James Boy
Name Meaning & Origin Pronunciation: JAYMZ //dʒeɪmz//
Origin: Hebrew; English
Meaning: Hebrew: Supplanter; English: Derived from the male name James
Historical & Cultural Background
The name James has its roots in the Hebrew name Ya'aqov (Jacob), which means "to follow" or "to supplant." This name was translated into Greek as Iakobos and subsequently into Latin as Iacobus. The transition into Old French occurred as Iacom, which eventually evolved into the modern English form, James.
The name was introduced into England after the Norman Conquest in the 11th century, where it became popular among the Anglo-Norman nobility and was further solidified in English through the influence of the Bible and royal figures. One of the most significant historical milestones associated with the name James is its biblical connection.
James is the name of several figures in the New Testament, including James the Just, a leader in the early Christian church and traditionally considered the author of the Epistle of James. The name gained prominence in the Christian tradition, particularly through the King James Version of the Bible, published in 1611, which played a crucial role in the dissemination of the name in English-speaking cultures.
Additionally, several English kings bore the name, most notably James I of England, who reigned from 1603 to 1625 and was instrumental in the unification of England and Scotland. Culturally, the name James has been associated with various virtues and qualities, such as leadership and resilience, partly due to its biblical and royal connections.
The name has also inspired numerous diminutive forms, such as Jim and Jamie, which have been used affectionately throughout history. The enduring nature of the name can be attributed to its strong historical roots and the significant figures who have carried it, making it a symbol of authority and respect across different cultures and eras.
Famous people named James
In this section, you will find notable people named James. We include individuals across a wide range of fields, including actors known for their work in film, television, and stage productions. You'll also find musicians, directors, and other public figures named James who have made a significant impact on popular culture.
We also feature individuals named James who have made meaningful contributions to science, politics, athletics, literature, and other areas of public interest.
Please note that not every baby name in our database currently has a famous namesake listed. If you would like to suggest a name we may have missed or submit a correction, feel free to contact us. We review and finalize additions and corrections within 24 hours.
James Cameron is a filmmaker best known for Titanic, Avatar, and The Terminator.
James Earl Jones is an actor best known for Star Wars, The Lion King, and Field of Dreams.
James Franco is an actor and filmmaker best known for 127 Hours, Spider-Man, and The Disaster Artist.
James Hetfield is a musician best known as the lead vocalist and rhythm guitarist of Metallica.
James Patterson is an author best known for the Alex Cross series, Women's Murder Club series, and Maximum Ride series.
James Blunt is a singer-songwriter best known for You're Beautiful, Goodbye My Lover, and 1973.
James Caan is an actor best known for The Godfather, Misery, and Elf.
James McAvoy is an actor best known for Atonement, Split, and X-Men: First Class.
James Marsden is an actor best known for The Notebook, X-Men, and Enchanted.
James Roday Rodriguez is an actor and director best known for Psych, A Million Little Things, and Gravy.
James Taylor is a singer-songwriter best known for Fire and Rain, You've Got a Friend, and Sweet Baby James.
James Wan is a filmmaker best known for The Conjuring, Saw, and Aquaman.
James Lovelock is a scientist best known for proposing the Gaia theory.
James Baldwin is an author best known for Go Tell It on the Mountain, Giovanni's Room, and The Fire Next Time.
James Earl Jones is a voice actor best known for voicing Darth Vader in Star Wars and Mufasa in The Lion King.
James Corden is a television host and actor best known for The Late Late Show with James Corden, Gavin & Stacey, and Into the Woods.
James Mercer is a musician best known as the lead vocalist and guitarist of The Shins.
James T. Kirk is a fictional character best known as the captain of the USS Enterprise in Star Trek.
James R. Clapper is a former Director of National Intelligence best known for his role in U.S. intelligence community.
James Carville is a political consultant best known for his work on Bill Clinton's presidential campaign.
Fictional characters named James
The following list of fictional characters named James is a work in progress. If you would like to suggest an additional character, please send us the character's name along with a brief, one-sentence description of what they are best known for.
You may also submit corrections, which we will review and update as quickly as possible.
James T. Kirk is a fictional character from the TV and film franchise Star Trek. He is the captain of the starship Enterprise.
James Bond is a fictional character from the film series James Bond. He is the British secret agent known as 007.
James Potter is a fictional character from the book series Harry Potter. He is the father of the main protagonist, Harry Potter, and a member of the original Order of the Phoenix.
James Sutherland is a fictional character from the video game series Silent Hill. He is the main protagonist of Silent Hill 2, searching for his deceased wife in the eerie town.
James Norrington is a fictional character from the film series Pirates of the Caribbean. He is a British naval officer who has a complicated relationship with the pirate Jack Sparrow.
Sibling suggestions
If you're looking for sibling name ideas that pair well with James, the following options are frequently chosen as complementary choices by parents.
Similar names
Based on our extensive baby names database, several names share stylistic or phonetic similarities with James. These names can serve as alternatives to the sibling suggestions listed above and may help you find the perfect complementary name for your growing family.
U.S. Historical Usage
The name James was first seen in the United States in 1880.
James has ranked as high as #529 nationally, which occurred in 1928, and has been most popular in New York, California, North Carolina, Georgia, and Pennsylvania.
In the past 5 years the name James has been trending up compared to the previous 5 years.
Popularity Over Time (National)
The name James is part of our comprehensive baby names database, which includes Social Security Administration (SSA) data dating back to 1880—the first official year of state and national tracking. The chart below shows when James was first recorded in the United States and illustrates how its popularity has risen and fallen over time.
Top States for James (2024)
We track the most popular states for each baby name every year and highlight the locations where the name appears most frequently. In some cases, you may see four or five states listed. However, we only display states where the name represents a significant percentage of births, so the number of states shown can range from one to several.
| State | Births | Share |
|---|---|---|
| TX | 9 | |
| CA | 7 |
Popularity Over Time (National) — Table
We track the national popularity of each baby name annually. The table below displays each year along with the number of births reported by the Social Security Administration. This data combines all state-level reporting from the SSA's baby names database to provide a comprehensive view of overall birth counts for James.
| Year | Births |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 68 |
| 2023 | 79 |
| 2022 | 85 |
| 2021 | 68 |
| 2020 | 66 |
| 2019 | 68 |
| 2018 | 45 |
| 2017 | 77 |
| 2016 | 67 |
| 2015 | 39 |
| 2014 | 42 |
| 2013 | 28 |
| 2012 | 28 |
| 2011 | 30 |
| 2010 | 30 |
| 2009 | 51 |
| 2008 | 32 |
| 2007 | 33 |
| 2006 | 46 |
| 2005 | 26 |
| 2004 | 95 |
| 2003 | 34 |
| 2002 | 31 |
| 2001 | 42 |
| 2000 | 40 |
| 1999 | 40 |
| 1998 | 45 |
| 1997 | 42 |
| 1996 | 62 |
| 1995 | 57 |
| 1994 | 67 |
| 1993 | 75 |
| 1992 | 70 |
| 1991 | 95 |
| 1990 | 115 |
| 1989 | 176 |
| 1988 | 244 |
| 1987 | 246 |
| 1986 | 273 |
| 1985 | 287 |
| 1984 | 238 |
| 1983 | 282 |
| 1982 | 317 |
| 1981 | 272 |
| 1980 | 271 |
| 1979 | 261 |
| 1978 | 269 |
| 1977 | 273 |
| 1976 | 252 |
| 1975 | 254 |
| 1974 | 250 |
| 1973 | 316 |
| 1972 | 300 |
| 1971 | 302 |
| 1970 | 354 |
| 1969 | 329 |
| 1968 | 312 |
| 1967 | 310 |
| 1966 | 298 |
| 1965 | 303 |
| 1964 | 318 |
| 1963 | 311 |
| 1962 | 262 |
| 1961 | 284 |
| 1960 | 291 |
| 1959 | 294 |
| 1958 | 252 |
| 1957 | 279 |
| 1956 | 248 |
| 1955 | 243 |
| 1954 | 225 |
| 1953 | 236 |
| 1952 | 258 |
| 1951 | 256 |
| 1950 | 252 |
| 1949 | 257 |
| 1948 | 251 |
| 1947 | 257 |
| 1946 | 250 |
| 1945 | 247 |
| 1944 | 237 |
| 1943 | 272 |
| 1942 | 280 |
| 1941 | 256 |
| 1940 | 259 |
| 1939 | 268 |
| 1938 | 275 |
| 1937 | 251 |
| 1936 | 229 |
| 1935 | 238 |
| 1934 | 262 |
| 1933 | 299 |
| 1932 | 320 |
| 1931 | 345 |
| 1930 | 419 |
| 1929 | 397 |
| 1928 | 427 |
| 1927 | 390 |
| 1926 | 358 |
| 1925 | 365 |
| 1924 | 274 |
| 1923 | 280 |
| 1922 | 239 |
| 1921 | 231 |
| 1920 | 249 |
| 1919 | 192 |
| 1918 | 212 |
| 1917 | 182 |
| 1916 | 166 |
| 1915 | 155 |
| 1914 | 107 |
| 1913 | 95 |
| 1912 | 81 |
| 1911 | 69 |
| 1910 | 63 |
| 1909 | 52 |
| 1908 | 32 |
| 1907 | 45 |
| 1906 | 37 |
| 1905 | 35 |
| 1904 | 27 |
| 1903 | 28 |
| 1902 | 30 |
| 1901 | 30 |
| 1900 | 41 |
| 1899 | 27 |
| 1898 | 29 |
| 1897 | 30 |
| 1896 | 28 |
| 1895 | 34 |
| 1894 | 25 |
| 1893 | 23 |
| 1892 | 22 |
| 1891 | 31 |
| 1890 | 33 |
| 1889 | 26 |
| 1888 | 45 |
| 1887 | 19 |
| 1886 | 29 |
| 1885 | 26 |
| 1884 | 33 |
| 1883 | 25 |
| 1882 | 18 |
| 1881 | 24 |
| 1880 | 22 |