# Can I be called Jesus **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [January 10, 2003, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684 "2003-01-10T04:40:59Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 19\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/21 "2003-01-10T16:19:01Z")
_From the 1930 U.S. census:_ Jesus Christensen (age 65, b. Denmark) ---
**Author:** ![metroshane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/aeb1de/32.png) [@metroshane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/metroshane)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 4:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/22 "2003-01-10T16:28:25Z")
\>\>\>because Brits generally can’t pronounce words of other languages correctly You ever heard how they pronounce English? ---
**Author:** ![Kyla](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/eada6e/32.png) [@Kyla](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kyla)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 7:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/23 "2003-01-10T19:18:17Z")
Gah. The server hates me. Anyway, Jesus would have pronounced his name “Yehoshua”. There’s no j-sound in Hebrew, or, I believe, Aramaic. It’s the same name that Joshua comes from, just transliterated through a different route. ---
**Author:** ![lieu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/c2a13f/32.png) [@lieu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lieu)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/24 "2003-01-10T19:58:03Z")
You’re gonna freak people out when you say “God damn it”. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/13edae/32.png) [@Dewey\_Cheatem\_Undhow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Cheatem_Undhow)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/25 "2003-01-10T20:16:43Z")
If you can change your name to “World B. Free” (as one NBA player actually did), I can’t imagine Jesus Christ would be a problem. 😃 Are there restrictions on the use of profanity or sexually suggestive names? Say I’m a Monty Python fan – can I legally name myself “Biggus Dickus”? 😉 And are the standards different for birth names and name changes? ---
**Author:** ![NetLord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/90ced4/32.png) [@NetLord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NetLord)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/26 "2003-01-10T20:50:41Z")
“Ieshuah” is a common name in Israel. Just like it was in the Big Guy’s days. ---
**Author:** ![mazzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mazzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazzer)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 9:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/27 "2003-01-10T21:03:18Z")
Changing your name is a legal matter. If you get in front of the right judge, you can change it to whatever you want. Others may simply deny your request. So it depends. Yes and no is your answer. And don’t forget Russell Jones, a.ka. Ol’ Dirty Bastard, a.k.a. Big Babby Jesus! ---
**Author:** ![X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/bbe5ce/32.png) [@X\_Slayer\_ALE](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/X_Slayer_ALE)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/28 "2003-01-10T21:13:39Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by SCSimmons \* > \*\*I found Jesus! > . > . > . > He was hiding in my trunk when I got back from Tiajuana. > > 😃 \*\* SEEE!!! I toldya Jesus doesnt drive… ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/29 "2003-01-10T22:16:29Z")
When I saw this title I thought “_This boy is definitely from out of town_”. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/30 "2003-01-10T22:20:10Z")
When I saw this title I thought “_This boy is definitely from out of town_”. And I hope that no judge actually changed anyone’s name to “Ol’ Dirty Bastard” (even though ‘Bastard’ was once a viable surname), or “Big Baby Jesus”. ---
**Author:** ![syncrolecyne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f08c70/32.png) [@syncrolecyne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/syncrolecyne)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/31 "2003-01-10T22:21:13Z")
I don’t know how that happened…delete! ---
**Author:** ![mazzer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/eada6e/32.png) [@mazzer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mazzer)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/32 "2003-01-10T23:06:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by cuate \* > \*\*And I hope that no judge actually changed anyone’s name to “Ol’ Dirty Bastard” (even though ‘Bastard’ was once a viable surname), or “Big Baby Jesus”. \*\* He tried unsuccessfully to change his name to both. The judge denied his requests. Why do you hope, though? I don’t see how changing his name to either of those would infringe on anyone else’s rights. ---
**Author:** ![Azael](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a8b319/32.png) [@Azael](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Azael)\ **Post date:** [January 10, 2003, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/33 "2003-01-10T23:58:03Z")
There isn’t anything illegal about changing your name to Jesus… I’d imagine if it were it would represent an entanglement of government with religion. ---
**Author:** ![HighSoci](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/ba8739/32.png) [@HighSoci](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HighSoci)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/34 "2003-01-11T00:56:14Z")
You can change your name to whatever you want. The name Jesus isn’t what is important anyway. It was the miracles that he performed and who the Messiah Jesus was and what he came for. So if you want to change your name to Jesus Christ or Oliver Aliwicious Shagnasty you are still the same person on the inside. Being a Christian from the heart of the Bible belt in East Texas, I can assure you it would not offend me in any way because I know that a name is just a title, but what you do with your life and what your purpose in life is… that’s what really matters. ---
**Author:** ![mightyaphrodite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@mightyaphrodite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mightyaphrodite)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 1:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/35 "2003-01-11T01:16:43Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by bifar \* > \*\*Pardon me? Um. Yes they can. > > Ok, sorry for the high-jack, carry on. \*\* Most of my family and our immediate friends are British or of British descent. When I added the correction that I’ve at least never met a Brit that could, I was not basing it off of 1 or 2 people. 🙂 I’m sure there have to be some that can, I’ve just never personally met one. ---
**Author:** ![mightyaphrodite](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/47e85d/32.png) [@mightyaphrodite](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mightyaphrodite)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 1:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/36 "2003-01-11T01:18:27Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Kyla \* > \*\*Gah. The server hates me. > > Anyway, Jesus would have pronounced his name “Yehoshua”. There’s no j-sound in Hebrew, or, I believe, Aramaic. It’s the same name that Joshua comes from, just transliterated through a different route. \*\* Ah, that I wasn’t aware of, thank you. 🙂 I had been told by many that the way Jesus is pronounced in Spanish was more appropriate. Thank you for the clarification. ---
**Author:** ![JRDelirious](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jrdelirious/32/9531_2.png) [@JRDelirious](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JRDelirious)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/37 "2003-01-11T01:54:01Z")
Nah, the way it’s pronounced in Spanish just has the sounds of the _vowels_ be somewhat closer to the way it’s pronounced _in the Greek/Latin_ that the Gospels were written in/passed down for most of the history of Christianity. “e” as in “eh”, “u” as in “ooh”, as opposed to the English gee-zuhs. The name goes from Hebrew/Aramaic Y’shua/Yehoshua to Greek “Iesous” to Latin “Iesu(s)” (remember a distinct letter “J” – and the way English and Spanish pronounce it different from “Y” – was a later development) As for the name, if some dude in Florida could call himself Yahweh Bin Yahweh, I don’t see why not. BTW: my own contact with a “Christ”: my economics professor at JHU in the early 80s, Carl Christ, a former mathematician for the Manhattan Project. ---
**Author:** ![Superdude](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/superdude/32/13450_2.png) [@Superdude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Superdude)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 6:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/38 "2003-01-11T18:59:45Z")
[http://www.mcphee.com/enlightenment/current/10746.html](http://www.mcphee.com/enlightenment/current/10746.html) Just make sure he gets a piece of the merchandising royalties. ---
**Author:** ![Dangerosa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/22d042/32.png) [@Dangerosa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dangerosa)\ **Post date:** [January 11, 2003, 10:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684/39 "2003-01-11T22:50:33Z")
My grandfather’s middle name was Christ. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/can-i-be-called-jesus/147684.md?page=1)