The very first followers of Jesus were called the Nazoreans. This was a general name for the Jewish followers of Christ, but it is unknown to what extent they were actually Christian. They must have known and understood many aspects of Jesus - who spoke Aramaic like the Nazoreans - which are now lost and misunderstood. From 70CE cataclysmic events led to the Nazoreans being dispersed and broken, which led to their demise (except for a brief resurgence in the 2nd century). They were eclipsed by Roman converts to Christ (by the Pauline Christians, mostly).

Many gentiles already called the Nazoreans Christians, but, we still know little about them. The Ebionites are more distinct and had one of the first Christian documents, the Gospel of Matthew. All Christians were sometimes called Ebionites, although later Christians moved so far from their roots that they came to no longer recognize them.