[name_m]Hi[/name_m] everyone,
Thoughts on the names [name_u]Jude[/name_u] and [name_m]Judah[/name_m]? Which do you prefer?
[name_m]Judah[/name_m], [name_m]Judah[/name_m], [name_m]Judah[/name_m]! I love the cuddly and intelligent feel of [name_m]Judah[/name_m]. I imagine a little Jewish shepherd sitting on the countryside, reading while he tends his sheep. 
[name_u]Jude[/name_u] I find more modern. I see a university guy holed up in the back of the library, dressed exquisitely. [name_m]Judah[/name_m]'s a bit more down-to-earth, I think. I love both images, but I like the idea of me with a [name_m]Judah[/name_m] more than me with a [name_u]Jude[/name_u]. I’d consider using either, if that’s all I could get my future hypothetical husband to agree to, but my personal preference is definitely [name_m]Judah[/name_m].
On a boy I prefer Judah. It’s the original version (Yehudah in Hebrew) and a classic Jewish name dating back to biblical times.
Jude came into use as a unisex short form of Judah and Judith at a later time, in the 1600s. I prefer Jude on a girl, as an alternative to Judith, even though it’s more commonly used on boys these days.
Interesting fact: the apostle called Jude in the bible was really named Judas, which is the Greek form of Judah. It was shortened to Jude by English translators of the New Testament so that he wouldn’t be mistaken for the other apostle named Judas, the one who betrayed Jesus. The name Jude does not exist in Hebrew - it’s just an anglicized short form. It also didn’t come into use until much later in England, during the Protestant reformation. Contrary to common belief it arose as a unisex name, and the name for either gender was rare until recently.
Also: the Jude from the song Hey Jude was actually named Julian
I prefer [name_u]Jude[/name_u].
I much prefer [name_m]Judah[/name_m], [name_u]Jude[/name_u] always feels incomplete to me.