Jesus

原Having been given the name Joshua by my parents, I can assure you that I have encountered some major stuff in my life that would not be the case if I had been given a different name. Challenging.. yes... but worth the effort! Gotta say, the ignorance surrounding the names Jesus and Joshua is astounding. The two names are related, yes, but I assure you they are not the same. I can personally attest to the power of the name itself. I will end with a warning : people think they can be sly and make names for God... but no one can do this even if they try! Trying may actually result in something known as 'idolatry' and that, my friend, is more than most people can handle, because it ends with a harsh lesson. Blah, blah, blah I would love to have words with Moses... he is the originator.

原Call your boy Joshua instead of Jesus; because the name Jesus is only god's son's name (in English). It might be fine in Spanish.

原Well, it's not exactly John or Dave.

原Jesus and Joshua are the same name as Jacob and James; the only difference is about tradition. It's a mistake to consider all of them different names: they are simply variations of a single Hebrew name.

原I only like and accept this name when pronounced in Spanish (Hay-zoos). When said the other way, it makes a ridiculous name in my opinion.Hay-zoos is fine.

原I'm a Christian, and I don't think it's blasphemous to name your son this, but it just seems... Weird. Especially among Christians, since we associate this name with our Savior. I don't want to say it's reserved for Jesus Christ, but it just kind of seems that way. I dunno. :P I think it'd be better to name your son Joshua. It's basically the same name, but still.

原I find the idea of naming a child "Jesus" just hilarious. Not because of its namesake, just the thought that somebody really feels that it's necessary to torture their child with it. If you're Hispanic and live in a predominantly Hispanic community, that's fine! You don't pronounce it the same way Americans, British, Australian or English speaking countries in general do. But I don't see the necessity to use biblical names in the modern age, and yes I understand that names like Joseph, Michael, Issac and Jacob are biblical as well. But those names aren't tied to such a huge spear in Christianity.

原I'm Hispanic and my name is Jesus, pronounced heysoos. I can give some insight, but growing up never experienced any disrespecfulness I grew up in a all white school and never had any problems. Heck, everybody thought it was a cool name- even the teachers thought I was cool, so I never had any problems or even getting a job and all the white girls. That's my 2 cents.

原This is just hilarious to me (an atheist). People would go so far as to name their kid after the god they believe in? That's just ridiculous!

原I grew up in southern California, which has a huge Hispanic population. I noticed many Mexican males are named this. I guess it helps that in Spanish, it's actually pronounced "Hey-SOOS." I still agree though that it's basically the equivalent of naming your kid Dude or God. Not something I'd pick.

原I don't see myself using it even as a middle name, because I believe this name is reserved for God's son, my savior and messiah, Jesus Christ (I'm a Christian, by the way).

原This name now belongs to the Lord so I wouldn't name my kid it.

原WAY, WAY too religious. A name that makes it obvious their parent worships Jesus & God (a bit TOO much. Completely obsessed) Church every Sunday is mandatory, kisses the bible every night. Hahaha. You may as well name your kid Bible or Church! I'm not even touching the Spanish who have this name and that's many. I know its pronounced differently. But still.

原The original Hebrew name is Yahshua and can be proven. It means Yahweh is salvation. Yah for Yahweh, shua for salvation. He came in his Father's name as written in John 5th chapter. Joshua was originally Yahshua as well. Same pronunciation as Joshua, except since there was no J in the Hebrew language, and because of the mistranslated of changing the y to an I and eventually to a j, it became Joshua. Joshua was not the name given by the creator, Yahshua was, both with Moses and when born from Mary.

原Jesus pronounced gee-zus is wrong. But what about the Spanish version hay-zues? That's not wrong? And just because Jesus is your lord and savior doesn't mean he's all of ours. So if I wanted, since I don't believe there is a god or Jesus or whatever, I could name my son Jesus.

原Why should you guys concentrate on the Jesus/Yeshu part of our Savior’s name and not viewing the Messiah part of our Savior.Yes, I admit that there been lot of changes in Christian beliefs from old times, even it is clear that Emmanuel Yeshu Kristhu, Emmanuel-(Yahovah within us) Yeshu (one who saves people from their sins) Kristhu (anointed one) was not born on December 25th, and still we Christians (west, east, south, north) from all over the world celebrate Yeshu’s birthday on December 25th.While we discuss the name of our savior Yeshu Kristhu, we should consider the location (birth place) and time. It is clear that Yeshu’s birth place was in Middle East not in Europe or America, so the language spoken by Yeshu’s parents should also be the local language of Middle East (Aramaic). So it is not required to convert the name of Yeshu Kristhu to Latin or any other European languages to call him in our prayer. For example your name, whatever it is (John, Mathew, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Charles, Dalai Lama, Krishna, Shiva, Mohammed, Abdullah) will not change when you reach India or Australia, it remains the same. So your family or friends will call you only the name which was given by your parents even when you live in Russia or China. Forget about the controversy of the name Jesus/Yeshu. Think about the Messiah who saved you even from the first Sin. Follow the teaching of our Savior.Bible was first written in Aramaic not in any European languages.

原You know what would be awkard? When someone shouts "JESUS!" out of astonishment and a little boy named Jesus looking confused as if he mistakenly did something wrong.In Spain, they say "Jesus" when someone sneezes. Imagine people saying your name everytime you sneeze!

原I'm Brazilian, and Portuguese-speakers occasionally name their sons Jesus, without the accent. It's not as widespread as it is in Spanish, but I've heard it used and known at least one man with the name.

原If people can be called Mohammed then Jesus should not be an exemption, Jesus is just a name to me and doesn't represent God.

原The usage of this name is Hispanic, pronounced Hey-zoos.

原The English name came as many from a mistake. The Bible was first printed in Germany. When it was translated into English the name remained in the german form. So Jesus Should have been translated Iesus since J is pronounced as I in german. Ps: usually the simplest solution is the correct one;

原Also can be pronounced "hay-sus", which is the Spanish pronunciation, since (no offense intended by any means) most people who name their sons Jesus tend to be Hispanic. Anyways, to me it seems a little rude to name your son Jesus. Its like saying he's perfect, or a reincarnation or something. You wouldn't name your son God, would you? Personally, I don't mind biblical names at all, but this one's waaayyy too obvious.

原I really don't like this name very much and would not use it for a baby. I mean, I am not saying that it's a bad name, and don't be offended if your name is Jesus, but I think that it's best left as a name for God. If I were queen of the world, I wouldn't want anybody else to have MY same name, and if I could I'd make it so that it was illegal for anyone to give their child the same name as me, and anyone who had it would have to change it.

原Laughing over here. Where do so many people get off thinking they have a right to tell other people what to name their child? Is there an Official Name Police Force I wasn't aware of? If it isn't your own child, don't stress out about it. I swear, people these days want to butt into everyone else's lives and use their religion as an excuse to do so...Yes, the connotations make it awkward, but it's far from the worst name you could choose. To be honest, I think the Spanish pronunciation of this name (hey-zoos) is quite nice! It seems like a handsome name for a boy of Hispanic descent, and correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's actually very common in countries like Mexico and Spain.

原In Polish, Jesus is pronounced as "Yeah, Zeus!" further supporting the evidence that Christianity is based on Greek mythological roots.

原I wouldn't say it's blasphemous or otherwise bad to name your child this... it just may not be a great idea. That said, if you really wanted to name your child this, it may be in their best interest to nickname them "Jesse" or even "Zeus", similar to how people will name little girls "Constance", "Rosemarie" or "Patience" but nickname them "Connie", "Rosie" or "Patty", respectively.

原The Greek and Aramaic form of Jesus derive from the Greek word: ΙΑΣΟΝ (Jason) which means in Greek: the person who heals. We find this word as second component also in the English word: disease > dis-ease = bad healing.

原Hey person above me, stop trying to preach to people what they should and should not do (; no one's going to listen to you anyways, not even the tons of Hispanics who live in the U.S.A.

原Honestly, if you live in a place like the U.S., DO NOT NAME YOUR CHILD JESUS. I used to know someone named by it (though he tried to go by "J") because his parents thought he was a gift, which is great and all despite their family situation.. anyway, he rebelled a little then others got into fights with him. In some cultures the name is just not acceptable, so just simply be smart and choose another name or move to a Hispanic country. Don't give the chance of someone being ashamed by their own name.

原This name is for the Lord. NOT a person. Period.

原Jesus, in my opinion, is a very nice name. I like the way its spelled and pronounced. It has a bit of a relaxed feeling about it, and seems kind of like a name for a stoner. Just my opinion.I'm an atheist, and I personally see no reason NOT to name a child Jesus if you are a Christian; I actually think it would make you seem LESS blasphemous. But, whatever. It's a nice name, if you like it, use it.

原LOL @ the 15% that voted this as feminine. XD

原Can also be pronounced HEY-ZEUS seeing as the name was originally in Hebrew that should have been the pronounced this way.

原No, don't name your kid Jesus. What if he becomes an atheist, the poor guy?

原My name is Jesus (JEE zus) and I resent people saying it's blasphemous my parents named me that and that I should change it. I am not the son of god but I like my name and think people should lighten up. And lots of you say you'd get teased but I don't and it's not confusing and I don't see how its disrespectful, plenty of people are called Mohammad or even God (nickname of Godfrey).

原How secular.

原Oh for god's sake, people, it's a name! honestly, I wouldn't name my kid Jesus because I don't particularly like that name. I could care less if it was the name of "our savior" or whatever. It's a name! You guys are acting as if it will take power away from God if you name your kid Jesus!

原This is not an opinion or guess, this is what the Bible says.Matthew 1:21 (New King James Version)21 And she will bring forth a Son, and you shall call His name JESUS, for He will save His people from their sins.”So yes Jesus means savior, but Yehshua is related to Joshua but it doesn't directly come from it.

原In original Hebrew Jesus's name is Yeshua.

原Jesus is the Lords name and I don't think anyone else should have it. I admit I'm biased being Roman Catholic but still. I love Jesus!

原It's just a name. However, I admit that it would be a bit strange if you were like screaming at some kid named Jesus, like "Jesus what's wrong with you?! you are a bad person" everyone would be like "somone's gonna get smited soon." XDD

原He may have been a miracle worker but I will never name a child Jesus, sorry. Those are some high expectations to live up to.

原If you want to name your child this, you might have your expectations a liiittle too high. Look at it this way, it's better than Satan. Maybe it is a name too sacred to use commonly, but I'm sure he wouldn't mind, and its meaning is nothing but positive. S'all good to me. *shrug* :)

原I can understand if people want to name their son Jesus, since I'm Christian myself, but what if he turned out to be a bully? I apologize, but it just doesn't work for me.

原Such a sweet, peaceful name. I cannot look at a boy and call him this name. This is the name of the Lord.Also, I've always noticed that in hispanic countries (Mexico for a fact) that the most common name for a girl is Maria (Mary) and the son is called Jesus (hay-SOOS) which is kind of interesting.

原Name your child Jesus. He will save people from religion.

原It is believed that in bible times Jesus may have been pronounced Yeshua or possibly Yehoshua, but no one really knows for certain.

原In case you don't know, the name "Jesus" was around long before Jesus the "son of christ ". So, you cannot automatically say that someone was naming their child after him. But this is not to say that I would name a child this. I do believe that it would lead to bullying and people accusing him of blasphemy. People say that naming your child "Adolf" is cruel, but I think this is worse.

原It's not just the expectations, but everything behind this name, which makes it a wrong choice for a name.

原I like the way this name sounds, but your son will never live up to the name of our Savior. It's too much for a child to bear.

原In Spanish-speaking countries, this name is common and perfectly acceptable, of course, but it's unimaginable anywhere else. It would be funny to name a child Jesus just to see people fly into a fit of rage and to get hate mail from them, but one has to consider the happiness and well-being of one's child, and a guy named Jesus would likely be teased if not mercilessly bullied, and he'd probably experience some of that Christian Love from his religious classmates who would have very negative things to say about his parents. That, or he'd be the most popular kid in school. This is one of those names that you either become highly popular and successful with or that leads you to do drugs to numb the pain by the time you are 15. I wouldn't recommend anyone to use this name outside the Spanish language usage, lest you be considered a lunatic, or even worse, one of those annoying contrarian types who are stuck on the level of pretentious and sanctimonious 16-year-olds.

原Wouldn't it be ironic if you named your son Jesus and he turned to be an athiest? XD

原I do not think that people should name their son Jesus. I have no problem with the Spanish pronunciation of He-soos.

原There's nothing evil in and of itself in choosing Jesus as a name, but I think it'd be uncomfortable in an English-speaking community where the name is used as a cuss word (ex. yelling "Jesus Christ!" when you stub your toe). Whether naming a son Jesus is respectful or irreverent is a cultural issue, but for my particular circumstances (in a caucasian family in white community in the USA), it'd just be a bad idea.

原Is it really up to humans to decide if something is "blasphemous" or not. I don't think so. Naming your kid Jesus without the accent mark is like naming your kid Julius, or Sirius, Septimus, or any other Latin name, since it's just the Latinized form of Yeshua/Joshua. That is to say, it's stupid because it's from an archaic and dead language, not any theological reason. I don't believe God said anything about what to name children, so people who argue that it's against the Bible and whatnot have no real context backing them.

原This name for a person? No way! I've seen a few people in Brazil named this and it sounds so totally weird! Not that the name's bad or anything, but it's supposed to be for a god!

原I feel like it would be disrespectful to name your child Jesus. Its like saying that he is on the same level as the son of God. And as for the latin pronunciation, I think it sounds too much like "hey Zeus!" which I don't like either.

原I don't get what's wrong with naming your son Jesus. I knew a girl who had a nephew named Jesus (pronounced JEE-zus). People name their sons Moses, who is a savior to the Israelites in Egypt. I'm not Christian, but I don't get the "Only the Lord and Savior should be named Jesus!" Actually, that is hilarious. More ridiculous Christian outrage. Isn't it more like a mark of respect and love to your god? And his name wasn't actually Jesus. It was Yeshua or something. I think it would be hilarious to have a son named Godric and call him God, actually. "Hey, it's God. Want to hang out tonight?" Then his son could be named Jesus. Actually, I just think Jesus is kind of an ugly name, but there's nothing disrespectful about naming your son Jesus. If you want to name your son Jesus, go ahead and ignore the sillies who say it's blasphemous. It's just a name.

原In my opinion, you shouldn't give that kind of name to your child. It just seems wrong. I don't encourage anyone to name, or especially change their name, to Jesus.

原I'm sorry, but you have got to be incredibly arrogant to name your kid after God Himself.

原Jesus is not God's name, Jesus is the name of his son, at least it is in the Bible which I'm familiar with.

原Actually I know someone named Jesus (without an accent) and he isn't teased AT ALL! Although he pronounces it Hey-Soos, but still he isn't teased for his name. Personally I would never name my kid Jesus. Just because I think it would be really weird.

原Well, a boy named Jesus would be teased, but you could call him Jesse so that would solve that problem. As for the God problem, he should be honored that his parents would love him enough to name him Jesus. It's not like God is gonna electrocute his parents for naming their children that, though that would be a funny video on YouTube.

原Jesus isn't in common use in English. But many in Spanish speaking countries use it because Joshua doesn't translate into a Latinized language without first translating to Greek. And it is OK for people to name their kids that. Jesus means "Yah is salvation" and is found more than once in both Old and New Testaments. In the Old Testament, it appears as the name of several Israelites, in two forms: Jeshua and Joshua. Joshuah is today a very common name. I believe that if Jesus walked among us today in the flesh, He would go by Josh. See, Jesus likes to be culturally relevant. Our churches could learn a thing or two from Him.

原Challenge: Name your child Jesus and then send your kid to a Catholic school. Then name your other kid Judas.

原I would never name anything this. The kid who gets this name and is teased through childhood will be the 17 year old 12th grader running through the hallways with a rifle.

原Ok, let's stop the dispute. Naming a child Jesus would not be all that bad. Spanish countries have come up with a wonderful way to seperate any individual named Jesus and their savior. If it is just some guy in the street he is just JESUS. If they are referring to the biblical character, coming back soon enough, head honcho, the is called EL JESUS or THE savior. That makes a big difference. And yeah the poor kid would probably be teased to no end, you're right there.

原It's idiotic to say that God has a monopoly on a name. So, what, he'll smite you if you dare name your child in honor of his son? That said, Jesus is just an ugly name. Not likin' it. That said, people can name their kids anything they want. Personally, I always liked having twin boys named Jesus and Satan. (jk)

原I have just had a laughing fit to end all laughing fits. It's not the name, it's your reactions!You're all like "I saw Jesus kicking someone!" - IT'S HILARIOUS! Anyone who names their son (or daughter) Jesus is missing a brain cell or three!WHAT A STUPID NAME! I'm not Christian, and even I think naming your son after "god" *makes speech marks with fingers* would be the stupidest thing a parent could ever do!

原I would never ever name my child this.

原I'm sorry but Jesus is simply not a very good name. :( (I'm a Baptist, so please don't take offense). In the Spanish speaking countries it might be fine. I'm a New Zealand born but living in Australia. I've never met a Jesus. So for parents considering it: What if your child moves countries?

原I speak Assyrian (Neo-Aramaic) and Yeshua ben Yoseph literally means "Jesus of Joseph." But yes, it does mean Jesus Christ. Just thought I'd fill it in.

原When I was thirteen, a fifteen year old boy named Jesus (hay-SOOS) left our school because he sexually assaulted me. I think that it is horrible to have to say 'yes, Jesus sexually assaulted me the other day.' So, soon-to-be parents, on the off chance that your son turns out to be a weirdo, do not name him Jesus.

原I agree that since Jesus was actually a personal name, it's not like naming your child Buddha. Buddha wasn't actually his name, it was a title he received. His real name was Siddharatha Gautama. Jesus is a very common name in Spanish-speaking countries. I personally won't use it. I have never met a person named Jesus, but I don't live in a very multicultural city. Here, if someone had that name, they would either be a loner because everyone was intimidated, or teased. But that depends on where you live. Go ahead if you want to.

原I'm a Christian, and I think that people have a right to call their kid Jesus. It's just a name, and it's not as dumb as calling your kid God or Jehovah or something. I just think that the parents should think about their son being made fun of, and all the awkwardness it would make.

原It was pronounced YEH-sus in English until after the Middle Ages.

原I live in the western United states and know probably about 100 Jesus' and although all of them are from a Spanish speaking culture not all of them pronounce it hay-soos, some pronounce it jeez-us and I don't have a problem with that. It would be the same to me as naming a child Atticus or any other name from a book because I believe that is what the bible is.

原I would never ever name my kids Jesus. Think of all the teasing and mockery.

原It would be impossible to live up to this name, no?

原Jesus is one of those names that should not be used by people in western society because it's nothing more than a modified Hebrew name masquerading as a European one. Come to think of it Christianity is nothing more than a modified Jewish sect masquerading as Western Civilization.

原I don't see how a child would be 'confused' or forced to live up to any expectations because they bear the name Jesus. That's just a Christian point of view of the name (I'm Catholic) and I really like the name.

原Please, let's not make this into a discussion of theology. Jesus is the same name as Joshua, only translated differently because the Bible underwent many translations in different languages. Jesus is the Greek version of Joshua (see the definition.) The names such Emanuel and Christopher were not originally names, merely titles of Jesus, but are commonly used without people pronouncing them blasphemous. Jesus is simply a name, not a title, and as has been explained, he was not even the only biblical character to bear it.

原I read somewhere that the state of California (my home state) has issued more than six driver's licences to people under the name of Jesus Christ.

原Whoever thinks it's blasphemous to call your kid Jesus should go fast in a church. Jesus is a bad name, the sound is unappealing, and I associate it with musky mouldy ugly churches and hairy men.

原Well, I wouldn't call it "blasphemous" to name one's child after Jesus (with or without the accent mark). I think that most people who give their children this name do so as a sort of way of giving respect to God. I disagree that most people would hold a child named Jesus to certain "expectations"--this name is tossed around disrespectfully so often, I'm not sure that many people would really hold more respect/higher expectations to someone with this name. However, I would not name a child this, because I would reserve it for the actual Savior. :) I don't like to see people named (JEE zus), but the (hay SOOS) is a bit better. Either way, though, I think it's a name that's reserved for God. If you want to name a son after Jesus, name him Joshua, which is a nice name.

原Personally, I think that if a kid can be named Joshua, a kid can be named Jesus. I wouldn't do it though (mainly because I'm Jewish but even if I wasn't).

原It is true that many people in Spanish-speaking cultures name their sons Jesús, but when they refer to Jesus Christ they call Him 'Jesu Cristo.'

原When the child grows up there's no doubt this name will give him lots of problems. You know, like, expectations, confusion among people, offenses and prejudice, the list goes on. Isn't this likely to happen? Besides, Jesus was the only perfect being who ever lived. By naming your son Jesus would be dishonoring Him, because everyone sins. Too many bad things could come out of this situation than good. Besides there are lots of other cool names out there!

原This name is widely used in the Spanish-speaking population. It is pronounced like "hay-soos" and it isn't considered strange at all in this culture. It is actually Hebrew for Joshua. Just because it seems strange to you doesn't mean it's wrong. I wouldn't personally name my son Jesus, as I am an English speaker and it isn't very commonly accepted as a name in my culture. However, that doesn't mean it should be treated as a sin to use. I agree with what another poster said about Mary. Just because something is different doesn't make it wrong.

原I think people should have the right to name their son Jesus if they so choose. If anyone has a problem with that, maybe they should take it up with "god" or Jesus himself. After all, you're the one complaining it's blasphemous. If you have a problem with people naming their son Jesus, I suggest you complain about Joshua too. Mary was also once considered a name too holy to use.

原I think the name Jesus should only be for God's son, and no one else.

原Before naming your child Jesus, think of the moral dilemmas that he must face as he grows up. One example would be marriage. I think it would be very awkward for his fiance to introduce him to others since saying "Hi, this is Jesus. We're getting married next Sunday" just seems so wrong. And what if he does something wrong? Like getting into a fight? I think it would be really odd to say "Jesus beat me up" or "I saw Jesus kicking somebody". It is just completely scary and confusing. Anyway, naming a child Jesus just seems too blasphemous and immoral.

原People might think it's somewhat overdone to name your son after probably the single most famous man in the history of the world. But people also said the same thing of the name Mary, which at first was considered too holy for everyday use. Eventually, of course, the same appeal made it one of the most common names in the world. Compare Jesus to Mohammad, which was never discouraged from use. On the contrary, it is said that Allah blesses the house in which at least one "Mohammad" lives.

原I do think it's a little silly to name a kid this, as they're going to be teased so much, but eh. It's your kid. Do whatever you want.

原No, I could never call a kid Jesus, it is God's name.

原I don't think it's like naming your child Allah or Buddha. Those are titles, while Jesus is a personal name (a variant of Joshua).

原I cannot believe anybody would name their child Jesus. How stupid. It would be like naming your son "Allah" or "Buddha."

原Particularly in the Latin community, the name Jesus (pronounced, as mentioned above, "hay-sus") is given to baby boys to honor the Lord. While not a practice I necessarily agree with, it is a nice sentiment.

原Please don't name your son Jesus. If anyone does this they should be bonked on the head, and I think that their son should be the one to do it.

原In Spanish it is pronounced hay-SOOS.