Jody is a diminutive of Joseph, or Judy, ultimately derived from Judith. Judith originates in Hebrew language and means "Judea woman". It is a feminine form of Judah. Judith was a character in the Book of Genesis. She is also the heroine of the Book of Judith, a part of the Old Testament. As a feminine given name it was most popular in the middle of the 20th century. Since then its usage has declined.