Is the name Jude better on a boy or girl?

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I've always had it down as a boys name, but starting to like it for a girl!

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.

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!

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

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

@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!

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".

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

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

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

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...

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.

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

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.