Jesus
Jesus was the 173rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,078 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 66th; the most babies were born in 2004 (6,472). Over the last ten years it has moved down 44 places. More babies were named Jesus in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning God saves · Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Spanish
Say it hay-SOOS /heɪˈsus/
- Rank in 2025
- #173 boys, down 4 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 2,078boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 20046,472 babies
- Total since 1880
- 246,966babies recorded
What does the name Jesus mean?
Jesús is a common given name in Spain, Latin America and the Philippines, honoring Jesus of Nazareth. The name comes through Latin Iesus and Greek Iesous from Hebrew or Aramaic Yeshua, a shortened form of Yehoshua (Joshua), usually read as 'Yahweh saves' or 'the Lord is salvation'; Wiktionary and Wikipedia agree. Wikipedia notes that Jesus is usually not used as a given name in English-speaking countries, while the Spanish Jesús has long been popular. It is said hay-SOOS in Spanish.
יֵשׁוּעַ (Biblical Hebrew, “Yeshua”)Ἰησοῦς (Koine Greek, “Iesous”)
How sure is this? Well established.
Pronunciation: As a given name in the US it is almost always the Spanish Jesús, hay-SOOS, not the English JEE-zuhs.
Related names: Jesús, Joshua, Yeshua, Chuy.
See also: Hebrew names, names that mean God.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Jesus', Wiktionary (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Wikipedia, 'Jesus (name)', Wikipedia (Wikimedia Foundation); facts restated, no text reused
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Joshua', Durham University / The DMNES Editors
Nicknames for Jesus
The usual nicknames for Jesus are Chuy and Chucho.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Chuy · Mexican Spanish pet form | Traditional | — | — |
| Chucho | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Jesuss go by each one.
Jesus popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 2,685 since 1907, 6 in 2025.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #173 | 2,078 |
| 2020 | #169 | 2,297 |
| 2010 | #92 | 4,454 |
| 2000 | #76 | 5,682 |
| 1990 | #90 | 4,131 |
| 1980 | #110 | 2,700 |
| 1970 | #185 | 1,483 |
| 1960 | #262 | 914 |
| 1950 | #235 | 782 |
| 1940 | #255 | 463 |
| 1930 | #186 | 753 |
| 1920 | #238 | 528 |
| 1910 | #286 | 73 |
| 1900 | #297 | 49 |
| 1890 | #703 | 9 |
| 1880 | #413 | 18 |
How popular is Jesus, counting every spelling?
Jesus is the most common spelling of a name family that ranked #188 for boys in 2025 once every spelling is counted together, compared with #173 for Jesus on its own. Together these spellings went to 2,078 boys in 2025.
| Spelling | Babies 2025 | Official rank | Babies 2021–2025 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Jesus | 2,078 | #173 | 10,941 |
Spellings count together when they sound the same in American English and are used for the same sex; nicknames and forms that sound different (such as Theo and Theodore) are kept apart. How we group spellings.
How many kids will share the name Jesus?
2,078 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Jesus (0.58 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Jesus born in 2025, the chance that another child with the same name is in a class of 20 children the same age is under 1 in 50. If every grade liked the name as much as the 2025 babies do, only about one elementary school in 4 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Jesus.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Jesus?
About 215,000 people born in the US named Jesus are alive today, with a median age of 27; half are between 18 and 39. That makes Jesus mostly worn by children and young adults.
Babies given the name each year (SSA) times the share of that birth year still alive (SSA life tables). Counts people born in the US only. Method.
Jesus by state
How common Jesus was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Arizona (4.1×), New Mexico (2.8×), Texas (2.6×), California (2.3×), Nevada (1.7×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Mississippi, Ohio, Pennsylvania.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Jesus: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Jesus, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Jesus · Sibling names for Jesus
Questions about the name Jesus
What does Jesus mean?
Jesus means “God saves” (Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, Spanish origin). Certainty: well established.
How popular is the name Jesus?
Jesus was the 173rd most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 2,078 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 66th; the most babies were born in 2004 (6,472). Over the last ten years it has moved down 44 places. More babies were named Jesus in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Jesus a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Jesus in the US.
Where is Jesus most popular?
In 2021–2025, Jesus was most common in Arizona (5.20 per 1,000 boys), followed by New Mexico and Texas.