Is Jude too popular now?

[Ab2206]

Hey ladies!

We’re expecting our first baby in the summer, and we’re keeping the sex as a surprise so need to think of both boy and girl names.

I think we have our girls name (Nancy), but our boy option is either Jude or Wilbur. I’m interested to know whether Jude is getting too popular now, as I keep hearing it more and more?

Also, opinions on Wilbur? Nickname Wilbs…. And I know the whole link to Charlottes Web, and that doesn’t bother me in the slightest 😆.

Interested to hear your thoughts!

I don’t know of any Jude’s in my kids schools (they go to 3 different schools) so it hasn’t become overused around us yet.

Wilbur isn’t really to my taste, sorry, it’s a little bit too sweet old man for my taste, it sounds a bit comical to me. I like other names from that generation (like George, Arthur, Stanley) but for some reason Wilbur doesn’t work to me.

I guess depends on your definition of too popular 🤣 We only have official data from 2021 when Jude was number 40, and unofficially looking at baby centre for 2023 looks like it's jumped to 16. Anecdotally I had a baby 2 months ago and know 3 Judes under 1 in my baby classes so it's definitely popular round me (north east London). But it might not be popular around you, so he may never meet another one as happens with loads of popular names.

I think both of them are cute so in my personal opinion I'd use the one you love the most.

https://names.darkgreener.com/#jude

I love Jude! Definitely not too common, and he’ll have an amazing namesake song 😉

Cant say I’m a fan of Wilbur in the slightest. It does give me instant Charlotte’s Web connotations but even apart from that I think it’s awful. Just sounds sad and dreary to me!

I’ve only met two children called Jude and I’m a teacher so I wouldn’t say it’s too popular. I don’t like Wilbur at all sorry.

I'm not a man but if for a moment I imagine myself to be one, I'm most confident that I'd rather be called Jude than Wilbur. Wilbur is verging on the comedic.

Nancy is great.

I have a Jude and he'll be 10 this year. When we named him I think it was about 75th on the ONS list. I know of 2 others in his school who are younger. I think if you like the name then go for it. Jude had been my boy name since I was about 8 and my dad introduced me to the Beatles so I wouldn't have cared if it was more popular. I named my second child a much less common name though as I was a bit miffed Jude was getting popular.

I think anyone who works with older children isn't very helpful unless they also spend a lot of time with babies.

Jude is very popular where I am (North West). I met six or seven at baby classes for my 2021 baby during my mat leave and in 2023 I met another half a dozen or so that were born that year.

I'm in SE and it's very, very popular in my area. My sons are in four teams (with 8-10 boys) and each one has a Jude. Plus I know another 4-5. It's a gorgeous name though.
I absolutely love Wilbur and don't know any, although I know several Wilfreds.

It went from 53rd to 40th from 2020 to 2021 (I think, my screen a bit small for the graph!) and I'd expect a similar jump this year

A lot of celebrities used it at once last year and I think that will resonate as it feels unique but not unknown, easy to spell and feels fresh - the Holy grail of baby boy names. However everyone thinks that at the same time.

I know a LOT of toddler and baby Judes, it feels like the Theo boom a couple of years before this.

But there's a reason it's liked and that shouldn't put you off if you love it

Well, firstly it depends on your definition of "too popular". Some will say it definitely is too popular now, others will say it isn't (especially if they're not personally bothered by popularity).

It also depends on who you know. If you personally know several young Judes it will probably seem too popular now. If you don't know any you'd probably be wondering why others may consider it too popular.

So it's hard to advise, especially as there's only official data available up until 2021 currently. Current trends would suggest it is still rising, but just how popular it officially was in 2022 and 2023 we are yet to find out. At a guess, I'd say 30 something in 2022 and maybe just outside the top 20 last year but that's pure guess work based on how often I see it mentioned on name sites like this.

As I said, it depends on how you define popular and how much popularity bothers you. Personally I much prefer Jude to Wilbur, which is quite wet. Jude is cool. It's becoming more popular for a reason.

Lots of Jude’s. It’s not my cup of tea but I wouldn’t let popularity stop you if you like it. I prefer it to Wilbur

Nancy is lovely. Jude is nice and not overly popular near me - I don’t know a single one and I’m not aware of any at DCs nursery. Not a fan of Wilbur personally.

I like the name Jude. I do know a few but i don't really think that matters, having a popular name is not a bad thing.

I always get a little smile when i hear the name jude as one who we know is just lovely.

I’d say it depends whether you care if it’s popular.

In saying that it is very popular now. I run a business that involves personalising newborn baby items and I have noticed a huge jump in the number of Jude’s even in the last 6 months. It depends what part of the country you are from but I think particularly in England it is now VERY popular. Nice name though! Wilbur is very cute

I do hear of a lot of them, so I think it might be the new Theo

That said, Wilbur will probably end up as another Will.

Any others?

I really like Nancy

Joel
Jerome
Jonah
Jethro

I have a Jude in his 20s. It was pretty unusual when we named him, and I haven't noticed too many others. I used to have a cat called Wilbur, Jude is a better name for a human. 😀

Nancy is lovely.
Wilbur makes me think of a pig.
Not keen on Jude. It doesn't seem to be popular where I am but I think it's the new Arlo - parents pick it because it seems a bit different and find that their Arlo is one of 3 or 5 in their reception class.

I only know one Jude and he is 21 .

I wouldn't let popularity deter you from a name you love. You could pick an 'unpopular' name only for it to rise dramatically in popularity. Pick the name you love.

Love the name Jude.
wilbur on the other hand.. not sure about it

Jude is lovely. It was high up our list for DC2.

It is common though. I have a 3 yo and a 6 month old and have met quite a few in both age brackets. (South Coast).

I wouldn’t let that stop you though.

Thank you everyone! It’s actually helped me think differently about being worried about a “popular name”. I guess George is a popular name, but it doesn’t put people off using it- so I need to see Jude the same way 😊.

Glad you all love Nancy!

Thanks again fellow mama’s!

Names like George, Oliver and James won't appeal to parents looking for fresh, young names

Friends and colleagues who named their babies Theo or Noah picked names that seemed quite different, only to find the names had become popular almost overnight.

I do hear of a lot of them, so I think it might be the new Theo

My thoughts too. It may surge in popularity only to start to sound dated and overused thereafter

I love the name Jude. My son is almost 2 and we haven’t met any in all the various groups we’ve gone to. I only know one Jude who is in his 20’s.
I’m personally not a fan of Wilbur, so my vote definitely goes to Jude!