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Name at a glance

Judah

Judah is a Hebrew name commonly connected with praise.

Ranked #178 in US baby names in 2025, stable over the past 5 years.

Judah is remembered as Jacob's son, the tribe associated with David's royal line, and a name with major biblical and Christian significance.

Browse names
OriginHebrew
GenderBoy
FeelRoyal
PronunciationJOO-duh

Is Judah biblical?

Yes

Biblical status Direct biblical person

Judah is a named person in Scripture, the fourth son of Jacob and Leah and ancestor of the royal tribe in Genesis.

Is Judah a Christian name?

Used by Christians, not distinctively

Christian tradition Christian cultural usage

Judah is used in Christian families for its praise meaning and Davidic, messianic resonance, with the record showing mainly modern naming interest rather than a saint tradition.

Plain answer

Judah is a biblical name for Jacob's son and the royal tribe, used in Christian families mainly as a strong Old Testament name with messianic resonance rather than through a saint tradition.

Confidence Moderate Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Judah

Judah is connected with praise in Genesis, where Leah names her son in response to praising the LORD. The name later becomes far larger through the tribe of Judah and the royal line.

Name story

From family name to royal line

Judah begins as one of Jacob's sons, but the name becomes central to the story of Israel. The tribe of Judah is associated with kingship and the line of David.

For Christian readers, that royal connection carries forward because the New Testament identifies Jesus with the line of Judah.

Naming use

Praise with strength

Judah has a strong sound and a clear biblical identity. It feels less common than Jude but more direct than many rare Old Testament names.

The name can suggest praise, tribe, kingship, and covenant promise all at once.

Sound

How to pronounce Judah

Phonetic
JOO-duh
IPA
/ˈdʒuːdə/

2 syllables · stress: JOO-duh · ends in a vowel

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Jude
  • Judas
  • Yehudah
  • Yehuda
  • Iudah

Short forms and nicknames

  • Jud
  • Judi

Languages

Judah in other languages

Hebrew
יְהוּדָהYehudah
Greek
ἸούδαςIoudas
Latin
Iuda
Spanish
Judá
French
Juda
German
Juda
Italian
Giuda
Russian
ИудаIuda

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Judah is deeply important in Christian reading because of its connection to David's line and messianic expectation. It is both a Genesis name and a royal-theological name.

Scripture

The biblical figure

Judah is one of Jacob and Leah's sons and the ancestor of the tribe associated with Davidic kingship.

Bearers

Notable people named Judah

  • biblical

    JudahFourth son of Jacob and Leah, ancestor of the royal tribe and of the line of David

  • historical

    Judah MaccabeeJewish priest and military leader of the Maccabean Revolt against the Seleucid Empire in the second century BC

  • historical

    Judah ha-NasiRabbinic leader who compiled the Mishnah, around 135 to 217

  • historical

    Judah HaleviAndalusi Jewish poet, philosopher, and physician, around 1075 to 1141

  • historical

    Judah P. BenjaminAmerican lawyer and Confederate Secretary of State, 1811 to 1884

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Judah has become more familiar in modern use, helped by interest in strong Old Testament names. Jude is a related shorter form with New Testament use.

Recent US use

Judah in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#178
Peak rank
#176 in 2023
Recent trend
stable over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
97 (since 1912)

Source: US Social Security Administration baby name data, 1880-2025.

Sibling fit

Sibling name suggestions

Pairings

Names paired with Judah

  • Leahmother

    Leah is Judah's mother; her words at his birth ('Now will I praise the LORD' in Genesis 29:35) give him his name.

For families

For families looking at Judah

Judah may appeal to Christian families who want a strong biblical name with praise, heritage, and royal resonance.

Common questions

What does Judah mean?

Judah is commonly connected with praise.

Is Judah a biblical name?

Yes. Judah is one of Jacob's sons and the ancestor of the tribe of Judah.

Is Jude related to Judah?

Yes. Jude is related to the same name family as Judah and Judas.

Sources

Sources for Judah

  • A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver, and BriggsSupports: Hebrew etymology; meaning connected with praise.
  • The Book of Genesis, King James Version (KJV 1769)Supports: biblical figure Judah; fourth son of Jacob and Leah (Genesis 29:35).

Last reviewed July 19, 2026. See our methodology, or report an error on the corrections page.

Read next

Related names

JacobJudah's father; Judah is Jacob's fourth son by Leah (Genesis 29:35), and his name means 'praise' from Leah's words at his birth.DavidThe royal line traces through Judah's tribe; David is from Judah, and the Davidic monarchy is the tribal kingdom of Judah's descendants.JudeJude is the English-via-Greek form of the same Hebrew name (Yehudah); Judah and Jude are etymologically one name across two testaments.