Gender Masculine
Usage Biblical
Scripts יְהוּדָה(Ancient Hebrew)
Pronounced Pron. JOO-də(English)  [key·IPA]

Meaning & History

From the Hebrew name יְהוּדָה (Yehudah), probably derived from יָדָה (yadah) meaning "praise". In the Old Testament Judah is the fourth of the twelve sons of Jacob by Leah, and the ancestor of the tribe of Judah. An explanation for his name is given in Genesis 29:35. His tribe eventually formed the Kingdom of Judah in the south of Israel. King David and Jesus were among the descendants of him and his wife Tamar. This name was also borne by Judah Maccabee, the Jewish priest who revolted against Seleucid rule in the 2nd century BC, as told in the Books of Maccabees.

The name appears in the New Testament using the spellings Judas and Jude.

Related Names

Other Languages & CulturesIoudas(Biblical Greek) Yehudah(Biblical Hebrew) Iudas(Biblical Latin) Jude(English) Yehuda, Yehudah(Hebrew) Yidel, Yudel(Yiddish)

Popularity

People think this name is

classic   mature   formal   natural   wholesome   strong   strange   simple   serious  

Images

Depiction of Judah and Tamar (1728)Depiction of Judah and Tamar (1728)

Categories

Entry updated November 16, 2019