For many years, Jesus’ name has had lots of variations and nicknames. The Bible, too, has many names referring to Jesus, which adds to the confusion. For example, the Bible refers to him as ‘the Christ,’ which means the anointed one, Emmanuel, which means God with us, and many other names. So, what is Jesus’ middle name?

Jesus does not have a middle name. Jesus was born in the first century of Israel. During this time, people were not given any middle names. In most cases, people were only given a first name. They would later be named after the village they were born in. For instance, Saul, before his conversion, was known as Saul of Tarsus, and Jesus was known as Jesus of Nazareth.

The Names of Jesus

Jesus had one prominent name, which was Jesus, but He had so many titles. These titles would describe his work on earth. There are more than 50 titles that would describe his mission, but here are a few of the most common ones;

• Emmanuel (Mathew 1:23)- this title means ‘God with us’ and was first used by the prophet Isaiah when he gave a prophecy about Jesus. This name confirmed God’s work for humanity through His son. It means that through Jesus, God became one with us and not apart from us.

• Christ (John 1:41)- this is a title given to Jesus, which means ‘the anointed one.’ In the past, Prophets, priests, and kings were all anointed. When Jesus came to earth, he represented the Kings, prophets, and priests, and therefore, he became the ultimate anointed one.

• Bread of life ( John 6:35) – in Israel, bread was very necessary, and even the poorest didn’t lack bread. Bread, therefore, sustained life in Israel. In the New Testament, Jesus is referred to as the bread of life. He would give life to whoever depended on Him.

• The lion of Judah (Revelation 5:5)- lions are known to be fierce and brave. Therefore, Jesus was likened to the lion and thus given this title.

• The true vine (John 15:1-8)- in Israel, the vine was regarded as the source of all good things. It provided food, wine, shelter, and beauty. During Jesus’ time, people became arrogant and disobedient. Jesus, therefore, called himself the true vine to remind them that He was only the true source of good things.

• The lamb (John 1:29)  – in the days of the Old Testament, most of the sacrifices depended on spotless animals such as the lamb. John the Baptist named Jesus as the ‘lamb of God’ who took away the sins of the world.

• Jesus of Nazareth (Acts 4:10) – this is not really a title but a name with emphasis on the hometown. Nazareth was the hometown of Jesus, and therefore, Jesus was named Jesus of Nazareth, proving that he was raised in Nazareth.
• The Good Shepherd (John 10:11-18) – this is a metaphorical title. It signifies Jesus’ work as a shepherd on earth. Unlike most shepherds in the days of the Old and New Testament, Jesus’ work was to guide, nurture, and protect his followers.

Many titles describe Jesus both in the Old and New Testaments. The above are the most prominent ones.

Who Named Jesus? 

The name Jesus was given to Jesus’ parents through the angel Gabriel. We know this from Luke 1:31 where Gabriel told Mary that the baby should be named Jesus. However, the angel Gabriel is just a messenger so it is no Gabriel who named Jesus – it was God the Father. Gabriel merely delivered the message.  According to Matthew 1:20-25, the angel also appeared to Joseph, who was set to marry Mary. He announced to him that Mary was going to give birth to a son, and he was to name him Jesus. In the Hebrew language, Jesus is Yeshua or Y’hoshua which means Yahweh saves or God saves. 

Why Do People Say, Jesus H. Christ?

In the past, the Greeks used the monogram IHC to mean Jesus. Later on, English speakers appropriated the monogram to mean Jesus H Christ.

This, however, was not a translation of Greek terminology. Up to now, it is impossible to ignore the fact that people have made fun of the name of Jesus. In fact, at times, people began using Jesus H Christ as a swear word.

Therefore, the ‘H’ in Jesus H Christ was a letter invented by humans to use as a mockery of the name of Jesus. Therefore, using Jesus H. Christ is profanity, and thus, according to the Bible, this is known as blaspheming, which is a great sin.

Did Jesus Have a Last Name?

Some people may refer to Christ as his last name, but Jesus had no last name. Christ was a title that described his main agenda on earth. Therefore, Jesus did not have any last name.

While alive, Jesus was referred to as Jesus, son of Joseph, Jesus of Nazareth, the Nazarene, and many other names. However, after his death and resurrection, he came to be known as Jesus Christ, which means Jesus, the anointed one.

As mentioned, people at the time were only given the first name. They didn’t even have surnames or middle names. 

Conclusion

Jesus indeed had many names, but he did not have any dedicated middle name. The Jesus H Christ name that sometimes people use is profanity. It was used as a swear word, but it doesn’t represent any middle name.

He was sometimes referred to as Jesus of Nazareth because of his hometown. He was also called Jesus of Galilee because of the miracle works he performed while in Galilee.

Jesus also had no dedicated last name. Christ is only a title rather than a last name. Christ is a title that means the anointed. 

Therefore, it is safe to conclude that Jesus had no middle name or last name. His main name was Jesus, while the others were used to describe who he was and his mission on earth.