I just thought I'd state publically that the information I got on the
connection between Esther and Hadssah and udes/hudes/gudes was >from
Beider's tome on the subject of Ashkenazic given names. I can't defend
that connection any further, and don't really wish to. I just wanted folks
to know the source. This does not rule out yeHudis as far as I know, I
think it is just another possibility for origin of a name.

Of course, it could still be connected to "gussie" regardless of its
ultimate origin.

Though there are no formal name equivalents, there are some common
associations of certain English names, and certain yiddish or Hebrew ones.
I don't want to imply any connection other than informal practice. My
intention is to only help people figure out who their relatives are, not
to make definitive statements about names.

Steven D. Bloom
Assistant Professor of Physics and Astronomy

email: sbloom@...