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Can You Name Your Kid Jesus? What the Bible Says

Yes. The Bible never forbids it, and Paul worked with a man named Jesus (Colossians 4:11). What the name means, and what to weigh before you choose it.

BIBLE INSIGHTS

7/17/20243 min read

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Yes, and the Bible names other men Jesus

Yes, you can name your son Jesus. Nothing in Scripture forbids it, and the New Testament mentions other men who bore the name. Whether you should is a question of culture and conscience, not of sin.

Jesus was a common Jewish name in the first century. It is the Greek form of Yeshua, a short form of Yehoshua, which we spell Joshua. One of Paul’s fellow workers had it.

“And Jesus, which is called Justus, who are of the circumcision. These only are my fellowworkers unto the kingdom of God, which have been a comfort unto me.” (Colossians 4:11, KJV)

Even the sorcerer Paul met in Cyprus was called Bar-jesus, “son of Jesus” (Acts 13:6). The Jewish historian Josephus mentions many more men named Jesus, including more than one high priest.

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Matthew 1:21 — he shall save his people

What the name means

Yeshua means “the LORD saves” or “the LORD is salvation.” When the angel gave Joseph the name, he tied it to the child’s work: this son would save his people from their sins. The name was not new; what was new was a child who would fully live up to it.

“And she shall bring forth a son, and thou shalt call his name JESUS: for he shall save his people from their sins.” (Matthew 1:21, KJV)

The King James Bible shows the link with Joshua plainly. In two verses it spells Joshua’s name “Jesus,” following the Greek (Acts 7:45 and here).

“For if Jesus had given them rest, then would he not afterward have spoken of another day.” (Hebrews 4:8, KJV)

The “Jesus” here is Joshua, who led Israel into Canaan. Parents who name a son Joshua are giving him the same name in its Hebrew form.

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Exodus 20:7 — reverence for God’s name

Common in Spanish, rare in English

In Spanish- and Portuguese-speaking countries, Jesús is an ordinary, respected name, often given in honor of Christ. In English-speaking countries it is rare, and a boy named Jesus may face questions or teasing. Think about where your child will grow up.

Some worry about the third commandment. It is about how we use God’s name, not about a child sharing a name.

“Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.” (Exodus 20:7, KJV)

To take the name “in vain” is to treat it as empty: careless oaths, curses, or using God’s name to cover a lie. A name given out of love for Christ is the opposite. If you want the meaning without the name itself, Joshua and Isaiah both mean “the LORD is salvation,” and Elisha means “God is salvation.”