Is the name Jude better on a boy or girl?

I think Jude is an acceptable nickname for a girl, but it would need to be Judith on the birth certificate.

It's fine for a boy.

St Jude is the patron saint of lost causes. Jacob Rees-Mogg probably prays to St Jude regularly.

I don't know what stats you're referring to, as official data from the Office for National Statistics has only been released up to 2022 (very recently). The official 2023 data is currently unknown, although I think it's inevitable Jude will continue to rise. In 2022 it was 32rd, up 8 from 40th in 2021.

Biblical names are a current trend so it's been steadily rising for years now, along with many others. IF Jude Bellingham has any influence on the popularity of the name at all, it would only really be kicking in around now. Because Jude has been rising for years, it's hard to know whether there's any link at all to Bellingham if it does continue to rise. Some names do rise out of nowhere and can be linked specifically to one person making it popular but I really don't think that's the case here, he just happens to have a name which is a current trend anyway.

It's also short for Judah. Which is fine. It's definitely a boy's name, from the Bible.
I'm not keen on using male names for girls. Some people seem to think it's cute or edgy but it's neither.
The plain fact is that when a particular boy's name, eg Taylor, starts to be given to girls, it doesn't take long before it ceases to be given to boys...

Jude is short for Judas as a boy - always put me off!

I like Jude shirt for Judith (which is a beautiful name) but not Jude on its own for a girl.

I much prefer it for a boy, it’s a lovely name

Jude the German word for Jew is pronunciation nothing like the name Jude that this thread is discussing! The German word is pronounced (approximately) "Yoo-dah" rather than "Jewd".

@BoleynMemories13 oh I only meant as a bit of tongue in cheek, no need for all due respecting I'm not that precious. But I would argue, that looking at the league tables for UK names that JB must've had a bit of influence. It was a popular name from 2016 ish onwards, but never went much above 40-60 in the most popular names for boys.

2022 it was in 42nd place then by 2023 it was 16th!

Boy, because it's a boy's name.

Definitely boy as a whole name. Would presume it were a nn for Judith on a girl.

Yes, I don't think it came from him particularly, for most people. For our son - born in 2022 - I had actually decided on his name well before he came into the world, in 2017! It was a name that I had known, but not inspired by any particular person. I suppose my parents being Beatles fans, that's probably how I first discovered the name!

I was slightly concerned I might be giving him a more common name now, but we haven't met any other Judes in the local area. Only seems common on MN. People seem to think it's rare when I tell them, so it really seems to differ by area!

With all due respect, Jude was a growing trend long before Jude Bellingham became a household name. You're more aware of the name now, since naming your son, and granted it is still on the rise so you'll naturally be hearing more and more of then, but it isn't suddenly popular just because of Jude Bellingham.

If you wanted something 'a bit different', you made the wrong choice with Jude. Lovely lovely name, but definitely not 'different' among the under 5s.

It's literally a boy's name.

We named our son Jude way before the World Cup because we wanted something a bit different but not too out there. Now thanks to Jude Bellingham I know loads of Judes 😭

It’s definitely a boys’ name for me. Would never consider it for a girl and would assume one I came across was a boy. Judy is a girls’ name, use that!

I think it's too girly for a boy

Girls name. I cant stand it for boys and it is very common now.

Boy

Boy

Boy

I like it for both. I've always thought it'd be lovely on a girl since reading Jude the Obscure as a teenager.

Boy

Neither 🤣 Sorry , I struggle with how Jude’s become so very popular/trendy now when apart from Jude Law the main cultural references are a very depressing Hardy novel and the Holocaust . And it rhymes with rude, nude and prude.

BUT so many people seem to love it, so maybe they’ve met lovely ones and so link it to them and choose it for that reason? I do have a lovely female friend called Jude so to me it swings girl (still wouldn’t use it for a DC though 🤣, and no, obviously I’ve never told her I dislike her name!).

As another poster said, Jude means Jewish in some languages and comes from the Hebrew in the Old Testament. To me it’s a strange choice of name unless the religious meaning is applicable personally, but get that many people aren’t that bothered about the meaning or history of a name.

Still, Christian Slater is Jewish and Jude Law is Christian. 🤷🏻‍♀️