
The short answer
Moses is a masculine name used in English and Jewish. Behind the Name describes it this way: "From the Hebrew name מֹשֶׁה (Moshe), which is most likely derived from Egyptian mes meaning ‘son’. The biblical Moses was drawn out of the Nile by the pharaoh's daughter and adopted into the royal family, at a time when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt." It ranked #515 for boys in the United States in 2025.
Meaning and etymology
According to Behind the Name, from the Hebrew name מֹשֶׁה (Moshe), which is most likely derived from Egyptian mes meaning ‘son’. The biblical Moses was drawn out of the Nile by the pharaoh's daughter and adopted into the royal family, at a time when the Israelites were slaves in Egypt. The entry lists its usage as English, Jewish, Biblical, Biblical Latin.
Editorial confidence: likely
Popularity
Moses ranked #515 for boys in the United States in 2025. The figure comes from the Social Security Administration's national file for that year.
| Region | Year | Rank | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 2025 | #515 | ssa-2025 |
If you like this name
Names that Behind the Name files under the same origin (English) and that sit near Moses in the 2025 American rankings.
Similar by origin
Frequently asked questions
What does the name Moses mean?
Moses means "son", according to Behind the Name.
Is Moses a popular name?
Moses ranked #515 for boys in the United States in 2025. (Social Security Administration data).
Is Moses a boy's or a girl's name?
In the 2025 SSA data Moses appears in the boys' list; Behind the Name labels it masculine.
Sources
- Behind the Name: Meaning, origin and history of the name Moses — supports meaning, usage, pronunciation, variants.
- U.S. Social Security Administration: Popular Baby Names — national data, year of birth 2025 — supports popularity.