James

“Variant of Jacob — Supplanter, or holder of the heel” — Hebrew, via Greek and Latin origin

Boy's name · #6 in the US (2025) · Timeless

James has held steady since 1880, standing at #6 in 2025. It has spent 13 years as America's #1 name. James's short forms are Jim, Jimmy, Jake, Jamie, and Jimmie. About 790 boys a year are given Jake as their full name. Popular twin pairings with James include John and William for boys, and Emma and Julia for girls.

Around the world: #3 in N. Ireland (2025) · #4 in Ireland (2025) · #6 in Netherlands (2025) · #8 in Canada (2024) · #13 in New Zealand (2025).

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 51 states, the #1 boy's name in 1 of them. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Famous Jameses

James Joyce — Irish novelist and poet (1882–1941)
James Cook — British explorer, cartographer and naval officer (1728–1779)
James Madison — President of the United States from 1809 to 1817 (1751–1836)
James Clerk Maxwell — Scottish physicist (1831–1879)
James Watt — British engineer (1736–1819)

In stories & tradition

James (Harry Potter) — Harry Potter · Harry Potter and the Cursed Child
James (Wolverine) — Logan · X-Men
James, son of Alphaeus — human biblical figure

What Jameses become

Among 28,149 notable people named James:

Military figures appear 2.45× more often than among typical names — e.g. James Cook, British explorer, cartographer and naval officer (1728–1779).

Similar names: David · Jameson · William · Joseph · John · Thomas

Browse more boy names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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