The fish symbol is known as the Ichthys (pronounced ICK-thees). It is an ancient Christian symbol made up of two curved lines forming the shape of a fish.

The word Ichthys comes from Greek and is an acronym formed from the phrase:

Iesous Christos Theou Yios Soter

Which translates to:

“Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior.”

Each letter of the Greek word ΙΧΘΥΣ represents one word in this phrase.

Because of this meaning, the symbol became one of the earliest signs used by Christians to identify their faith.

The Historical Origin of the Symbol

The fish symbol dates back nearly 2,000 years to the early days of Christianity.

During the first centuries after the time of Jesus, Christians were often persecuted by the Roman Empire. Because openly declaring their faith could be dangerous, believers used secret symbols to recognize one another.

The fish symbol became one of those signs.

According to historical accounts, if two strangers met and one person drew half of a fish in the sand, the other Christian might complete the drawing. This silent exchange showed they shared the same faith.

This made the fish symbol both a hidden code and a sign of belonging among early Christians.