Boy Old Testament Rare
Judah
the praise of the Lord; confession
יְהוּדָה ye.hu.dah
Judah (Hebrew: יְהוּדָה, ye.hu.dah) means “the praise of the Lord; confession”, by traditional interpretation. Seven men in scripture bear the name; the best attested belongs to the Patriarchal period. In 2025 it was given to 2,091 children in the United States, ranking 178. Use is rising. Around 36,431 Americans have been given it since 1880. Appears with Ammihud in 1 Chronicles 9.
Which Judah?
Seven men in scripture bear this name. Here is each of them.
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Judah
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Judah
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Judah
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Judah
Show all 7 bearers
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Judah
Scripture against society
The two measures, side by side
At a glance
- Verses
- 139 across 28 books
- Bearers
- 7 distinct people in scripture
- Testament
- Both
- Era
- Patriarchal
Using it today
Based on 2025 births across the United States.
| Measure | Value | Reading |
|---|---|---|
| Given in 2025 | 2,091 | Rising |
| All-time total | 36,431 | Since records begin in 1880 |
| Peak | 2,178 in 2021 | Its highest year on record |
| Strongest state | TX | Highest share relative to births |
In scripture
| Fact | Detail |
|---|---|
| First appears | Genesis 29:35 |
| Last appears | Revelation 7:5 |
| Cross-references | 2,978 linked passages |
Names connected to this one
- Tamar co-occurrence Appears with Tamar in Genesis 38.
- Perez co-occurrence Appears with Perez in Nehemiah 11.
- Amminadab co-occurrence Appears with Amminadab in Numbers 10.
- Shelah co-occurrence Appears with Shelah in Genesis 38.
- Er co-occurrence Appears with Er in Genesis 38.
- Shua co-occurrence Appears with Shua in Genesis 38.
- Nahshon co-occurrence Appears with Nahshon in Numbers 10.
- Zerah co-occurrence Appears with Zerah in Joshua 7.
The same name elsewhere
| Country | Form | Standing | Basis |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | Judah | rank 178 · 2,091 in 2025 | Births in year |
| Spain | JUDA | 78 bearers · mean age 25.7 | Living residents |
| Portugal | Judá | not on the approved list | IRN approved list |
Not being on Portugal's list is not the same as being forbidden. The list records names approved for registration, and exceptions exist for foreign citizens and for names already used in a family.
Two different questions are shown here. Rows marked births in year count children registered during a period; rows marked living residents count people of every age alive at a census. They answer different questions and are never added together.
Origin & meaning
A man living at the time of Exile and Return, only mentioned at Ezr.10.23
§ Judah = "praised"
1) the son of Jacob by Leah
2) the tribe descended from Judah the son of Jacob
3) the territory occupied by the tribe of Judah
4) the kingdom comprised of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin which occupied the southern part of Canaan after the nation split upon the death of Solomon
5) a Levite in Ezra's time
6) an overseer of Jerusalem in the time of Nehemiah
7) a Levite musician in the time of Nehemiah
8) a priest in the time of Nehemiah
Judah was one of the Levites who had married foreign women during the time of Ezra and agreed to put them away.
The biblical story
Judah is mentioned in Ezr.10.23 as one of the Levites who had married foreign women during the post-exilic period. The context of the passage is Ezra's reforms and the issue of intermarriage between the Israelites and the pagan peoples of the land (Ezra 9-10).
Upon learning of the widespread intermarriage, Ezra led the people in confession and repentance (Ezr.9.1-10:4). The Israelites made a covenant to put away their foreign wives and children (Ezr.10.5). Judah is listed among the Levites who had married foreign women and agreed to send them away (Ezr.10.23).
This event highlights the importance of maintaining religious and cultural purity among the Israelites, especially in the post-exilic period when they were re-establishing their identity and covenant relationship with God.
Key verses
Judah appears in 1 verse. Here are some of the most notable:
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Also of the Levites; Jozabad, and Shimei, and Kelaiah, (the same is Kelita,) Pethahiah, Judah, and Eliezer.
Ezra 10:23
Show all 1 reference
Ezra (1)
- Ezra 10:23