Moises
Moises was the 587th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 502 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 308th with 912 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 109 places. More babies were named Moises in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Meaning Spanish/Portuguese form of Moses · Hebrew, Spanish, Portuguese
Say it moy-SESS /mɔɪˈsɛs/
- Rank in 2025
- #587 boys, down 79 places since 2020
- Babies in 2025
- 502boys
- Girls and boys
- Almost always a boy’s name2021–2025
- Peak year
- 2001912 babies
- Total since 1880
- 31,397babies recorded
What does the name Moises mean?
Moises is the Spanish and Portuguese Moisés, usually written without the accent in the US. It is the Iberian form of Moses, from Latin Moyses and Greek Mōusês, from Hebrew Mosheh; DMNES notes that a 1569 Spanish Bible already spells the prophet's name Moisés. Exodus 2:10 explains Moses as "drawn out" of the water, a Hebrew wordplay, while the JPS translators and Wiktionary point to an Egyptian element meaning "born of." Either way, the name honors the prophet who led Israel out of Egypt.
מֹשֶׁה (Biblical Hebrew, “Moses”)Moisés (Spanish, “Moses”)
How sure is this? Disputed. Same question as Moses: biblical wordplay ('draw out') versus a proposed Egyptian origin ('born of').
Pronunciation: Spanish Moisés is stressed on the last syllable: moy-SESS.
Related names: Moses, Moisés, Moshe, Musa.
See also: Hebrew names.
Sources for this meaning
- Wiktionary, entry 'Moises' (English section), Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0; facts restated, no text reused)
- Dictionary of Medieval Names from European Sources, ed. S. L. Uckelman, Edition 2023 no. 1, s.v. 'Moses', DMNES (Durham University)
- Exodus 2:10, The JPS Tanakh: Gender-Sensitive Edition, with translators' note (via Sefaria), Jewish Publication Society / Sefaria
Nicknames for Moises
The usual nicknames for Moises are Moy.
| Nickname | Kind | Rank 2025 | Boys, 5 years |
|---|---|---|---|
| Moy | Traditional | — | — |
Nicknames reviewed by our editors; counts are boys given the nickname as their legal first name. Nobody records how many Moisess go by each one.
Moises popularity since 1880
A few girls are given the name too: 52 since 1975.
| Year | Rank (boys) | Babies (boys) |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #587 | 502 |
| 2020 | #508 | 568 |
| 2010 | #425 | 652 |
| 2000 | #323 | 889 |
| 1990 | #467 | 447 |
| 1980 | #500 | 285 |
| 1970 | #761 | 118 |
| 1960 | #874 | 76 |
| 1950 | #1,156 | 39 |
| 1940 | #1,103 | 36 |
| 1930 | #1,090 | 41 |
| 1920 | #2,105 | 16 |
| 1910 | — | — |
| 1900 | — | — |
| 1890 | — | — |
| 1880 | — | — |
How popular is Moises, counting every spelling?
Moises has no other common spelling that sounds the same. Counting every name's spellings together, it ranks #577 for boys in 2025, against #587 on the official list.
How many kids will share the name Moises?
502 of the 3,606,400 babies born in the US in 2025 were named Moises (0.14 per 1,000 births). For a boy named Moises 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 17 (of 430 pupils) would have a child named Moises.
Shares of all registered births (NCHS); classes assumed to be children born the same year. How we estimate this.
How old are people named Moises?
About 29,400 people born in the US named Moises are alive today, with a median age of 23; half are between 13 and 33. That makes Moises 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.
Moises by state
How common Moises was among boys born in each state in 2021–2025. It is notably more common than nationally in Nevada (2.5×), California (2.3×), Nebraska (2.0×), Texas (1.8×), Washington (1.5×). It is least common, relative to the national rate, in Missouri, Kentucky, Ohio.
Names with a similar history
These names rose and fell in step with Moises: their share of US boys followed the most similar curve since 1880. If you like Moises, they share its era and feel.
Middle names for Moises · Sibling names for Moises
Questions about the name Moises
What does Moises mean?
Moises is usually explained as “Spanish/Portuguese form of Moses”, but this is disputed. Certainty: disputed.
How popular is the name Moises?
Moises was the 587th most popular name for boys in 2025, given to 502 babies. Its best year was 2001, when it ranked 308th with 912 babies. Over the last ten years it has moved down 109 places. More babies were named Moises in the 2000s than in any other decade.
Is Moises a boy or girl name?
In 2021–2025, almost always a boy’s name given the name Moises in the US.
Where is Moises most popular?
In 2021–2025, Moises was most common in Nevada (0.79 per 1,000 boys), followed by California and Nebraska.