View Message

Had my parents had another daughter, she would have been Judith (named after my grandmother, Yehudit). My father loves this name. Needless to say, my sister and I have always been very happy we already had names when my grandmother passed.

I don't see Judith, being a very familiar Biblical name, as "hopelessly dated". I think both it and Deborah (which I'm very fond of) are just on the back burner at the moment because they were so well-used in the '50s. I haven't met a Judith under middle age but that's not to say they're not out there! It was my great-grandmother's name and I would use it as a mn - I don't like it particularly so would not use it as a first name; I'd use Juliet instead).

I really disliked it up until very recently. A game I've been playing has a character named Judith (usually just called Judith, though one of the other characters does call her Judy), and for whatever reason I usually end up loving the names of characters in games I play. (Not always, but a lot of the time.)

---

I think it's BTN-popular but I don't know if it will be getting popular in the world at large anytime soon; it might be another couple decades. I think most people kind of view it as a "mom" name still (I know I used to, I only ever met one Judy that was my age).

---

I wouldn't think of the parents of a Judith being very religious - I didn't even realize it was from the Bible, and I'm fairly "religious."

I adore Judith

I like Judith and Judy. I even planned on making it a name for a future child, but I couldn't come up with a good middle name.
I don't know any Judiths and it doesn't feel like it will become popular very soon.
While I do like how she cut Holofernes' head off and saved everyone, I don't think that the parents would be overly religious and Protestants probably wouldn't get the Biblical connection at all.

I love Judith! It's one of those names that was very popular for a time (#9 in the 40s) and abated quite a bit, but never quite went out of style. I don't think it'll necessarily burst into popularity anytime soon, but I think it would be a pleasant surprise to hear of a baby Judith. The other biblical names you listed are kind of yawns now, but Judith is fresh.

---

I know several Judiths of varying ages (oldest probably in her 70s, youngest my age [24]). The only one whose full name I know is Judith Ellen.

---

I prefer the full name rather than Judy, but I don't mind Judy. Jude is cute as a pet name, but I prefer it as a full name for a boy. I think I would most likely use Judith in the mn spot.

I find Judith to be a very nice biblical classic with a plus: it's not overdone like Abigail, Hannah, Sarah, etc. To me it sounds very elegant and fresh, maybe because I don't know any Judiths. I don't think it will regain its former popularity so soon, but probably will become more and more used since underused names tend to always make their comebacks sooner or later. Regarding the parents, I wouldn't think they're religious just because they named their daughter Judith. As for the nickname, I definitely prefer Judy, wich is just cute!

---

This message was edited 11/16/2008, 4:49 PM

I really like Judith. It has a lot of nice, sturdy sounds but is still pretty, and Judy as a nickname is very charming without being cutesy.

---

All the Judiths I have known would be in their forties or older now. I don't think I've ever met a Judith who went by her full name; it's always been Judy, or, in one case, Jude. I think my mother had a friend in college who went by Judo

---

I don't see it becoming super-popular. The names that are popular for girls now are the softer, more elegant-sounding ones: Hannah, Ava, Olivia, Sophia. I think the harder sounds in Judith may keep it from becoming popular again.

I like Judith a lot, though I prefer Just plain Judy.

---

I think its classic, and not very dated at all.

---

I'd definitely used Judy most of the time, and sometimes Jude.

---

I have one friend Justine whose Hebrew name is Yehudit, but that's not really the same at all. My mother had a roommate named Judith in college though, she would be like 46 or 47 now, and she went by Judy.

---

I think it could get quite popular within the next 10-20 years, definitely enough to replace Rebecca, but not Hannah or Sarh.

---

I don't think so at all. Honestly even Justine/Yehudit's parents don't keep completely kosher.

Nice biblical classic!

---

The youngest Judith I know is in her late forties. Somehow, though, I don't place it in the same "dated" category as names from the same period like Lisa and Linda. I think it will become popular again at some point because it is a relatively unused biblical name.

---

Personally, I adore the name. I don't think it's necessarily religious; neither are Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, Abigail, or Sarah. Sure, they're historically biblical/Jewish, but they've become so timeless that they're pretty much universally used.

---

Here are some ideas:

---

Judith Alexandra (one of my favorites)
Judith Willow
Judith Irene
Judith Olivia
Judith Grace
Judith Naomi
Judith Natalia
Judith Natasha
Judith Beatrice
Judith Elaine
Judith Rebecca
Judith Miriam
Judith Erin
Judith Sarai
Judith Vanessa
Judith Vivienne
Judith Liraz
Judith Liora
Judith Eliza

I like Judith. It's a bit dated but a nice name. I hate Judy and Jude, though--those are really dated and sort of kill the name. My doctor is named Judith (she's in her 60s, I think) and I know a five-year-old named Lila Judith (not a double name or anything, just FN and MN). I don't think it will get popular again for a while and I don't think it will replace any of the names you have listed.

---

I would not assume that the parents of a Judith were religious at all.

I like the name Judith but not overly fond of Judy or Jude.

---

My nanna's name is Judith Anne "Judy" shes in her 70s.

---

I'd probably only use it as a middle name.

We're planning on naming our first daughter Judith.

---

After her great aunt and I've also recently come around to loving the nn Judy.

---

Most of the Judiths I know are in their 50s or older, save one. I know a Judith Ferne (my aunt) and Judith Nadine (she would be 12 or 13 now). Both used Judy.

---

As for its' popularity: Probably. It was very popular in the 1920s and I'm seeing more and more '20s names pop up. I'm not sure it will ever regain its original popularity but it will get up there. Not for a while, though.

---

Re: Religious
Well, I don't know how to answer that question. I would say that my boyfriend and I are borderline "very religious" - but not in the sense you mean, I think. We do love the name because of its' religious connotations but also it's beauty and meaning. Again, though...the religious connotations of the name play a big role in why I want to use it.

---

And our combo is Judith Cecilia.

What do you think of Judith? Nice biblical classic or hopelessly dated?
Well, it's not hopelessly dated. It's still perfectly usable. I guess it's a good name, just not one of my favourites. It doesn't have a very pleasant sound.

---

Would you use Judy as a nn? Jude?
Probably Judy which would in turn maybe get abbreviated to Jude. Both are fine with me.

---

Do you know any Judiths? How old are they and do they have a nn? middle name?
I know two Judiths. One has to be around 19 because she was in my year in school. The other has to be a bit younger, maybe 16. I don't know if they have any middle names. The older one went by Judi, the other one just by Judith.

---

Do you think it will ever get popular again? How popular? Could it replace Rebecca, Rachel, Hannah, Abigail or Sarah?
Maybe it will rise again in popularity but I don't see it being the next trendy biblical name a la Abigail.

---

Do you think parents who name their daughter Judith are very religious?
Nah, I don't even associate Judith with the Bible. It's just a name like any other. Now, parents of Ezekiel I'd deem religious, but not exactly Judith's.