i am a big fan of the name [name_m]Judah[/name_m], and when i came out as trans online that was the name i used. but recently i’ve been told that i should not use that name since i’m not jewish. i thought that maybe this would be a good place to ask, so, Is it wrong for me to use the name [name_m]Judah[/name_m] even if i’m a gentile?
1 Like
I’m Jewish and I genuinely don’t care, go ahead and use it. I can’t imagine anyone would view it as that offensive. But if you don’t want to face a) people thinking you’re Jewish, or b) the possibility of someone finding your actions offensive, I would recommend you substitute it with a similar-sounding name like [name_m]Jude[/name_m] with fewer religious connotations.
1 Like
Another Jewish-ish voice, I also don’t think of gatekeeping [name_m]Judah[/name_m] at all. Honestly, most Judah’s I’ve seen were [name_m]Christian[/name_m]. The only thing is I’d definitely think you subscribe to an Abrahamic religion, it’s very “Bible” vibe for an atheist, imo.
I echo the thoughts of definitely don’t use it if any religious assumptions would make you uncomfortable, but I argue that [name_m]Jude[/name_m] is a worse choice from my Jewish perspective - it sounds like religious, but it’s very yellow star to me, I personally am quite uncomfortable with it.
I’m Jewish and religious for that matter and yes I find it very odd.
Another Jewish berry 
[name_f]My[/name_f] mother is Jewish but I was raised in an interfaith household as my father is Catholic. From my perspective I think [name_m]Judah[/name_m] can be used by both Jewish namers and [name_m]Gentile[/name_m] namers. For me I wouldn’t feel any kind of way if a [name_m]Gentile[/name_m] named their child [name_m]Judah[/name_m]. Still I probably would run on the assumption that the child is Jewish until corrected so with this in mind maybe [name_m]Jude[/name_m] would be a better fit.
[name_f]My[/name_f] son has a Jewish name and I’ve never had any issues. I am not Jewish though, but I have found from research when I was naming my son that most find it OK as long as it isn’t a title (e.g. Cohen) which is seen as disrespectful (and rightly so).
I don’t see why it would be a problem - lots of Jewish / Hebrew names are very popular/ common and most of those people are not Jewish.
[name_m]Hi[/name_m]! I am Jewish and here’s my thoughts.
Personally, I’m not too bothered by it. There may be others who are but most Jewish peolpe would probably be very accepting of it.
However, do note that by holding such a strongly Jewish name, you may be more susceptible to acts of antisemitism or experience rude comments as a result. Sadly, in 2024, this is something to consider. If you are worried about this, an option like [name_m]Jude[/name_m] may be better.
Overall, I don’t think it’s problematic + if you love the name - go for it!