James
/dʒeɪmz/ · rhymes with “names”
The English form of Jacob that was #1 from 1940 to 1952.
Hebrew · from Yaʿaqov, through Latin
One of the Twelve Apostles was James the Great, who died around AD 44. It peaked at 94,767 in 1947; in 2025 there were 11,945.
James at a glance
What James means
The English form of Jacob — from Yaʿaqov, through Latin
James is the English form of Jacob. It travelled from the Hebrew Yaʿaqov through Latin Iacobus and Vulgar Latin Iacomus to Old French James, and the Hebrew name is usually explained as “holder of the heel” or “supplanter”.
The best-known early bearer is James the Great, one of the Twelve Apostles, a brother of John and a son of Zebedee, who died around AD 44. He is also called Saint James the Greater, and in Spanish he is Santiago, so the same name turns up in many languages.
The name has taken many shapes on its journey. Jacob and Jakob are used in German and Polish, Jacques in French, Giacomo in Italian, Hamish in Scotland, and Spanish has Jaime, Diego and Iago as well. Each of them is a descendant of the same Hebrew name, which is why families with very different languages can share a name without knowing it.
In everyday speech James is often shortened. Jim, Jimmy and Jimbo, Jamie, Jay, and even Jack and Jake all work as short or pet forms of it, which gives the name a wide range of everyday forms.
James appears in the Social Security files in every year since 1880, and it ranked #2 as early as 1910. James has been the most popular boys’ name in the country thirteen times (1940 to 1952). It peaked at 94,767 in 1947. Its lowest rank, #19, came in 1999. In 2025 it is #6 with 11,945 boys.
Source and context
The name history comes from Wikipedia, the people from linked Wikipedia pages, and every number from US Social Security data. We rewrite everything in our own words.
- Paragraph 1 Wikipedia: James (given name)
- Paragraph 2 Wikipedia: James the Great
- Paragraph 3 Wikipedia: James (given name)
- Paragraph 4 Wikipedia: James (given name)
- Paragraph 5 US Social Security Administration
- Note Wikipedia: James the Great
The numbers behind James
A look at the rankings over time and across places.
Popularity in motion
How James ranks among boys’ names each year, 2015 to 2025. A lower number means more popular.
James’s rank climbed from #7 in 2015 to a best of #4 in 2017, then eased to #6 in 2025. It moved down 1 place in 2025.
In babies the change is bigger than the rank suggests: 14,865 boys in 2015 and 11,945 in 2025, down 20%.
High points for James
- 1910Near the top
#2 among boys · 9,194 boys - 1940First time at #1
#1 · 62,481 boys - 1947Most babies
94,767 boys · rank #1 - 1952Last year at #1
#1 · 87,065 boys - 1999Lowest rank
#19 among boys · 18,555 boys - 2025Latest year
#6 among boys · 11,945 boys
James is strong across the country
Ranked by how popular James is among boys’ names in each state in 2025 (in-state rank, not births per head). Mississippi ranks James highest (#1 among boys), then Wyoming (#2) and Alabama (#3). Louisiana, Connecticut, Delaware, South Carolina and Tennessee complete the top eight, and five of the eight are Southern states.
- 1Mississippi#1
- 2Wyoming#2
- 3Alabama#3
- 4Louisiana#3
- 5Connecticut#4
- 6Delaware#4
- 7South Carolina#4
- 8Tennessee#4
James across the decades
Babies named James in the US each year, 1880 to 2025.
Most popular around 1947,
still #6 today.
First recorded in 1880. It peaked at 94,767 in 1947 and stood at 11,945 in 2025.
Source: US Social Security Administration, national baby name data, 1880–2025. Calculation: NameMochi.
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The story around James
Notable people and namesakes
Early and historical bearers include the apostle James the Great (died around AD 44), the explorer Captain James Cook (1728–1779), the fourth US president James Madison (1751–1836), the Irish author James Joyce (1882–1941) and the American actor James Dean (1931–1955).
Names like James
Computed from the same Social Security data as the Name Finder: names that were already loved before 1930, classics that are less crowded and names with the same length and ending.
Compare names
Four names near the top of the chart: Oliver (#3), Theodore (#4), James (#6), William (#9). Two of them have lost ground since 2015.
| Name | Style | Latest rank | Change since 2015 | Stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| James | Biblical · One syllable · Timeless | #6 | ↑ 1 place | Slipping |
| William | Classic of the same era | #9 | ↓ 4 places | Cooling |
| Theodore | Vintage favorite | #4 | ↑ 95 places | Rising fast |
| Oliver | Soft classic | #3 | ↑ 16 places | Rising |
Change is the move in rank since 2015, so a name can climb in rank while fewer babies are given it.
Stage compares the number of babies named in 2025 with 2015 (rising or cooling at 25% or more, fast at 50% or more).
What draws people to James
- One syllable, strong and instantly familiar.Our view
- Deep roots: an apostle’s name that became a classic of English.Our view
- James has held a place in the top 10 every year since 2014.From the data
- Almost entirely a boy’s name: 99.5% of babies named James are boys.From the data
- It pairs easily with almost any middle name.Our view
Things to consider
- A very common name, with 11,945 boys in 2025, so a child may well share it with classmates.Our view
- It has cooled from its peak: 94,767 in 1947, 11,945 in 2025, and down 19% since 2015.From the data
Common questions about James
Is James a boy’s name or a girl’s name?
James is a boy’s name. In 2025, 11,945 boys were named James against 59 girls.
What does James mean?
James is the English form of Jacob, from the Hebrew Yaʿaqov through Latin and Old French. The Hebrew name is usually explained as “holder of the heel” or “supplanter”.
How common is the name James?
Very common. In 2025, 12,004 American babies were named James, which ranks #6 among boys. It was the single most popular boy’s name in 1940 to 1952.
Is James still rising?
Not at the moment. James peaked in 1947 with 94,767 boys and has eased since, to 11,945 in 2025. Over ten years the count is down 19%, yet it still ranks #6. Its best rank on record is #1, in 1940.
Who are some people named James?
Examples include the apostle James the Great, the explorer Captain James Cook, the US president James Madison, the author James Joyce and the actor James Dean.
James is the English form of the Hebrew name Jacob. Explore more names in the Finder →
How these numbers are built
Sources → Calculations → Limitations
Sources
- The US Social Security Administration’s national and state baby name files, built from Social Security card applications for births in the United States.SSA baby name data
- Data year
- Births through 2025. New data arrives each May, and we recalculate this page then.
- Dates
- Published October 2026. Last updated October 2026.
- Word and history sources
- Name history and the people who share the name come from reference works.Wikipedia: James (given name)Wikipedia: James the GreatWikipedia: James CookWikipedia: James MadisonWikipedia: James JoyceWikipedia: James Dean
Calculations
- Ranks
- A rank is the name’s position among girls or among boys in the SSA file for that year (most babies = #1). Girls and boys are ranked separately.
- Counts
- Babies given exactly this spelling. Spelling variants are counted separately.
- Growth, peaks, milestones, shares and comparisons are calculated by NameMochi from those files.How NameMochi calculates
- Similar names
- Groups are computed from the same files: names that were already loved before 1930, classics that are less crowded and names with the same length and ending. Names are on the same gender side as this one, and spelling twins count once.
- Stat cards
- The five cards are the most informative facts available for this name, picked by a score and shown in a fixed order.
Limitations
- US births only. The files record the sex shown on the application, which says nothing about how a child later identifies. Names given to fewer than five babies in a year are left out.
Source: US Social Security Administration. Calculation: NameMochi.