James Boy

Popularity: #6 · Trend: ↘ Falling

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.

JuliaJasmineJadeJessicaJocelyn

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.

JaneJadeJasmineJanelleJamieJennaJoyJoan

U.S. Historical Usage

The name James was first seen in the United States in 1880.

James has ranked as high as #2 nationally, which occurred in 1947, and has been most popular in New York, Pennsylvania, California, Texas, and Ohio.

In the past 5 years the name James has been trending down 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.

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 Total Births Boy Girl
2025 12,004 11,945 59
2024 11,924 11,856 68
2023 11,818 11,739 79
2022 12,204 12,119 85
2021 12,542 12,474 68
2020 12,456 12,390 66
2019 13,266 13,198 68
2018 13,695 13,650 45
2017 14,439 14,362 77
2016 14,987 14,920 67
2015 14,904 14,865 39
2014 14,506 14,464 42
2013 13,624 13,596 28
2012 13,486 13,458 28
2011 13,305 13,275 30
2010 13,931 13,901 30
2009 14,274 14,223 51
2008 15,222 15,190 32
2007 16,006 15,973 33
2006 16,301 16,255 46
2005 16,166 16,140 26
2004 16,564 16,469 95
2003 16,930 16,896 34
2002 16,999 16,968 31
2001 17,116 17,074 42
2000 18,031 17,991 40
1999 18,595 18,555 40
1998 19,735 19,690 45
1997 20,450 20,408 42
1996 21,227 21,165 62
1995 22,796 22,739 57
1994 24,845 24,778 67
1993 26,334 26,259 75
1992 28,583 28,513 70
1991 30,609 30,514 95
1990 32,474 32,359 115
1989 32,896 32,720 176
1988 32,767 32,523 244
1987 32,905 32,659 246
1986 34,330 34,057 273
1985 36,149 35,862 287
1984 36,097 35,859 238
1983 36,624 36,342 282
1982 39,191 38,874 317
1981 38,555 38,283 272
1980 39,583 39,312 271
1979 39,612 39,351 261
1978 40,163 39,894 269
1977 40,313 40,040 273
1976 38,546 38,294 252
1975 39,823 39,569 254
1974 41,584 41,334 250
1973 43,152 42,836 316
1972 47,363 47,063 300
1971 54,899 54,597 302
1970 62,088 61,735 353
1969 60,215 59,886 329
1968 60,977 60,665 312
1967 61,993 61,683 310
1966 65,461 65,163 298
1965 67,969 67,666 303
1964 73,344 73,026 318
1963 71,605 71,294 311
1962 72,817 72,555 262
1961 76,251 75,969 282
1960 77,106 76,815 291
1959 78,942 78,648 294
1958 79,026 78,774 252
1957 84,616 84,337 279
1956 85,145 84,897 248
1955 84,429 84,186 243
1954 86,536 86,311 225
1953 86,302 86,066 236
1952 87,323 87,065 258
1951 87,512 87,256 256
1950 86,480 86,228 252
1949 87,115 86,858 257
1948 88,856 88,605 251
1947 95,024 94,767 257
1946 87,688 87,438 250
1945 74,711 74,464 247
1944 77,188 76,951 237
1943 80,550 80,278 272
1942 77,462 77,182 280
1941 67,007 66,751 256
1940 62,740 62,481 259
1939 59,904 59,636 268
1938 59,377 59,102 275
1937 56,812 56,561 251
1936 54,923 54,694 229
1935 55,243 55,005 238
1934 54,532 54,270 262
1933 51,411 51,112 299
1932 52,250 51,930 320
1931 51,557 51,212 345
1930 54,376 53,957 419
1929 52,532 52,135 397
1928 53,179 52,752 427
1927 54,064 53,674 390
1926 53,554 53,196 358
1925 53,045 52,680 365
1924 53,216 52,942 274
1923 50,742 50,462 280
1922 50,041 49,802 239
1921 49,981 49,750 231
1920 48,157 47,908 249
1919 42,584 42,392 192
1918 42,327 42,115 212
1917 37,519 37,337 182
1916 35,735 35,569 166
1915 33,928 33,773 155
1914 26,369 26,262 107
1913 20,927 20,832 95
1912 17,725 17,644 81
1911 10,021 9,952 69
1910 9,257 9,194 63
1909 7,647 7,595 52
1908 7,044 7,012 32
1907 6,752 6,707 45
1906 5,945 5,908 37
1905 6,077 6,042 35
1904 5,882 5,855 27
1903 5,507 5,479 28
1902 5,622 5,592 30
1901 4,765 4,735 30
1900 7,286 7,245 41
1899 4,624 4,597 27
1898 5,350 5,321 29
1897 5,143 5,113 30
1896 5,234 5,206 28
1895 5,369 5,335 34
1894 5,135 5,110 25
1893 5,053 5,030 23
1892 5,420 5,398 22
1891 4,547 4,516 31
1890 5,130 5,097 33
1889 5,046 5,020 26
1888 5,607 5,562 45
1887 4,786 4,767 19
1886 5,384 5,355 29
1885 5,201 5,175 26
1884 5,726 5,693 33
1883 5,248 5,223 25
1882 5,910 5,892 18
1881 5,465 5,441 24
1880 5,949 5,927 22

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. The table below shows the five states with the highest number of births for this name in the selected year. Use the toggle to expand the list to every state with reported births.

State Births Share
CA 1,026
9%
TX 1,014
9%
NY 642
5%
FL 605
5%
GA 478
4%
NC 475
4%
PA 433
4%
VA 425
4%
OH 421
4%
IL 389
3%
TN 365
3%
MA 345
3%
NJ 332
3%
MI 300
3%
AL 297
3%
SC 262
2%
MO 249
2%
WA 247
2%
IN 245
2%
AZ 229
2%
MD 211
2%
CO 205
2%
MN 205
2%
KY 201
2%
WI 200
2%
UT 196
2%
CT 169
1%
LA 166
1%
MS 146
1%
KS 128
1%
OR 123
1%
OK 119
1%
AR 110
1%
ID 96
1%
IA 92
1%
NV 73
1%
NE 66
1%
NH 63
1%
DC 58
0%
MT 56
0%
WV 47
0%
ME 41
0%
DE 37
0%
RI 36
0%
NM 33
0%
AK 29
0%
SD 28
0%
ND 28
0%
HI 27
0%
WY 24
0%
VT 17
0%