Judith

Meaning & origin

An enduring Hebrew name, Judith carries the graceful yet strong meaning 'woman from Judea'. Its biblical roots and legendary namesake, the heroine of the Book of Judith, imbue it with a sense of courage and resolve. After dominating the mid-20th century, Judith has been quietly climbing back into favor since 2014. In 2025, it sat at rank 788 with roughly 1 in every 4,672 girls receiving the name, a notable recovery from its modern lows. The name reached its all-time peak in 1940, reflecting the popularity of old-fashioned virtues during that era. Today, it is most commonly given in Kansas, Mississippi, and Alabama, where traditional names have seen a revival. The gentle rise since 2014 suggests that Judith, like other vintage names, is being rediscovered by parents seeking a balance between familiarity and distinction.

Judith is the English form of the Hebrew name Yehudit, meaning 'woman from Judea' or 'Jewish woman'. It appears in the Old Testament as the name of one of Esau's wives and, in the Apocrypha, as the heroine of the Book of Judith who saved her people. The name was used occasionally among English-speaking Christians after the Reformation, gained wider currency through the Protestant emphasis on Old Testament names, and became common in England by the 17th century. It has been a classic given name across the English-speaking world ever since.