When reading the Bible, it’s clear that Jesus is often referred to simply as “Jesus.” He is not given a last name in the scriptures. However, this does not necessarily mean that Jesus did not have a last name. There are several possibilities that can help explain why a last name for Jesus is never used in the Bible.
1. Surnames were not commonly used at that time
During Jesus’ life in the first century AD, surnames were not widely used or necessary to identify someone. People were often distinguished by their father’s name, their town of origin, or their occupation. For example, Jesus is referred to as “Jesus of Nazareth” (John 1:45; Acts 2:22) to identify where he was from. Simon, one of Jesus’ disciples, is called Simon the Zealot (Luke 6:15), likely referring to his political leanings before following Jesus. And Levi the tax collector (Mark 2:14) is identified by his job. So in Jesus’ cultural context, a surname simply wasn’t needed or used.
2. He was known as “the son of Joseph”
Jesus is often referred to as the “son of Joseph” (John 1:45, 6:42; Luke 3:23). This indicates he would have been known as “Jesus, son of Joseph.” The phrase “son of” was frequently used to identify someone by their father’s name. Jesus being the son of Joseph tells us Joseph was likely considered his legal father. While Christians believe Jesus was conceived by the Holy Spirit and born of the virgin Mary, Joseph was still considered Jesus’ legal guardian and father in the eyes of the law and culture.
3. The name “Christ” signifies Jesus’ most important role
“Christ” is not actually part of Jesus’ name, but rather a title. “Christ” comes from the Greek word Christos and is the equivalent of saying “Messiah” in Hebrew. So phrases like “Jesus Christ” or “Christ Jesus” are identifying Jesus as the Messiah. This title emphasizes his most significant role – that of the promised Savior sent by God. The writers of the New Testament used “Christ” as a way to identify Jesus’ supreme purpose, rather than just a last name.
4. Jesus’ followers may have wished to avoid association with an earthly family name
Since Jesus came to bring in a spiritual kingdom not of this world, his early followers may have avoided attaching him to an earthly family name. As the Son of God who came down from heaven, Jesus transcends any earthly family line. The apostles and gospel writers may have intentionally omitted a surname to avoid confusing Jesus’ spiritual identity with any sort of earthly genealogy.
5. Jesus is identified through his relationship with God the Father
Throughout the gospels, Jesus identifies himself as being intimately connected to God the Father. He is the “only begotten Son” who is “in the bosom of the Father” (John 1:18). He states, “I and the Father are one” (John 10:30). Jesus does not need an earthly surname because his identity stems from his heavenly relationship with his Father. Jesus is the image of the “invisible God” (Colossians 1:15) through whom the fullness of God dwelled (Colossians 2:9).
So in summary, Jesus likely did have an earthly surname through his legal father Joseph, but it was not necessary or emphasized in Scripture. His identity is firmly rooted in his divine relationship with the Father as the Son of God. The writers of the New Testament establish Christ’s supreme purpose on earth as Savior and Lord, pointing to his true heavenly origin and identity.
6. God appointed the name “Jesus” and this is his most important name
According to Matthew 1:21, when the angel appeared to Joseph in a dream he declared: “you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.” The name Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Yeshua, meaning “the Lord saves.” This name was specifically chosen by God to reflect Jesus’ purpose as Savior. It is the name in which salvation is found (Acts 4:12). Since God specially appointed the name Jesus, this takes priority over any human surname.
Philippians 2:9-10 also teaches that God the Father highly exalted Jesus and “bestowed on him the name that is above every name.” The name of Jesus is supreme above all others because of who He is – the Son of God and Savior of the world. Any lesser earthly surname would detract from the greatness and uniqueness of the name Jesus which was ordained by God.
7. In biblical times, a person’s identity centered on their given name
Unlike today where last names have great significance, in Jesus’ day, a person’s identity was much more tied to their given name. That is why parents put so much thought into choosing a meaningful name for their child that reflected their beliefs and hopes for the child’s future. Names like John (“God is gracious”) and Jesus (“the Lord saves”) expressed a sense of identity and purpose. Last names did not have the same kind of importance and meaning.
So for the early believers and writers of Scripture, attaching a last name to Jesus may have seemed unnecessary or out of step with the culture. Jesus’ identity was fully summed up in His give name: Jesus, the divine Son of God sent to be the world’s atoning Savior.
8. Jesus is identified with God the Father
As the Son of God, Jesus transcends any earthly surname identifier. His identity is eternally bound up with God the Father. John 1:1 declares “the Word was with God, and the Word was God.” In John 10:30, Jesus said “I and the Father are one.” Hebrews 1 says Jesus “is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature.” Jesus shared the divine nature and perfectly reflected God’s glory. Identifying Jesus with an earthly surname had no relevance or spiritual meaning since Christ was intrinsically one with the Father.
9. The early church saw Christ as distinct from an earthly family line
The book of Hebrews describes how Jesus is superior to the angels and to Moses. This establishes how Christ transcends the Old Testament law and prophets. The writer of Hebrews then goes further by arguing Jesus is also superior to the Jewish priestly line of Aaron (Hebrews 5-7). The author makes the point that Jesus is from an entirely different priestly line than Aaron’s as a way to distinguish Christ from the earthly Levitical priesthood. This precedent set by Hebrews suggests the early church wished to avoid linking Jesus to any earthly genealogy, including an earthly surname.
10. Jesus is now identified with the resurrected state
Jesus is no longer a merely an earthly man but the eternal resurrected Savior and Lord. After His crucifixion, God “highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name” (Philippians 2:9). Jesus is identified with the resurrected spiritual state, not the earthly state. That is why after the resurrection Jesus declares that He is ascending to “my Father and your Father” (John 20:17). His relationship even with His disciples is now defined by their joint spiritual sonship under the Heavenly Father. An earthly surname now seems irrelevant.
11. Custom and culture dictated surnames were unnecessary
Genealogies in the Bible usually only included the fathers’ names without listing surnames. So when the Gospel of Matthew opens with the genealogy of Jesus tracing His lineage through Joseph, no surnames are listed, only the fathers’ names. This reflects the conventions of the time which did not require surnames to identify lineage or family histories. So within the cultural environment, it was unnecessary to attach a surname to Jesus.
12. Jesus embodied many “names” and titles that defined His identity
Throughout the Bible, Jesus takes on various figurative names and titles that describe His nature and purpose. He is called the Lamb of God (John 1:29), the true vine (John 15:1), the bread of life (John 6:35), Immanuel (“God with us” Matthew 1:23), the alpha and the omega (Revelation 22:13), etc. With so many descriptive titles identifying who Christ was, a mere surname seems inadequate. Jesus could not be fully pinned down to a single static human family name.
Additionally, surname usage varies across cultures. So Jesus could never be limited to one surname since He embodied the Savior of all nations. His identity is universal, transcending any one culture’s naming customs. That is why Scriptures are filled with dozens of names, titles, and descriptors of Jesus rather than just affixing a static surname.
13. Old Testament precedence of characters without surnames
It was not uncommon in the Old Testament for significant characters to be mentioned without a surname. For example, very little is recorded about the names of Moses’ parents (“a man of the house of Levi took as his wife a Levite woman” Exodus 2:1). The prophet Elijah lacks a surname and his father’s name is never mentioned. King David’s mighty warriors listed in 2 Samuel 23 also lack surnames. So there was Old Testament precedence for Jesus to be known primarily by his given name without necessity of a surname.
14. Jesus defied human labels and preconceptions
When the people of Nazareth saw Jesus teaching in the synagogue, they were astonished and confused. They said, “Is this not Joseph the carpenter’s son?” (Matthew 13:55). Even Jesus’ neighbors tried to limit him to a human label and surname. But Christ defied all the preconceptions and earthly categories. He could not be confined to a single surname or family line since He was the Son of God come down from heaven (John 6:38).
15. Jesus bridges all nations, cultures, and ethnicities
As the Savior of the world, Jesus’ purpose was to tear down dividing walls between people groups. The apostle Paul wrote that in Christ, “There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). Affixing an earthly Jewish surname to Jesus could have brought unnecessary division along ethnic lines. Since Christ came to unite all peoples in Himself, it makes sense that His original followers avoided distinct ethnic labels.
This is evidenced by the diversity of names represented in the early church. The apostles Simon, James and John have Hebrew names while apostles like Philip and Andrew have Greek names, representing the expansion of the Gospel across cultures. Had a Jewish surname been rigidly attached to Jesus, it may have hindered the spread of the faith across the Roman empire.
16. Jesus is the fulfillment of many Old Testament “names” of God
Throughout the Old Testament, God takes on different names that reveal specific aspects of His nature and dealings with mankind. For example, God declares Himself to be YHWH Jireh (“The Lord Provides” Genesis 22:14), YHWH Rapha (“The Lord Who Heals” Exodus 15:26), and YHWH Nissi (“The Lord is My Banner” Exodus 17:15). Jesus as God incarnate fulfilled all these various names of God in His life, ministry, death and resurrection.
So while God has many names across the Old Testament, Jesus is the fulfillment of them all. He did not just embody one name or title but the fullness of God (Colossians 2:9). So no single human surname could adequately encompass Christ’s fulfillment of YHWH’s compound names across Scripture.
17. Jesus embodies the name above all names – Lord
Philippians 2 declares that God gave Jesus “the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Here, the name above all names is not just “Jesus” but explicitly “Lord.” To call Jesus “Lord” means He is supreme above all authorities, kings, and rulers.
Lord was a title used in the Roman empire to proclaim Caesar’s authority. But the early Christians used it as a way to identify Jesus as the true highest King who outranks all earthly rulers. His sovereignty encompasses every nation and people group. That is why the uncompromising declaration “Jesus is Lord!” became the simple but countercultural confession of the first believers. No lesser surname was needed since Lord encompasses Christ’s supreme position.
18. Jesus embodies the name above all names – Lord
Philippians 2 declares that God gave Jesus “the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow…and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.” Here, the name above all names is not just “Jesus” but explicitly “Lord.” To call Jesus “Lord” means He is supreme above all authorities, kings, and rulers.
Lord was a title used in the Roman empire to proclaim Caesar’s authority. But the early Christians used it as a way to identify Jesus as the true highest King who outranks all earthly rulers. His sovereignty encompasses every nation and people group. That is why the uncompromising declaration “Jesus is Lord!” became the simple but countercultural confession of the first believers. No lesser surname was needed since Lord encompasses Christ’s supreme position.
19. Conclusion: The supremacy and sufficiency of the name “Jesus Christ”
In summary, while Jesus likely had an earthly surname through his family, the biblical authors chose not to emphasize it. Throughout the New Testament Jesus is referred to simply as “Jesus” or “Jesus Christ” which clearly identified Him for who He was – the divine Son of God and promised Messiah. For the writers of Scripture and early disciples, attaching a human surname to Him may have seemed limiting and irrelevant.
Jesus could not be confined to a single family line or ethnic identity. As the Savior who transcended culture, ethnicity, and all human boundaries, Jesus embodied many names and titles from Scripture that encompassed the fullness of His identity and purpose. Most importantly, He embodied the supreme names above all others: Lord and Christ. No other surname was needed to augment those ultimate titles.
So in the end, the simple yet profound names “Jesus Christ” were fully sufficient to reveal His identity and origins. Jesus’ complete identity is rooted in His relationship to the Father as the one true Son of God. While Jesus likely bore a legal surname during His earthly life, His spiritual identity and heavenly purpose transcended any single family name.
