Judah
Meaning
praised
Goes by Yudel
The story
Judah comes from Hebrew Yehudah, probably related to a verb meaning to praise. In Genesis, Judah is a son of Jacob and Leah and becomes the ancestor associated with one of the twelve tribes of Israel. The name then belongs to a kingdom, and centuries later to Judah Maccabee, the leader whose revolt stands behind the Hanukkah story. English biblical traditions also produced the related forms Judas and Jude, but their histories and associations developed differently. The US curve shows scattered low use early in the record, stays modest through most of the twentieth century, rises in the 2000s, and reaches its top band in the 2010s and 2020s. That shape makes Judah a genuine modern revival rather than a newly created biblical style. Its sound feels current, while the name carries layers of family, tribal, political, and religious history that are much older than the trend.
In written records since at least 1611: the 1611 King James Bible, Genesis 43.
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Judah peaked in the 2010s and the 2020s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
199 people · the #25,489 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 1,000,000 · median age 6
Among people named Judah living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 2010s than in any other decade.
The census also counted 69 born between 2020 and August 2022, too recent a span to chart.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Judah
Most people given the name Judah in the United States are children or teenagers today. The name belongs to this generation.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Judah deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Judah truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Judah fits with your family’s names and surname.
Where Judah travels
Jewish American · a beloved patriarch and tribal name rising quickly today
Keep exploring
Names like Judah · Nicknames for Judah · Jewish American baby names · Hebrew baby names
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