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Name at a glance

Jude

Jude is related to Judah and is commonly connected with praise.

Ranked #155 in US baby names in 2025, stable over the past 5 years.

Jude is a New Testament name associated with apostolic tradition and the short letter of Jude.

Browse names
OriginHebrew via Greek and Latin
GenderBoy
FeelApostolic
PronunciationJOOD

Is Jude biblical?

Yes

Biblical status Direct biblical person

Jude is the English form used for the named author of the New Testament letter of Jude (Jude 1:1) and the apostle, kept distinct in English from Judas.

Is Jude a Christian name?

Yes

Christian tradition Foundational, across traditions

Jude is established across Catholic, Orthodox, and Anglican traditions through the apostle Saint Jude Thaddaeus, patron of lost causes.

Plain answer

Jude is a New Testament name for the apostle and letter-writer, established across Christian traditions through Saint Jude Thaddaeus.

Confidence Moderate Last reviewed July 19, 2026 How this works

Meaning

The meaning of Jude

Jude belongs to the same broad name family as Judah and Judas, names connected with praise. In English Christian use, Jude often feels cleaner and more approachable than Judas because of the negative association with Judas Iscariot.

Name story

A short New Testament name

Jude is brief, but it carries serious Christian history. The New Testament includes the letter of Jude, a compact writing concerned with faithfulness and warning.

The name also connects back to Judah, giving it both Old Testament roots and New Testament use.

Naming use

Praise in a concise form

Jude has become attractive because it is short, strong, and clearly biblical without sounding heavy.

For Christian families, it can offer the praise meaning of Judah with a more modern and compact sound.

Sound

How to pronounce Jude

Phonetic
JOOD
IPA
/dʒuːd/

1 syllable · stress: JOOD · ends in a consonant

Forms

Variants and nicknames

Alternate spellings

  • Judah
  • Judas
  • Iudas
  • Yehudah

Short forms and nicknames

  • Judd
  • Judey

Languages

Jude in other languages

Greek
ἸούδαςIoudas
Latin
Iudas
Spanish
Judas
French
Jude
German
Judas
Italian
Giuda
Portuguese
JudasEnglish uniquely distinguishes Jude (the apostle and the letter) from Judas (the betrayer), splitting two forms of a single Greek/Latin name. Other languages use one form.

Christian background

Christian and biblical background

Jude has Christian importance because of the New Testament letter of Jude and its relationship to the Judah name family.

Scripture

The biblical figure

Jude is associated with the New Testament letter of Jude and with apostolic naming tradition.

Bearers

Notable people named Jude

  • biblical

    Jude (Thaddaeus)One of the Twelve Apostles in the Gospels, traditionally venerated as patron of lost causes

  • biblical

    Jude the Brother of JesusTraditional author of the Epistle of Jude in the New Testament

  • modern

    Jude LawEnglish actor known for The Talented Mr. Ripley and Sherlock Holmes, born 1972

Saint

Saint Jude Thaddaeus

Traditions
Catholic, Orthodox, Anglican
Patron of
lost causes, desperate situations, hospitals

Jude is celebrated on the same day as Simon the Zealot in Western tradition. The patronage of lost causes developed because early Christians, wary of confusing Jude's name with Judas Iscariot, only invoked him when no other help seemed available, leaving him the apostle of last resort.

Naming history

Naming tradition and history

Jude has grown in modern use and feels stylish while remaining scriptural. It is often preferred by parents who like Judah but want a shorter form.

Recent US use

Jude in recent US use

Rank in 2025
#155
Peak rank
#152 in 2019
Recent trend
stable over the last 5 years
Years in the SSA records
105 (since 1912)

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

A note on association

One association to know about

Jude is a deliberate English variation of Judas, kept distinct from the betrayer Judas Iscariot. The two are the same name in most other languages (Judas in Latin and Spanish, Giuda in Italian, Yehudah in Hebrew). The English split is unusual and is part of why Jude carries an apostolic feel while Judas reads almost exclusively as a reference to the betrayer in English contexts.

Sibling fit

Sibling name suggestions

For families

For families looking at Jude

Jude may suit parents who want a concise Christian boy name with praise, strength, and New Testament roots.

Common questions

What does Jude mean?

Jude is related to Judah and is commonly connected with praise.

Is Jude a biblical name?

Yes. Jude is associated with the New Testament letter of Jude.

Is Jude related to Judah?

Yes. Jude and Judah belong to the same broad biblical name family.

Sources

Sources for Jude

  • A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament, Brown, Driver, and BriggsSupports: Hebrew root (Yehudah); meaning connected with praise.
  • The Epistle of Jude, King James Version (KJV 1769)Supports: biblical figure; the letter of Jude (Jude 1:1).
  • The Oxford Dictionary of Saints, David Hugh Farmer (5th edition)Supports: Saint Jude Thaddaeus; apostle and patron of lost causes; feast day (October 28).

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

Read next

Related names

JudahJude is the English-via-Greek form of the same Hebrew name (Yehudah); the two names are etymologically one name across two testaments.JamesJames is named in the opening of the letter of Jude (Jude 1:1) as Jude's brother; the two names are linked through the New Testament epistle pair.SimonSimon and Jude (also called Thaddaeus) are paired in the apostolic lists and traditionally commemorated together in the Western tradition.MatthewMatthew 13:55 names Jude (Judas) and James as brothers of Jesus, alongside Joseph and Simon.