis for a minute. Jacob refers to his son as a “young lion.” The Lion of Judah thus became a symbol of the tribe, and, by extension, Jerusalem, too.
In the New Testament, the lion of Judah is associated with Judah.
(A quick side quest for fans of CS Lewis: the figure of Aslan was inspired by this symbol.)
The symbol also became associated with Ethiopia, dating to the Middle Ages. A lion has appeared on various flags used by the former Ethiopian Empire.
Which takes us all the way up to Jamaica, circa the 1930s. The Rastafari movement has Christian roots, but also incorporates specific cultural practices. Former Ethiopian Emperor, Haile Selassie, is sometimes considered a messiah figure and often called the Lion of Judah.
Bob Marley recorded a song titled “Lion of Judah” and the symbol appears in the recent 2024 biopic, Bob Marley: One Love.
HEY JUDE
Speaking of music, there’s a far more famous song to feature a form of the name. The Beatles recorded “Hey Jude” in 1968.
Paul McCartney wrote the song for John Lennon’s son, Julian: “Hey Jules.” Except Jude sounded better. The song became a sensation, reaching #1 in the US and the UK.
While we might think of Jude as a nickname for Judas and Judah, it’s really just another form of the name. In terms of popularity, it’s long been the most common form in the US.
BEN-HUR
So what helped Judah transform from ancient times to today?
In 1880, Lew Wallace published a novel titled Ben-Hur: A Tale of the Christ. It’s the story of Judah Ben-Hur, a Jewish prince falsely accused of a crime. He ultimately redeems himself as an expert chariott racer. Along the way, he meets Jesus, witnesses the crucixion, and converts.
The book became a runaway bestseller for decades, and was adapated first for the stage, then as a silent movie, and finally as a Hollywood blockbuster.
The 1959 film starred Charlton Heston; he earned an Academy Award for Best Actor for his work. (It also won Best Picture, Best Director, and eight more.)
It’s possible that Ben-Hur – and Heston – get credit for some of the name’s popularity during the mid-twentieth century. Though we tend to think of the character as first name, Ben, last name Hur. And Judah? Really wasn’t that popular just yet.
BY the NUMBERS
Instead, the baby name Judah debuted in the US Top 1000 in 1997.
Other boys’ names with Biblical roots and an A ending were having a moment. Joshua already ranked in the US Top Ten. Noah, Elijah, and Isaiah were gaining fast.
By the year 2010, the name ranked #295. And in 2020, Judah stood at #184.
Along the way, more boy names ending with A have risen in use. Others borrowed from the Bible, like Josiah and Ezra, are among them. So are romance language choices like Luca, as well as word names like Nova.
Another factor? Former favorite baby girl names Judy and Judith are solidly out of favor. With the passing of time, Jude and Judah have come to sound fresh and interesting for our sons.
Along the way, the name’s profile rose modestly in popular culture. Comedian Judah Friedlander was part of the 30 Rock ensemble cast. Folk rock band Judah & The Lion – fronted by a singer named Judah Akers – enjoyed some succeess. And celebrities gave the name to their children, including actress Lucy Lawless’ son Judah Miro, and singer Isaac Slade’s son Judah Alexander.
TRENDING TRADITIONAL
With roots in the Hebrew Bible, it’s impossible to consider Judah a new name.
And yet, it’s popularity is relatively recent, tracing back to the late twentieth century and really accelerating over the last decade or two.
At the same time, we’ve always loved J names for our sons. Enduring classics John, James, and Joseph stand the test of time, even as names like Jody and Jayden rise and fall.
It all makes Judah a strong choice for a son, a little more sound than just Jude, with layers of meaning and story, from history to faith to music, to make this name meaningful.
What do you think of the baby name Judah?
First published on May 6, 2011, this post was revised on May 1, 2024.
Judah
uplifting + strong
An Old Testament name with ties to heroes and plenty of spiritual significance, Judah is a trending traditional.
Popularity
#181 as of 2022
Trend
gaining modestly; currently at an all-time high
Origin
From a Hebrew word meaning “praise”
I really love Judah. The problem, again, is our last name. Well, it wouldn’t be a problem except for my profession. It would be along the lines of being a professional boxer with the last name Tyson and naming your daughter Michaela. Nope.
I would love to meet a little Judah. Twin boys named Judah and Micah would be absolutely wonderful!!
Funnily enough, one of my cousins named her son Judah and my sister named her son (my nephew!) Micah. There’s an Elias and a Caleb in the mix too.(and my daughter’s name, Stephanie, is a saint’s name)
Judah is great! I don’t get a Walmart vibe at all. I’d imagine most parents who chose Judah would be Christians, but it’s stylish enough that they wouldn’t HAVE to be. Jude feels significantly less religious (probably because there are more pop-culture associations, what with Jude Law and “Hey, Jude”). We considered both Judah and Jude for our son, but my husband nixed them both, so we ended up with Julius instead. 🙂
— Emmy Jo
I really like Judah a lot. Weeds is was sold me on the name, and it’s been on the list ever since. I’m not sure I’ll ever get to it, but Judah James Elliot is the combo I’ve had in mind. We only really agree on the scary biblical names, and I have the background to pull it off completely. 😛
Congrats Charlotte! What an absolutely handsome name for your little guy, Alaric is Awesome! 🙂
I grew up loving the movie Ben-Hur, so when I hear “Judah” I automatically want to add “Ben-Hur” to it in my head. I actually really like the name, although its similarities to Judas does make me hesitant to consider using Judah myself. Plus, it seems like ALL my friends are using Biblical names for their boys, so Judah would feel like a bandwagon choice.
Not exactly on topic, but the popularity of Biblical names is one of the reasons I didn’t push for the Judah-related Thaddeus when trying to come up with a boys’ name recently. Instead we went for something more Germainic, and as of today, little Alaric Mark Patrick is three weeks old! We chose Alaric because we like the name and Mark Patrick are for his father and paternal grandfather.
Congratulations, Charlotte! Alaric Mark Patrick is an incredibly handsome choice! I’m a big fan of Alaric, and if my husband didn’t mind repeating initials in a family, it’d be up there on our list too. 🙂
I lurve Alaric! good solid choices all around and with meaning too <3
I adore Alaric! So handsome and uncommon. Wow!
— Emmy Jo
Lovely name! Congratulations on your well named baby.
Congratulations Charlotte!! I love that all 3 names end with the same sound. How is Alaric pronounced exactly? Is it AL-aric, A-LAIR-ic, or A-LAHR-ic?
CONGRATULATIONS! What a fabulously named little guy. All the best to you and yours!
Thank you, everyone! We were actually hesitant about using three names that ended with the same sound because we were worried it affected the flow; however, we ultimately decided that we cared more about each individual name being special to us than how well they went together. We pronounce the first name AL-a-ric. When commenting on our somewhat unusual selection my midwife told me that she also recently delivered a little Aldous!
Reading over my original comment, I want to clarify that I actually really like almost all of the Biblical names my friends have been choosing for their little guys — it’s just that there’s been so many of them! Off the top of my head I can think of Zachariah, Azariah, Jonathan, Paul (middle name Asher), Elijah, and multiples of Isaac, Isaiah, and Josiah. Also, does Jonas count?
I like the name Judah well enough, but it’s not one I love and it’s never come anywhere near our lists. I suppose growing up in an evangelical Christian community makes it seem not so far-fetched or anything like that. Biblical names all seem quite normal to me. So, I’d be delighted to hear of or meet a Judah, but it’s not one I could see in our family.
Mere Mere: I don’t get a Walmart vibe from Judah at all! Jude, however, does give me that sort of pause. Judah’s sweet & gentle, not one I see appealing to parents drawn to Colton, Hunter or Austin, which indeed are Walmart names to me! (I hear those three fairly often when I go). Add Jayden, Logan & Brayden to that small list. Logan, in MA, where it’s a major airport! Makes me LOL everytime I hear it here!
This was on our very short list if our daughter had been a boy. However, I was having a hard time getting beyond the fact that when I picture a mother saying it, for some reason, the mother in my head could be featured on peopleofwalmart.com. Am I totally wrong? At the time we kept names confidential so I didn’t have any other outside input. I love the nn Jude, but I like the full name/nickname option so Judah seems logical. Plus we already have a “son of Jacob” (Asher) so it fits (or would have limited our choices for a third child).
I like Judah but don’t love him. Jude itself is so not a favorite, either.
First place I ran across the name Judah? The pages of ‘North & South’ where he’s Orry’s nephew and brother to Marie – Louise. He dies as a late teen, right before Sumter falls. It’s sad and the reason I like Judah but will never use it. Makes me remember that literary one. Not a bad guy at all but too sad for me. A stellar choice for anyone else though! 😀
My cousin named her baby this years ago. I thought it was kind of weird but she’s a second generation missionary, I guess she and her hubby (also a second generation missionary) have a pass to be a bit weird.