Judy ranks #822 with 142 female registrations. The name is a diminutive of Judith and on a pet license usually carries the same generational-revival logic as Betsy or Edie: a mid-century human name now drifting onto cat and dog paperwork as the human side fades.
The mid-century revival cluster
Judy peaked for human use in the 1940s thanks to Judy Garland, then declined steadily. The pet adoption follows the standard pattern: parents who grew up around a great-aunt Judy or a Wizard-of-Oz reference now use the name for the family pet. Disney's Zootopia (the Officer Judy Hopps character, a determined rabbit-cop) added a millennial-coded second wave that lands particularly on rabbits and small dogs.
Sound and breed lean
Two syllables, front-stressed (JOO-dee), with a soft J opening and a gentle -y close. The name calls well at moderate distance and tolerates the babbling register. Judy lands across breed types without strong concentration but appears notably on small companion dogs, calico cats, and dogs whose personality the household read as quietly determined. See the dachshund cluster for similar mid-century picks.
The counter-reading
The honest read is that Judy carries unmistakable generational coding. A 2025 puppy named Judy is either a deliberate retro choice or a Zootopia reference; there is no neutral middle ground. The human Judy page shows the steep decline. Jude offers a more contemporary register if the goal is a similar opening sound.