Judas

The name Judas comes through Greek and Latin from the Hebrew name Yehudah, which means "praised" or "he who is praised". In its original context the root expresses praise or gratitude, linked to the tribe and name Judah in the Hebrew Bible.

Today the name carries a strong, complex tone because of its association with New Testament narratives. It can feel historical and weighty, perhaps even provocative. For some parents it reads as a deeply traditional biblical choice with a somber edge. For others it may feel too tightly bound to a specific story to use as a first name for a child.

Judas is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yehudah, known in English as Judah. In the Hebrew Bible Judah is both a person and a tribe, and the name carries the sense of praise or acknowledgement. Through Hellenistic and Roman transmission the form Judas became common in Greek and Latin texts.

In the Christian New Testament the name appears for several figures. The most famous bearer is Judas Iscariot, the disciple associated with betrayal in later Christian interpretation. That association transformed how the name was received in many Christian cultures. At the same time other early Christian figures bore the same name, including Judas, a brother of Jesus in some traditions, and Jude the apostle, sometimes conflated or distinguished in translation and tradition.

Because of the strong negative association that developed in Christian storytelling, the name declined in popularity in many Western contexts from the medieval period onward. In recent centuries related forms such as Jude and Judah have been revived separately. Parents considering the name today often weigh its original meaning and antiquity against its later cultural baggage.