Debra vs Jude
Debra and Judecompared on official birth-registration statistics and Namewise's recorded data. This page states what each name's record shows — it never picks a winner or scores one name against the other.
Head to head
Ranks are only compared within one published list and one year. Two ranks from different years, from a boys' and a girls' list, or from different registrars are not comparable, so they are not placed side by side.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 1981, Debra was ranked #272 and Jude #471 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Debra was ranked #5891 and Jude #1894 among girls in England and Wales.
Debra and Jude over time
Debra and Jude appear together in 2 published lists, across 26 years of shared records. Neither was ahead in more lists than the other.
The order between them changed and held in 2 of those lists — a change in that published list, never a claim that one name displaced the other.
Debra reached its own highest recorded position earlier in 1 of those lists, and Jude in none. Each position is a place inside its own list, so this compares when they peaked and never how high.
Counted list by list. Two names in the same published list are measured on the same scale in the same year, so those comparisons are real — but positions from different lists are not, so nothing here is combined into an overall standing.
How this pair is related
The relationship kinds these two qualify for, each under its own stated rule. Every one is drawn from a list they both appear in.
- Peaked in the same years
Both reached their highest recorded position in Republic of Ireland · Girls within 2 years — Debra #265 in 1969, Jude #231 in 1969.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls15 shared years, 1996–2024
Debra held the stronger position in 2 of those years, Jude in 13.
Highest recorded here: Debra #1364 in 1996, Jude #918 in 2001.
The order changed in 1999: Jude moved ahead. In 1998 they stood at #1392 and #1571; by 1999 that had become #2189 and #1060.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Debra #5891, Jude #1894.
Republic of Ireland · Girls11 shared years, 1964–1981
Debra held the stronger position in 7 of those years, Jude in 3.
Highest recorded here: Debra #265 in 1969, Jude #231 in 1969.
The order changed in 1977: Debra moved ahead. In 1976 they stood at #340 and #340; by 1977 that had become #269 and #468.
Most recent shared year, 1981: Debra #272, Jude #471.
Two names moving past each other in a ranking is a fact about the ranking. Namewise does not claim one name displaced the other, that families chose between them, or that either influenced the other — none of that is in this data.
Side by side
| Field | Debra | Jude |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Official statistical record (evidence-only) | Editorially researched profile |
| Gender usage | female | male |
| Meaning | Not yet recorded | Commonly interpreted through its Hebrew root as connected to 'praise', via its relationship to Judah — Behind the Name frames it more narrowly as a variant of Judas. |
| Origin | Not yet recorded | Hebrew, via Greek and Latin New Testament forms |
| Pronunciation | Not yet recorded | /dʒuːd/ |
| Syllables | 2 | 2 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE, NZ | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE |
| Most recent popularity observation | England and Wales · Girls #5891 (2024) | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #54 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | Not yet recorded | 90/100 |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 94/100 | 95/100 |
| International familiarity (demonstration score) | 100/100 | 100/100 |
| Data Confidence | medium | medium |
What the data shows
- Jude has a recorded origin (Hebrew, via Greek and Latin New Testament forms); Debra does not have one recorded yet.
- Debra and Jude both have 2 syllables.
- A meaning is recorded for Jude; Debra doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, IE.
How each name got here
Debra
Popularity journey
First recorded1953
First recorded at #75 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1953 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1953–1973
Highest recorded position: #6 among girls in New South Wales, Australia, in 1958 (recorded 1953–1973).
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Most recent2024
Most recently recorded at #5891 among girls in England and Wales, in 2024.
England and Wales · Girls
Jude
Popularity journey
First recorded1964
First recorded at #234 among girls in Republic of Ireland in 1964 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
Highest recorded1997–2024
Highest recorded position: #6 among boys in Northern Ireland, in 2024 (recorded 1997–2024).
Northern Ireland · Boys
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #54 among boys in New South Wales, Australia, in 2025.
New South Wales, Australia · Boys