Q: What does JHS (IHS) mean?

A: + JHS +

Jesus Christ in Greek is ΙΗΣΟΥΣ ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ and written in the English alphabet is “IHCOYC XPICTOC” or “IHSOYS XPISTOS”

Starting in the third century the nomina sacra, or names of Jesus, were sometimes shortened by contraction in Christian inscriptions, resulting in sequences of Greek letters such as:

• Jesus •
IH (iota eta)
IC (iota sigma) (first and last letter)
IHC (iota eta sigma)
IHS (iota eta sigma)
JH (iota eta)
JC (iota sigma)
JHC (iota eta sigma)
JHS (iota eta sigma)

• Christ •
X (chi) as in Xmas
XP (chi rho)
XC (chi sigma) (first and last letter)
XPC (chi rho sigma)
XPS (chi rho sigma)

• Jesus Christ •
IX
IC XC
IHS XPS
JX
JC XC
JHS XPS

The Greek letter sigma has been translated as both “C” and “S”
The Greek letter iota has been translated as both “I” and “J”