Jesus Overview
- Meaning: The name Jesus typically means “Savior,” Salvation,” “helper,” or “healer.”
- Gender: Most babies named Jesus are male, though one or two female Jesuses pop up sometimes.
- Origin: Jesus has its roots in Greek and Hebrew, all referring to a savior or saving God
- Pronunciation: You can pronounce Jesus as “JEE-suhs” or “Hay-SOOS.”
- Popularity: The name Jesus saw great popularity in Middle Eastern countries during the first century but has dropped off in recent years. It does, however, continue to be popular in Spanish-speaking households.
- Nicknames: Chuy, Jamie, Jay, Soos, Zeus.
- Variations: Chucho, Chus, Chuy, Giosue, Iokua, Iesous, Issa, Joshua, Josu, Josue, Xesus, Yehoshua, Yeshua.
- Namesakes: Jesus Christ, the central figure of Christianity.
What Does Jesus Mean?
The name Jesus generally means “Savior,” “he who saves,” or “the Lord is salvation.” You could also interpret the name to mean “helper” or “healer.”
What Is the Origin of the Name Jesus?
The name Jesus derives from the Greek and Aramaic name Yeshua or Y’shua. In etymology, the name Jesus is the Greek form of the name Joshua, as people know Jesus Christ in the Hebrew Bible.
Jesus could also stem from the Late Latin name Iesus (pronounced “Aye-eh-soos” or “Aye-eh-suhs”), which derives from the Greek boy name Iesous. That name would later become the Hebrew boy name Yehoshua (1).
How Popular Is the Name Jesus?
The name Jesus was quite popular in first-century Galilee. In fact, archaeologists have uncovered at least 71 Yeshua graves from the time of the historical Jesus’s death (2).
Jesus began its popular use in the United States in 1880, with its peak popularity coming in 2001. It is a popular name in Spanish-speaking households.
How Do I Pronounce Jesus?
You can pronounce Jesus in one of two ways. First, when referring to the Christian Jesus, you pronounce it “Jee-suhs.” When referring to the form of the name commonly used in Mexico, you pronounce it “Hay-SOOS.” With that form, you emphasize the final syllable and pronounce the “J” like “H.”
Is Jesus a Boy or Girl Name?
Jesus is usually a boy’s name, though some people name their girls Jesus in rare instances.
Variations of Jesus
Jesus is an English version of several longer Greek or Hebrew names, including the following:
- Chochu
- Chus
- Chuy
- Giosue
- Iokua
- Iosous
- Issa
- Joshua
- Josu
- Josue
- Xesus
- Yehoshua
- Yeshua
Nicknames for Jesus
The name Jesus does not lend itself to too many cute or trendy nicknames. However, you might consider one of the following nicknames for your Jesus:
- Chuy
- Jamie
- Jay
- Soos
- Zeus
Similar Names to Jesus
If you want a powerful yet gentle name for your baby boy, but Jesus does not quite cut it, consider one of these names:
- Alejandro
- Antonio
- Armando
- Carlos
- Daniel
- Francisco
- Hector
- Luis
- Javier
- Jorge
- Jose
- Juan
- Manuel
- Miguel
- Oscar
- Pedro
- Rafael
- Raul
- Roberto
- Victor
Middle Names for Jesus
If you have chosen a powerful name like Jesus, you could choose either a powerful or a gentle nickname to complete your child’s name, like:
- Adrian
- Alberto
- Angel
- Arturo
- Cesar
- David
- Diego
- Ernesto
- Felipe
- Gabriel
- Guadalupe
- Guillermo
- Gustavo
- Mario
- Omar
- Pablo
- Rodolfo
- Ruben
- Santiago
- Vicente
Sibling Names for Jesus
While some famous Jesus figures have walked along, your Jesus does not have to be alone when they have amazing siblings with great names like these.
For a sister:
- Adriana
- Alicia
- Angel
- Angelica
- Anna
- Blanca
- Claudia
- Gabriela
- Gloria
- Isabela
- Lourdes
- Lydia
- Josefina
- Juana
- Maria
- Marisol
- Martha
- Mary
- Rosa
- Teresa
For a brother:
- Alfonso
- Alfredo
- Andres
- Ivan
- Jaime
- James
- Joseph
- Julio
- Marcos
- Matthew
- Simon
Famous People Named Jesus
You can probably name a few famous Jesuses for yourself, but we will name as many as we can think of below. Some of those people might include:
- Jesus Christ: the central figure of the Christian religion.
- Jesus Manuel Corona: Mexican soccer player.
- Jesus Flores: Venezuelan former baseball player.
- Jesus Guzman: Venezuelan former baseball player.
- Jesus Alejandro Montero: Venezuelan baseball player.
- Jesus Navas: Spanish soccer player.
- Jesus Vallejo: Spanish soccer player.
Jesus in Popular Culture
Given the name’s popularity in some parts of the world, you can popular culture has a few of its own. You might know some of those Jesuses, too, including:
- Jesus “Soos” Ramirez: a character from the American animated television series Gravity Falls
- Jesus Gutierrez: a character on the American drama television series The Fosters
- Jesus Jones: a British alternative rock band
- Jesus Quintana: a character in the 1998 film The Big Lebowski
- Jesus Velasquez: a character on the American drama series True Blood
Jesus FAQs
Simply because we have covered a lot about the name Jesus does not mean we have covered all of it. Let us look at some interesting facts about Jesus and the name’s impact.
What Are the Many Names of Jesus?
According to experts, in the New Testament, Jesus Christ goes by several names and titles: as many as 72.
These names and titles could include Christ, Lord, Master, Son of God, Son of Man, Son of David, or the Lamb of God. He could also be called the Last Adam, the Light of the World, King of the Jews, and Savior (3).
What Is the Difference Between Yahshua and Yeshua?
The name Jesus is an English transliteration of the Greek name Iesous. That name, in turn, was used to represent the Hebrew and Aramaic name Yeshua, which stems from the Hebrew name Yehoshua, or Joshua in English.
Yahshua is a mesh of two Hebrew words, Yehoshua and Yahweh. Yehoshua starts with the same two letters in Hebrew as Yahweh. So when you put the first syllable of Yahweh into Yehoshua, you get Yahshua.
When Did They Change the Name Jesus?
Yeshua was Jesus’s name in the earliest translations of the Bible, with the longer version, Yehoshua, appearing a few hundred times in the Old Testament.
The New Testament was written in Greek, not in Hebrew or Aramaic, and Greeks did not use the “sh” sound, so evangelists substituted an “s” sound instead. Another “s” sound was added to the end of the name to create a more masculine name. So Yeshua became Iesous, which eventually became Jesus.
