Sleek, smooth and stylish.
Up until 20 years ago, Jude was a unisex rarity; now with
a dash of Hollywood suave, it's a popular member of Team Blue.
|
Origin: |
Jude is the English form of Judah, a biblical name borne by several notable figures in the Bible. Judah itself is a shortened form of the Hebrew name Yehudah. Yehudah most likely derives from the Hebrew yadah (יָדָה) meaning "give thanks, praise". This is certainly the meaning attributed to the name in the Bible, when an account is given of the birth of Leah's first four sons: Reuben, Simeon, Levi and Judah. Genesis 29:35 says: "And she conceived again and bore a son, and said, “This time I will praise the Lord.” Therefore she called his name Judah." As one of the twelve sons of Jacob, Judah became a patriarch of one of the Twelve Tribes of Israel, which took his name. It was this tribe that went on to found the Kingdom of Judah, the place from which the religion Judaism takes its name. Judah is also notable for being an ancestor of both Kind David and Jesus. Several characters in the New Testament were named Judah, including two apostles and a brother of Jesus. When the Bible was translated into Greek, Judah became Ioudas (Ἰούδας) and the Judas (Iudas) in Latin. Jude was used as an English form to distinguish the apostle Judas Iscariot from another apostle Judas Thaddaeus (St Jude). There is some debate by theologians whether St Jude is the same person as Jude, the brother of Jesus, author of the Epistle of Jude. |
|
Usage: |
Jude is found in use as a name in England from the 16th century — there is scant evidence that it was used in Wales or Scotland at this time. Usage of the name was consistent throughout this period, though it was not especially common. Baptisms from the 16th and 17th century also show that the name was unisex, used almost equally for boys and girls, though in different concentrations, depending on location. For example, in Hertfordshire, there is a baptism in 1653 for Jude, daughter of Richard and Jude Ward and one in 1696 for Jude, son of Jude and Mary Holdsworth. The feminine name Jude came about as a diminutive of Judith: a name that was very popular from the Middle Ages onwards. A Jude Seelinge, daughter of John and Judey was baptised in 1680 for example, and there are several other examples of Jude/Judiths who had daughters called Jude (though there are also examples of Judiths with sons called Jude). The name remained uncommon but consistent in use throughout the 19th century, being registered at least once every year from 1838 to 1890. The name gradually declined over this century — slightly for boys, and dramatically for girls. The 1841 census lists 152 Judes (81 males, 71 females), 95% of whom were living in England. The number had decreased to 131 (79 males, 52 females) in 1861, 83 (74 males, 9 females) in 1881, 68 (65 males, 3 females) in 1901 and 63 in 1911, only one of whom was female and she was aged 38. This pattern also continued throughout the 20th century, with Jude used as an uncommon name for both boys and girls. It has only been with the turn of this centuy that Jude has become a popular masculine name, as we can see from the name's birth count in England and Wales (the rank is listed in brackets): 1996 - 24 (#654), 12 (#1434) Individually in 2011, Jude ranked #81 in England and #182 in Wales. What caused this meteoric rise? 1999 was the year that actor Jude Law got more global recognition with the release of The Talented Mr. Ripley. The double in birth count from 1999 to 2000 can also be explained by the introduction of character Jude Lawson in popular soap Home and Away from 2000-2002. The initial peak in 2004 also coincides with a notable year for Jude Law with the release of Alfie, Closer, Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and The Aviator and following his 2003 success in Cold Mountain. The name has also seen success in Scotland in recent years. It was #110 (51 births) in 2005, #115 (57 births) in 2008, #95 (64 births) in 2010 and #98 (69 births) in 2012. In Northern Ireland, Jude has gone from a rank of #227 (5 births) in 1997, breaking the Top 100 in 2002 at #92 (27 births), to a peak of #38 (78 births) in 2008. In 2011 it ranked #54 (63 births). |
| Famous Bearers: |
History: * Jude the Apostle (St Jude), the patron saint of lost causes in the Catholic Church. Contemporary: * Jude Law (b.1972), British actor. Literature and Other Media: * Jude the Obscure (1896), a novel by Thomas Hardy. |
|
Variants: |
Judas, Judah (Biblical), Yehudi (Modern Hebrew), Giuda (Italian) |
|
Pronunciation: |
JOOD [key] |
|
Possible longer forms: |
Judah, Judoc, Judicael, Julian, Julius, Jupiter, Justus |
|
Sibling Names: |
Ava Rose Eliza Stella Phoebe Lydia |
|
Name Lists: |
|
If you like Jude you may also like: |
Thanks to Elizabeth for requesting Jude.
