Moses
Male nameHebrew
✨ Meaning
Moses comes from the Hebrew Mosheh. The biblical text explains the name as 'drawn out of the water,' referring to the infant's rescue from the Nile, but linguists generally regard that as a wordplay and derive the name instead from the Egyptian 'mes,' meaning child or born, the element found in names such as Thutmose and Ramesses. Both explanations are worth knowing.
🌍 Origin
Moses is the central figure of the Exodus and is honoured in Jewish, Christian and Islamic tradition, where the Arabic form is Musa. The name has been continuously used in Jewish communities, was taken up by English Protestants after the Reformation, and remains in steady use across Africa, the Americas and Europe.
📈 Popularity Trend
⭐ Famous People Named Moses
- Moses Malone
- Moses Mendelssohn
- Moses Sumney
❓ Frequently Asked Questions
What does Moses mean?
The biblical explanation is 'drawn out of the water,' but linguists generally derive it from the Egyptian 'mes,' meaning child or born.
Is Moses used outside Judaism and Christianity?
Yes. He is a major prophet in Islam, where the name appears as Musa, one of the most common names in the Muslim world.
How is Moses pronounced?
In English it is MOH-zez. The Hebrew Mosheh is mo-SHEH.