Zacchaeus

Meaning of Zacchaeus

This masculine name, Zacchaeus, derives from the Hebrew Zakkai (זַכַּי), meaning “pure” or “clean,” and passed through Greek into the Latin Vulgate with an added nuance of “God has remembered.” Its most famous bearer in Luke’s Gospel—a Jericho tax collector whose unexpected transformation after meeting Jesus epitomizes repentance—imbues the name with themes of renewal and moral awakening. Although never a mainstream choice in the United States, Zacchaeus has sustained modest usage, ranking in the high 800s with roughly 40 to 70 annual births in recent years. Pronounced zuh-KEE-us (zə-ˈkiː-əs) in both British and American English, it offers contemporary parents a link to Latin Christian heritage and a narrative steeped in scriptural tradition.