The first name Moses
A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “to give birth to”, “water”.
Pronounced /ˈmoʊzəs/ 2 syllables Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Moses means “to give birth to”, “water” in Hebrew.
From Latin Mōsēs, from Ancient Greek Μωσῆς (Mōsês), from earlier Μωυσῆς (Mōusês), from Biblical Hebrew מֹשֶׁה (mōšê). Further etymology is unclear, but it is sometimes conjectured to derive from Egyptian ms-s (msj, “to give birth to”), a common element in Egyptian names of the form ‘[name of deity] is the one who bore him’; or, alternatively, contains Egyptian N35A (mw, “water”).
More names that mean water.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 59 boys were named Moses, making it the 627th most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 2018, with 76 births (#511).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Moses with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Moses at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 583 boys born in the United States were named Moses, the 515th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 2016, when 669 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.
Moses in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Spelled Moses in Swedish too.
Nicknames and spellings
Nicknames for Moses
- Moe
Famous people named Moses
49 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Moses MendelssohnGerman-Jewish philosopher and theologian (1729–1786)
- Moses MaloneAmerican basketball player (1955–2015)
- Moses of Chorene5th-century Armenian historian, 410–487
- Moses MontefioreBritish financier and Jewish activist (1784–1885)
- Moses KiptanuiAthletics competitor from Kenya, born 1970
- Moses I. FinleyAmerican-born British academic and classical scholar (1912–1986)
- Moses GunnAmerican actor (1929–1993)
- Moses IngramAmerican actress, born 1994
- Moses GasterBritish-Romanian academic and rabbi, 1856–1939
- Moses MoodyAmerican basketball player (born 2002)
- Moses SoferAustro-Hungarian rabbi (1762–1839)
- Moses AshikodiAntigua and Barbuda footballer, born 1987
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Moses mean?
- Moses means “to give birth to”, “water” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Moses?
- From Latin Mōsēs, from Ancient Greek Μωσῆς (Mōsês), from earlier Μωυσῆς (Mōusês), from Biblical Hebrew מֹשֶׁה (mōšê). Further etymology is unclear, but it is sometimes conjectured to derive from Egyptian ms-s (msj, “to give birth to”), a common element in Egyptian names of the form ‘[name of…
- How popular is the name Moses?
- In 2025, 59 boys born in England and Wales were named Moses, ranking 627th. Its peak was 2018, with 76 births.
- What are nicknames for Moses?
- Common nicknames for Moses include Moe.
- Is Moses a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 43,342 US babies named Moses since 1880 were boys.
- When was Moses most popular?
- 2016 in the United States, when 669 babies were named Moses, its highest rank at 460th.
- How do you pronounce Moses?
- Moses is /ˈmoʊzəs/, 2 syllables.
- Is Moses also a surname?
- Yes. Moses is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.