Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Jesus

The given name Jesus obviously needs very little by way of explanation; the origin is clear – Jesus is the central figure in Christianity. However, Jesus as a given name is distinct to Spanish-speaking cultures and usually rendered with an accented “U” as in Jesús and is pronounced hay-SOOS). In the English-speaking world, Jesus is not used as a given name. The name originates from the Hebrew “Yeshua” which made its way to the Greeks in the form of “Iēsous” and then to the Latin “Iesus.” From there, the “J” was added and became “Jesus” in most of the European languages. The name’s etymological origin is found in the Hebrew words “ys” (to save) and “yesua” (salvation). In Matthew 1:20-21, an angel appears to Joseph in a dream informing him that Mary’s pregnancy has been divinely orchestrated and that he is to name their son Jesus, “for he will save his people from their sins” – indicating that the name had not been selected arbitrarily.

All About the Baby Name – Jesus

Personality

OF THE BOY NAME JESUS

The number 11 is a Master Number, and embodies heightened traits of the Two. This personality is on a life journey to find spiritual truth. They are extremely idealistic and intuitive. Elevens have a rare and exceptional spiritual energy that brings a sense of obligation to illuminate the world around them. It's a very powerful responsibility, but these people have far more potential than they know. It's important that they surrender to higher ideals. They have the capacity to see the bigger picture, and they possess the skills to inspire others spiritually. Elevens have strong diplomatic skills and can become great peacemakers. Master numbers can be both a blessing and a curse, as they walk the fine line between greatness and the potential for self-destruction.

Popularity

OF THE BOY NAME JESUS

As mentioned above, people of English-speaking origin won’t use Jesus as a personal name; it makes them squirm with discomfort. Somehow taboo. The closest they come to using Jesus is by way of the name “Joshua.” People of Hispanic decent, however, fully embrace the given name Jesús for their little boys as a genuinely heartfelt demonstration of their reverence to Jesus. The name has become so popular within the Latino-American culture, that “hay-SOOS” feels like just another boys name with Spanish flair so in some cases, it may not even be tied to religion. In any case, it’s clearly the Spanish-speaking Americans, or those of Hispanic/Latino origin, driving the popularity of this name. Jesus has been on the U.S. popularity graph for over a century. The name received moderate usage at the turn of the last century, but fast-forward to this century with the growing Latino population in America, you'll find that Jesus sits squarely on the list of Top 100 most favored boys’ names.

Quick Facts

ON JESUS

GENDER:

Boy

ORIGIN:

Greek

NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:

2

RANKING POPULARITY:

106

PRONUNCIATION:

hay-SOOS

SIMPLE MEANING:

To save, salvation

Characteristics

OF JESUS

Inspirational

Highly Intuitive

Spiritual Teacher

Extremely Bright

Uplifting

Truth-seeker

Cultural References to the Baby Name – Jesus

Literary Characters

OF THE BABY NAME JESUS

Jesus is a character in John Steinbeck’s 1935 novel, “Tortilla Flat,” a book about a group of California paisanos during the period following World War I. The paisanos that Steinbeck describes with great humor and affection are a group of young men of Mexican-Indian-Spanish-Caucasian mixture (purely Californian). Among the ruffians of Tortilla Flat is the humanitarian of the group, Jesus Maria Corcoran. Certainly, his name was not arbitrarily selected by Steinbeck. Jesus Maria is constantly doing all that he can to help those less fortunate than himself and finding ways to put this compassion to use.

In John Milton’s great literary achievement, "Paradise Lost" (an epic poem first published in 1667), the depiction of Jesus Christ is worthy of mention. He is the God the Son but never named explicitly since he has not yet entered in human form, and John Milton's second part of the Trinity. The hero of the epic, Jesus is infinitely powerful and delivers the fatal blow to Satan’s forces, sending them down into Hell, before the creation of Earth. When the fall of man is predicted and told to Adam and Eve, Jesus sacrifices himself to pay for the sins of mankind, so that God the Father can be both just and merciful. In the final scene, a vision this of Salvation through the Son of God is revealed to Adam by the angel Michael.

Childrens Books

ON THE BABY NAME JESUS

We cannot find any childrens books with the first name Jesus


Popular Songs

ON JESUS

Hey Jesus
a song by the Indigo Girls

Happy Birthday Jesus
a song by Reba McEntire

Fairest Lord Jesus
a song by Amy Grant

Drugs or Jesus
a song by Tim McGraw

Doctor Jesus
a song by Randy Travis

Chocolate Jesus
a song by Tom Waits

Blessed Jesus (Hold My Hand)
a song by Elvis Presley

Black Jesus
a song by Everlast

American Jesus
a song by Bad Religion

Famous People

NAMED JESUS

Jesus Christ (religious icon)
Jesús Franco (Spanish film director)
Jesús Alou (baseball player)

Children of Famous People

NAMED JESUS

We cannot find any children of famous people with the first name Jesus

Historic Figures

WITH THE NAME JESUS

Jesus of Nazareth is the central figure of the New Testament, and around whom the religion Christianity was created. The four Gospels that begin the New Testament chronicle Jesus’s life until his resurrection, and the remainder of the New Testament describes the growing followers of Jesus after his death. Jesus was born in a small town in the foothills of Galilee as the son of a carpenter. His story is at once fascinating and inspiring. He is the Messiah (anointed one from the Greek word “Christos”) whose death brings deliverance from the sins of mankind. His is a message of caring for the downtrodden, loving ones enemies and kindness toward all strangers is a powerfully simple message. So what did Jesus teach? A lot, and more than can be summarized here. Some illustrative examples would be “Do unto others as you would want them to do to you” (Luke 6:31); “Turn the other cheek” (Matthew 5:39); and “Love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44).