| Pronunciation | dʒu-dɪθ |
|---|---|
| Gender | Female |
| Origin | |
| Word/name | Hebrew |
| Meaning | "praised" or "Woman of Judea" |
| Other names | |
| Related names | Judy, Judah |
Judith is a feminine given name derived from the Hebrew name Yəhūdīt (יְהוּדִית), meaning "praised" and also more literally "Woman of Judea". It is the feminine form of Judah. Judith appeared in the Hebrew Bible as one of Esau's wives, while the deuterocanonical Book of Judith tells of a different Judith.[1] It is in common usage in English, French, German, many Scandinavian languages, Dutch, and Hebrew. In Ethiopia and Eritrea it is called Yodit.
The name was among the top 50 most popular given names for girls born in the United States between 1936 and 1956, but its popularity has since declined. It was the 893rd most popular name for baby girls born in the United States in 2012, down from 74th in 1960.[2]