The first name Jesus
A boy’s name from Spanish meaning “joshua”, “the lord saves”.
Pronounced /ˈd͡ʒizəs/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Spanish origin
Jesus means “joshua”, “the lord saves” in Spanish.
From Middle English Jhesus, Iesus, from Latin Iēsūs, from Ancient Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs), from Biblical Hebrew יֵשׁוּעַ (yēšū́aʿ), a contracted form of יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (yəhōšúaʿ, “Joshua”), meaning "the Lord saves". The form יֵשׁוּעַ (yēšū́aʿ) is attested in some of the later books of the Hebrew Bible (Ezra–Nehemiah), and translated as Jeshua or Yeshua in some English editions (the former appearing in the King James Version). The Greek texts make no distinction between Jesus and Joshua, referring to them both as Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs). In the Wycliffe Bible (Middle English), the forms used are Jhesus and Jhesu.
A form of Jesús.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 3 boys were named Jesus, making it the 5,137th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2016, with 6 births (#3,079).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Jesus with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Jesus at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 2,078 boys born in the United States were named Jesus, the 173rd most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2004, when 6,472 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
Jesus in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Jesus in Danish, German, Norwegian, Portuguese and Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Other spellings and forms
- Iesus
- Iesvs
- Jesu
Famous people named Jesus
46 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Jesús FerreiraAmerican soccer player, born 2000
- Jesús DátoloArgentinian footballer (born 1984)
- Jesús OwonoEquatorial Guinean association football player (born 2001)
- Jesús GlaríaFootballer (1942-1978)
- Jesús BermúdezBolivian footballer (1902-1945)
- Jesús Julián LucendoFootballer, born 1970
- Jesús Jiménez ZamoraFormer president of Costa Rica (1823-1897)
- Jesús MenaDiver, born 1968
- Jesús MéndezArgentine footballer, born 1984
- Jesus NogueirasChess player, born 1959
- Jesús Vidal Chamorroborn 1974
- Jesús Tirso BlancoArgentinian bishop (1957–2022)
More Spanish boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Jesus mean?
- Jesus means “joshua”, “the lord saves” in Spanish.
- What is the origin of the name Jesus?
- From Middle English Jhesus, Iesus, from Latin Iēsūs, from Ancient Greek Ἰησοῦς (Iēsoûs), from Biblical Hebrew יֵשׁוּעַ (yēšū́aʿ), a contracted form of יְהוֹשֻׁעַ (yəhōšúaʿ, “Joshua”), meaning "the Lord saves". The form יֵשׁוּעַ (yēšū́aʿ) is attested in some of the later books of the Hebrew Bible…
- How popular is the name Jesus?
- In 2025, 3 boys born in England and Wales were named Jesus, ranking 5,137th. Its peak was 2016, with 6 births.
- Is Jesus a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 99% of the 246,966 US babies named Jesus since 1880 were boys.
- When was Jesus most popular?
- 2004 in the United States, when 6,472 babies were named Jesus, its highest rank at 70th.
- How do you pronounce Jesus?
- Jesus is /ˈd͡ʒizəs/, 2 syllables.
- What name is Jesus a form of?
- Jesus is a form of Jesús.
- What are other spellings of Jesus?
- Iesus, Iesvs and Jesu.
- Is Jesus also a surname?
- Yes. Jesus is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.