Jude vs Vanessa
Jude and Vanessacompared 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.
Northern Ireland · Girls
In 2008, Jude was ranked #439 and Vanessa #228 among girls in Northern Ireland.
Scotland · Girls
In 2024, Jude was ranked #541 and Vanessa #351 among girls in Scotland.
Republic of Ireland · Girls
In 2023, Jude was ranked #727 and Vanessa #404 among girls in Republic of Ireland.
England and Wales · Girls
In 2024, Jude was ranked #1894 and Vanessa #533 among girls in England and Wales.
Jude and Vanessa over time
Jude and Vanessa appear together in 2 published lists, across 47 years of shared records. Vanessa held the stronger position in more years in 2 of them, Jude in 0.
In none of those lists did their order change and stay changed.
Each reached its own highest recorded position first in 1 of the lists they share.
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.
List by list
England and Wales · Girls29 shared years, 1996–2024
Jude held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Vanessa in 29.
Highest recorded here: Jude #918 in 2001, Vanessa #202 in 1996.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2024: Jude #1894, Vanessa #533.
Republic of Ireland · Girls18 shared years, 1966–2023
Jude held the stronger position in 0 of those years, Vanessa in 17.
Highest recorded here: Jude #231 in 1969, Vanessa #124 in 1978.
The order between them never changed and held in this list.
Most recent shared year, 2023: Jude #727, Vanessa #404.
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 | Jude | Vanessa |
|---|---|---|
| Record type | Editorially researched profile | Official statistical record (evidence-only) |
| Gender usage | male | female |
| Meaning | 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. | Not yet recorded |
| Origin | Hebrew, via Greek and Latin New Testament forms | Not yet recorded |
| Pronunciation | /dʒuːd/ | |
| Syllables | 2 | 3 |
| Common variants / nicknames | Not yet recorded | Not yet recorded |
| Recorded regional usage | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE | AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE, NO, NZ |
| Most recent popularity observation | New South Wales, Australia · Boys #54 (2025) | Norway · Girls #187 (2025) |
| Pronunciation clarity (demonstration score) | 90/100 | Not yet recorded |
| Spelling simplicity (demonstration score) | 95/100 | 82/100 |
| 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); Vanessa does not have one recorded yet.
- Jude has 2 syllables, compared with 3 for Vanessa.
- A meaning is recorded for Jude; Vanessa doesn't have one written yet.
- Both names have recorded usage in AU-NSW, GB-ENW, GB-NIR, GB-SCT, IE.
How each name got here
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
Vanessa
Popularity journey
First recorded1963
First recorded at #99 among girls in New South Wales, Australia in 1963 — the earliest year that source publishes this name, not necessarily the earliest it was used.
New South Wales, Australia · Girls
Highest recorded1967–1995
Highest recorded position: #15 among girls in New Zealand, in 1973 (recorded 1967–1995).
New Zealand · Girls
Most recent2025
Most recently recorded at #187 among girls in Norway, in 2025.
Norway · Girls