Moses

Moses meaning

Moses is a Christian boy's name of Hebrew origin.

Drawing out (of the water), that is, rescued

Also used to mean: drawn out of the water, saviour

Moses is the Hebrew Mosheh. Strong's Concordance (H4872) derives it from mashah, "to draw out", and explains it as "drawing out of the water", that is, rescued, following Exodus 2:10, where Pharaoh's daughter names the baby she found among the reeds of the Nile "because I drew him out of the water". Brown-Driver-Briggs thinks the name is probably Egyptian, meaning "child" or "son". Moses led Israel out of Egypt, received the Ten Commandments at Sinai and is honoured by Jews, Christians and Muslims, who call him Musa. It is used in Christian families in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Northeast.

Source: Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (1890), Hebrew and Chaldee Dictionary, H4872 · entry Mosheh (מֹשֶׁה) · See the entry · checked 25 Oct 2026

References: Strong's H4872, Mosheh (Bible Hub) · Exodus 2:10 (Bible Hub)

Famous namesakes

• Moses, prophet and lawgiver of Israel

Popularity abroad

• #515 United States, boys 2025 (down 15 from 500 in 2024)
  US Social Security Administration
• #627 England and Wales, boys 2025
  Office for National Statistics

Official birth registrations. India publishes no national name statistics.

Spellings

Moses · Moshe

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