Nameberry of the Day: Jude

April 8

Best known as the son of John Lennon and the subject of The Beatles’ hit single, “Hey Jude”, Julian Charles John Lennon was born on April 8, 1963.

So how did Julian become Jude?

Following the breakdown of John Lennon’s marriage, Paul McCartney drove out to check in with Julian and his mother, Cynthia. As he drove, he dwelled on the difficult times ahead for the boy, and he composed a song, “Hey Jules”, to console and encourage him. On reflection, he decided to switch it to “Hey Jude,” as it sounded better and was easier to sing.

Julian Lennon has since gone on to make his own mark on the world, as a musician, a children’s author, a fine-art photographer, and as an award-winning documentary maker.

The name Jude is a variant of Judas or Judah and means ‘the praised one’. It is sometimes used in English versions of the Bible to differentiate between two apostles who are both called Judas, so that the second is less associated with the betrayal of Judas Iscariot.

Jude has been in occasional usage as a given name since the 16^th century, but it remained obscure in the US until the 2000s. Now, it’s having a boom, taking its place in the US Top 200, while across the pond, it’s in the UK Top 50. Though used mostly on boys, it is also given to around 100 girls each year.

Cool and laidback with gentle sounds, Jude strikes a balance between classic and fresh. The actor Jude Law has helped bring it back into the public eye, while Thomas Hardy’s novel, Jude the Obscure, gives it literary credentials.

And what about “Hey Jude”? The song’s release in 1968 saw Jude jump 150 places up the rankings and the number of Judes born almost doubled in 1969, but it proved to be a passing fancy. Today, however, the legacy (and tune) of the song may well be in the back of people’s mind when they consider Jude for their baby.

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