The first name Moshe
A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “to give birth to”.
Pronounced /ˈmoʊʃɛ/ 2 syllables Male
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
Moshe means “to give birth to” in Hebrew.
Borrowed from Hebrew. Transliteration of Hebrew משה (moshé), sometimes conjectured to derive from Egyptian msj (“to give birth to”), a common element in Egyptian names of the form ‘[name of deity] is the one who bore him’.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 52 boys were named Moshe, making it the 687th most popular boys’ name.
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare Moshe with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named Moshe at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 728 boys born in the United States were named Moshe, the 436th most popular boys’ name that year.
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.
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named Moshe
12 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- Moshe Katsav8th President of Israel (2000–2007)
- Moshe Sharett2nd Prime Minister of Israel from 1954 to 1955
- Moshe Levy12th Chief of General Staff of the Israel Defense Forces (1936–2008)
- Moshe LewinFrench historian (1921-2010)
- Moshe Weinberg1972 Munich massacre victim (1939–1972)
- Moshe HirschAnti-Zionist Jewish leader of Neturei Karta, rabbi, 1923–2010
- Moshe VardiAmerican computer scientist, born 1954
- Moshe MarzoukEgyptian spy (1926–1955)
- Moshe Reuven AzmanChief Rabbi of Ukraine, born 1966
- Moshe FlinkerDutch author (1926–1944)
- Nahmanides13th century Catalonian rabbi and scholar, 1194–1270
- Moses MontefioreBritish financier and Jewish activist (1784–1885)
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name Moshe mean?
- Moshe means “to give birth to” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name Moshe?
- Borrowed from Hebrew. Transliteration of Hebrew משה (moshé), sometimes conjectured to derive from Egyptian msj (“to give birth to”), a common element in Egyptian names of the form ‘[name of deity] is the one who bore him’.
- How popular is the name Moshe?
- In 2025, 52 boys born in England and Wales were named Moshe, ranking 687th.
- What are nicknames for Moshe?
- Common nicknames for Moshe include Moishy.
- Is Moshe a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 18,038 US babies named Moshe since 1880 were boys.
- When was Moshe most popular?
- 2025 in the United States, when 728 babies were named Moshe, its highest rank at 436th.
- How do you pronounce Moshe?
- Moshe is /ˈmoʊʃɛ/, 2 syllables.
- What are other spellings of Moshe?
- Moishe and Moses.