People are trying to figure out what the “H” in Jesus H. Christ means – and it’s likely not what you expect.
First, let’s clear something up: Jesus Christ isn’t his full name, so he wouldn’t be called ‘Mr. Christ’ or anything like that.
His name is simply Jesus, and “Christ” is a title given to him because he is called ‘Christ our Savior’.
When people get frustrated or angry, they often say “Jesus H. Christ,” which has made some wonder what the “H” stands for.
Some people think the “H” stands for “holy.”
Others have looked through the Bible to see if Jesus has a hidden middle name starting with H.
Even though there’s no clear answer in the Bible, people think there are some possible explanations.
According to Did You Know Facts, the Chi Rho symbol is often used to represent Jesus Christ’s name.
If you’re not familiar with the Chi Rho symbol, it’s one of the oldest ways to shorten Jesus’ name.
It combines the first two letters of the Greek word Χριστό, which means Christ.
There is also another combination used to represent Jesus, which is IHϹ, and this is different from the divine monogram.
This combination is made up of the first three letters of Ἰησοῦς, the Greek spelling of the name ‘Jesus’.
However, in the early 19th century, Americans saw this and misunderstood it as JHC, believing it stood for “Jesus H. Christ” – making the H an extra letter.
It became popular in the 19th century thanks to humorist and satirical writer Mark Twain, who often used the phrase in his work.
This has become the most widely accepted explanation for what the H stands for in “Jesus H. Christ.”
However, there is a second explanation for what the H stands for.
On Quora, one user believes that the H stands for “Hominum.”
They explain: “Hominum. JHS = Jesus Hominum Salvator. It is Latin for ‘Jesus the Saviour of Mankind.’
“Homo is a third declension word, and ‘hominum’ is the plural genitive.
“But if you see it written as IHC, it is Greek iota-eta-sigma, which is read ‘yes.’ It is shorthand for Jesus, just like Bob is for Robert or Tom is for Thomas.”
This explanation left readers surprised, as one person says: “Dammit, I always assumed it’s ‘holy’.”
Another user comments: “I was told by a Jewish friend that the H stood for Hymie ‘cuz Jesus was a good Jewish boy, but your answer makes more sense.”
While someone else adds: “I like it being his second name, ‘Horace’, better. You know, with exactly that, historically accurate spelling.”
So, depending on which explanation you believe, the mysterious H either refers to Jesus being the savior of mankind or is just a misinterpretation.
