| Jude | Jonah | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | Praised | dove |
| Origin | Hebrew | hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | JOOD | JOH-nah |
| Syllables | 1 | 2 |
| First appeared | 1912 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 2015 (2,668) | 2008 (2,981) |
| In 2025 | 2,384 | 2,828 |
| Trend | Steady | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | Jude | Jonah |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 14,212 | 16,935 |
| 2010s | 25,132 | 28,053 |
| 2000s | 9,351 | 23,697 |
| 1990s | 1,112 | 10,073 |
| 1980s | 868 | 2,889 |
| 1970s | 1,207 | 1,767 |
| 1960s | 945 | 304 |
| 1950s | 597 | 298 |
| 1940s | 293 | 249 |
| 1930s | 197 | 252 |
| 1920s | 41 | 329 |
| 1910s | 27 | 222 |
| 1900s | 0 | 71 |
| 1890s | 0 | 65 |
| 1880s | 0 | 79 |
A form of Judah, from the Hebrew, “praised.” Saint Jude is patron of hopeless causes.
From Hebrew yonah, 'dove.' The reluctant prophet of the Book of Jonah. A plain concrete noun with no theophoric element; the dove's later peace symbolism is cultural, not part of the etymology.
Jonah is more popular than Jude today: about 2,828 US babies were given the name Jonah in 2025, compared with 2,384 named Jude.
Jude means Praised (Hebrew origin), while Jonah means dove (hebrew origin).
In US records, Jude first appears in 1912 and Jonah in 1880, so Jonah has the longer recorded history.