The story behind the numbers
In the U.S. Social Security Administration's 2023 data, James sits at #2325 while William lands at #15081 — a gap of 12,756 places between them.
Over the full SSA archive the totals stay close — James accounts for 5,250,592 U.S. births and William accounts for 4,194,517.
Both names crested in 1947, suggesting they ride a shared cultural wave rather than competing eras.
Etymologically they live in different worlds — James carries a Hebrew background while William comes from Germanic.
James is holding steady in recent years while William is declining — the trajectories may swap their relative standing within a few SSA cycles.
At a glance
How they measure up.
Dimension James William Edge
Origin Hebrew Germanic —
Meaning Supplanter; one who follows Resolute protector —
Current US rank #2325 #15081 James
Trend 2022 → 2023 ↓ 108 ↓ 1586 James
All-time peak year 1947 1947 —
Syllables 1 2 —
Letters 5 7 —
Total US births 5,250,592 4,194,517 James
Pronunciation JAYMZ WIL-yum —
James
BoySupplanter; one who follows. English form of Jacob.
Popularity · 1880–2023
11,818 births in 2023
1880 1951 2023
Babies named per year Peak year Most recent
William
BoyResolute protector. From elements 'wil' (will) and 'helm' (helmet).
Popularity · 1880–2023
10,679 births in 2023
1880 1951 2023
Babies named per year Peak year Most recent