What was Jesus' full name?

What Was Jesus’ Full Name?

When we hear the name Jesus, most of us immediately recognize it as the central figure of the Christian faith. But what was his full name, really? In the time and culture in which he lived, surnames as we know them didn’t exist. Instead, people were often identified by their father’s name or hometown.

Following local custom, Jesus would most likely have been called Yeshua Bar Yosef—“Jesus son of Joseph”—in Aramaic, the common language of first-century Judea. Yeshua itself is a Hebrew name, derived from “Yehoshua,” meaning “the Lord is salvation.” That meaning carries deep significance, especially given the role Christians believe he played in salvation history.

He was also commonly referred to as Jesus of Nazareth, linking him to the town where he grew up. This wasn’t a last name in the modern sense, but a way to distinguish him from others named Yeshua—a common name at the time. In the Gospels, you’ll see both forms used: “Jesus son of Joseph” (Luke 4:22) and “Jesus of Nazareth” (Matthew 21:11).

Even today, calling someone by their father’s name or hometown remains a custom in many cultures, echoing how personal identity was shaped in ancient times. While we may not know a “full name” in the modern bureaucratic sense, these historical and cultural markers give us a more intimate picture of who Jesus was in his time and place.

So while “Jesus” stands as the name most recognized around the world, understanding its roots and context deepens our appreciation for the man behind the name—Yeshua Bar Yosef, the Savior from Nazareth.