Show ContentsJude History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

The name Jude reached England in the great wave of migration following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name Jude is for a person who was an officer of justice. The name Jude was also a nickname surname for a person who was solemn and authoritative, or someone who behaved like a judge. The name is derive from the Old English word juge, which means judge.

Early Origins of the Jude family

The surname Jude was first found in Warwickshire where they held a family seat from very early times and were granted lands by Duke William of Normandy, their liege Lord, for their distinguished assistance at the Battle of Hastings in 1066 A.D.

Early History of the Jude family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our Jude research. Another 99 words (7 lines of text) covering the years 1202, 1260, 1296 and 1890 are included under the topic Early Jude History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jude Spelling Variations

It is only in the last few hundred years that the English language has been standardized. For that reason, Anglo-Norman surnames like Jude are characterized by many spelling variations. Scribes and monks in the Middle Ages spelled names they sounded, so it is common to find several variations that refer to a single person. As the English language changed and incorporated elements of other European languages such as Norman French and Latin, even literate people regularly changed the spelling of their names. The variations of the name Jude include Judge, Juge, Jude and others.

Early Notables of the Jude family

More information is included under the topic Early Jude Notables in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

Jude Ranking

In the United States, the name Jude is the 2,869th most popular surname with an estimated 9,948 people with that name. 1

Ireland Migration of the Jude family to Ireland

Some of the Jude family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt.
Another 79 words (6 lines of text) about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.


United States Jude migration to the United States +

Faced with the chaos present in England at that time, many English families looked towards the open frontiers of the New World with its opportunities to escape oppression and starvation. People migrated to North America, as well as Australia and Ireland in droves, paying exorbitant rates for passages in cramped, unsafe ships. Many of the settlers did not make the long passage alive, but those who did see the shores of North America were welcomed with great opportunity. Many of the families that came from England went on to make essential contributions to the emerging nations of Canada and the United States. Some of the first immigrants to cross the Atlantic and come to North America carried the name Jude, or a variant listed above:

Jude Settlers in United States in the 17th Century
  • Peter Jude, who arrived in Virginia in 1666 2
Jude Settlers in United States in the 18th Century
  • John Jude, who settled in Powhatan Co. VA in 1777
Jude Settlers in United States in the 19th Century
  • James Jude, who arrived in Wisconsin in 1850
  • Joh Heinr Jude, who settled in North America in 1882
  • M. Kath Vieth Jude, who settled in North America in 1884
  • Ephriam Jude, who arrived in Michigan in 1884

Australia Jude migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia followed the First Fleets of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

Jude Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century
  • Mr. Henry Jude, (b. 1817), aged 26, English miller who was convicted in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England for 7 years for larceny, transported aboard the "Cressy" on 28th April 1843, arriving in Tasmania (Van Diemen's Land) 3

Contemporary Notables of the name Jude (post 1700) +

  • Victor Jude, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1964 4
  • Tad Jude, American Republican politician, Candidate for U.S. Representative from Minnesota 6th District, 1994, 1996 4
  • George W. Jude, American politician, Member of New York State Assembly from Chautauqua County 1st District, 1913 4
  • Bernard J. Jude, American Democratic Party politician, Delegate to Democratic National Convention from Minnesota, 1952 4
  • David Jude Jolicoeur (1968-2023), also known under the stage name Trugoy the Dove, Plug 2 and Dave, an American rapper, producer, and one third of the hip hop group De La Soul
  • Sir Gerrard Jude Robinson (1948-2021), Irish-born British business executive and television presenter, non-executive chairman of Allied Domecq and chairman/chief executive of Granada
  • Wayne Jude Matherne (b. 1949), American retired Canadian football player for the BC Lions and Edmonton Eskimos (1971-1976); he won the Grey Cup with Edmonton in 1975
  • Richard Jude Ciccolella (b. 1947), American character actor, best known for his role as Mike Novick on 24
  • Burt Jude Lancon (b. 1960), American pair skater who won the silver medal at the 1982 United States Figure Skating Championships
  • River Jude Phoenix (1970-1993), born River Jude Bottom, an American film actor, musician, and activist


  1. "What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
  2. Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
  3. Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 21st May 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/cressy
  4. The Political Graveyard: Alphabetical Name Index. (Retrieved 2015, October 28) . Retrieved from http://politicalgraveyard.com/alpha/index.html


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