Judas

Meaning of Judas

Judas, pronounced JOO-duhs (/ˈdʒuːdəs/), derives from the Greek Ioudas—a direct rendering of the Hebrew Yehudah—which conveys the meaning “praised” or “thankful.” Initially borne by one of Jacob’s twelve sons in the Hebrew Bible, the name was subsequently adopted by early Christian communities for several apostolic figures, a history that has produced sharply contrasting associations. Its most enduring—and culturally dominant—notoriety stems from Judas Iscariot, whose betrayal of Jesus has indelibly influenced Western perceptions, frequently casting the name as emblematic of treachery. In counterpoint, the veneration of Saint Jude Thaddaeus as a patron of desperate causes in various Christian rites preserves a positive, if more specialized, devotional resonance. Contemporary Anglo-American naming patterns reflect this dual legacy: according to United States Social Security Administration data, the name’s annual ranking has fluctuated between the mid-600s (circa the 1970s) and the low-900s in recent years, with only nineteen newborns recorded as Judas in 2024, underscoring both its rarity and the enduring tension between its divergent biblical inheritances.

Pronunciation

English

• Pronunced as JOO-duhs (/ˈdʒuːdəs/)

• Jaden
• Jude
• Julian
• Julius
• Jonah
• Judson
• Judd