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Marie Lanen
Head of parenting sections (baby, pregnancy, family), psychology and beauty
Each year, the authors of the book L’Officiel des Prénoms select more than 12,000 first names, from the rarest to the most trendy. Find out which first name makes a remarkable entry into the top 200.
In the top 200, these first names are growing vigorously and aim to enter the first 100 ranks: Abby, Aria, Ariane, Célestine, Diana, Hannah, Izia, Jana, Joyce, Judith, June, Kiara, Leya, Liv, Maddy, Malia , Maxine, Olympe, Roma, Rym, Talia and Yuna. For future parents, opting for a first name that starts to get people talking while remaining original and unique seems a good choice. Doctissimo highlights one of them.
Judith, the first name of a nun
The name Judith means “Praised” and “Congratulated” in Hebrew. In France, it is worn by 11,000 people and is now in the top 200 most popular first names. Outside of France, Judith is particularly used in English-speaking countries and in Germany.
For the record, when Nebuchadnezzar’s troops surrounded the Jewish city of Bethany, Judith decided to kill the commander. A young widow of great beauty, she presented herself to general Holofernes at a banquet. When the latter, drunk, invited her into his tent, she decapitated him. The army lifted the siege the next day and Judith was acclaimed by her people.
As for its sacred origin, Saint Judith, a hermit in Prussia, lived in the 13th century. She is the patron saint of Prussia. Judith is celebrated on May 5 in France.
In terms of character, little Judiths are altruistic, honest and organized. They have an attitude of mind which pushes them to give a large place to the ideal, to feeling. Very thoughtful, they like to learn from others.
The success of biblical first names
Each year, the Official First Names (First Edition) reveals the major first name trends among young parents. Thus, the 2024 edition of the work highlights first names from biblical sources (Old Testament) such as Abby, Abigaël, Ada, Dana, Daria, Déborah, Dina(h), Éden, Élisabeth, Élona , Esther, Ève (Éva), Hannah, Héléa, Ilana, Jessica, Judith, Léa, Liorah, Myriam, Noa, Noémie, Rachel, Rébecca, Ruth, Salomé, Sarah, Sharon, Talia, Yaël, Yona. These first names carry inspiring stories, reflect qualities and virtues that seem important to future parents without forgetting their link with a spiritual and cultural tradition. These multiple reasons push many parents to choose a first name of biblical origin, reflecting a certain cultural and spiritual heritage.
Slide: The prettiest biblical first names