Explore the Family Name Jude
The meaning of Jude
1. English (Cambridgeshire, Norfolk, and Suffolk): variant of Judd. The name is also occasionally (but probably rarely) from the Middle English personal name Jude, an Old French vernacular form of the Biblical name, Latin Judas (see 2 below). 2. French: from Jude, a vernacular form of the Hebrew personal name Yehuda ‘Judah’ (of unknown meaning), based on its Latin form Judas. In the Bible, this is the name of Jacob’s eldest son. It was not a popular name among Christians in medieval Europe, because of the associations it had with Judas Iscariot, the disciple who betrayed Christ for thirty pieces of silver. See also Judah. 3. French and German: name for a Jew, Old French and Middle High German jude (from Latin Iudaeus, Greek Ioudaios, from Hebrew Yehudi ‘member of the tribe of Judah’).
Dictionary of American Family Names, 2nd edition, © Oxford University Press, 2022.
How common is the last name Jude in the United States?
Based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the surname Jude showed a slight decrease in popularity between 2000 and 2010. In 2000, it was ranked at 11,595, but by 2010 it slipped to 11,767, marking a drop rate of 1.48%. However, the total count of individuals with this last name increased from 2,484 to 2,662, experiencing a growth of 7.17%. The proportion per 100,000 people also saw a minor decrease of 2.17%, going from 0.92 to 0.90.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #11,595 | #11,767 | -1.48% |
| Count | 2,484 | 2,662 | 7.17% |
| Proportion per 100k | 0.92 | 0.9 | -2.17% |
Race and Ethnicity of people with the last name Jude
Taking a look at the ethnicity breakdown, again based on the Decennial U.S. Census data, the largest ethnic group associated with the Jude surname is White, accounting for 77.27% in 2010, down slightly from 78.86% in 2000. Asian/Pacific Islander representation within the Jude surname showed significant growth, increasing from 1.41% to 3.72%. The percentage of those identifying as two or more races decreased from 1.97% to 1.16%, while American Indian and Alaskan Native also saw a drop from 0.36% to 0.23%. The Hispanic proportion grew by 44.95% from 1.09% to 1.58%, whereas the Black representation remained relatively steady, decreasing marginally from 16.30% to 16.04%.
| 2000 | 2010 | Change | |
|---|---|---|---|
| White | 78.86% | 77.27% | -2.02% |
| Black | 16.3% | 16.04% | -1.6% |
| Asian/Pacific Islander | 1.41% | 3.72% | 163.83% |
| Hispanic | 1.09% | 1.58% | 44.95% |
| Two or More Races | 1.97% | 1.16% | -41.12% |
| American Indian and Alaskan Native | 0.36% | 0.23% | -36.11% |