Surname Judy - Meaning and Origin
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Judy: What does the surname Judy mean?
The last name Judy is an Americanized form of the French surname Joudy, derived from the Old French “Joué” or “Jouaud” meaning “performer, singer” or “one of nobility”. It is likely that the name traveled to America when Huguenot refugees fled to the New World in the 1600s.
Since then, Judy is known predominantly as a surname throughout the United States. However, the name Judy was popularized as a unisex given name as the forename of Judy Garland, whose birth name was Frances Ethel Gumm, and is most notably known for her portrayal of Dorothy in the 1939 musical movie “The Wizard of Oz.” Furthermore, Judy is considered to be an alternate spelling of the more popular given name Jude, which has British origins.
According to the US Census Bureau, Judy is more popular among females than males, and is most common among the states of Maryland, Virginia, Ohio, Florida, and West Virginia. In 2020, it ranked in at #3,451 in terms of popularity in the US.
For many, having the last name Judy is more than just a name with historic nobility and links to French and British culture. For some, it has symbolic connotations, representing an edgy artistic image or a reference to the beloved Judy Garland and her classic films.
Order DNA origin analysisJudy: Where does the name Judy come from?
Judy is a popular name throughout the world today. In the United States, the name Judy is particularly common in the states of Illinois, California, and Texas. In California, more than 1,200 people named Judy were recorded in the 2010 census.
In the United Kingdom, the name Judy has become increasingly popular in recent years. According to records from 2018, Judy was the 28th most popular baby name for girls in England and Wales with a total of 423 children born that year given the name. The same year, Judy was the 36th most popular name for girls born in Scotland, with 134 babies being named Judy.
In Australia, the name Judy is also quite common. According to data from the Australian Bureau of Statistics, out of the 345,000 babies born in Australia in 2017, 2,392 were given the name Judy.
Judy is also quite commonly used in other countries, such as Canada, New Zealand, and Ireland. Judy remains a popular name and it's likely to remain in the top names for many years to come.
Variations of the surname Judy
The surname Judy is believed by some researchers to have derived from the Germanic personal name Judhuth, meaning “Jew” or “Judaean.” This name could have originated in the Middle Ages, when there was a significant Jewish population in then Western Europe.
The surname Judy has a wide diversity of variants, spellings, and other surnames of the same origin. Some variants of the surname Judy include: Juday, Judde, Judee, Judd, Judda, Juddah, and Judi. Other surnames with similar origins to Judy are Judson, Judith, Judah, and Juddson.
Apart from the Germanic origins of the surname Judy, there are also other spellings, variants, and surnames of the same origin with a French influence. The surname Judic or Judika is traceable to France where some of its earliest members originally hailed from in the 11th century. There is also the variation Judit, which may have originated in Hungary.
The name Judy is also common in Scotland, where it had both Gaelic and Norman French influences. Some spellings in Scotland include Judie, Judye, Joodie, and Joudie.
As well as having French and Gaelic influences, the surname Judy also had Scandinavian influence, the spellings for which include Judie, Judye, and Joudi.
Overall, there is a wide variety of variants, spellings, and surnames of the same origin for the surname Judy. It has roots in various countries, cultures, and language groups, and it is a testament to the intricate history of genealogical research.
Famous people with the name Judy
- Judy Garland: an American actress, singer, and vaudevillian best known for her starring role in the classic film The Wizard Of Oz.
- Judy Blume: an American writer, best known for her groundbreaking works of children’s literature such as Tales Of A Fourth Grade Nothing and Are You There God? It's Me Margaret.
- Judy Chicago: an American feminist artist, educator, and writer best known for her feminist installation piece The Dinner Party.
- Judy McGrath: an American television executive, producer, and executive producer, best known for being the former head of MTV Networks.
- Judy Fitzgerald: an Australian author, screenwriter, and playwright, best known for her play Ladies’ Day In The Animal Kingdom.
- Judy Kaye: an American stage performer, best known for her role as Madame Giry in the Broadway musical The Phantom Of The Opera.
- Judy Greer: an American actress and comedian, best known for her roles in films such as (500) Days Of Summer and 13 Going On 30.
- Judy Buenoano: an American convicted murderer, currently serving a life sentence for the first-degree murders of her husband and son.
- Judy Zhang: a Chinese singer-songwriter, best known for her works Hello and Heaven & Earth.
- Judy Jarrett: an American singer, songwriter, and actress, best known as the lead vocalist of the rock group Javelin.