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James

Boy Hebrew /JAYMZ/ #2322 in 2023

James is a boy name of Hebrew origin.

Meaning of James

Supplanter; one who follows. English form of Jacob.

Popularity of James

Popularity, 1880–2023

11,806 births in 2023

1880 2023

5,226,777 U.S. births recorded from 1880–2023. Used for both boys and girls — see notes below.

Peak year

1947

95,020 babies

First recorded

1880

Earliest SSA data

Recent trend

Steady

Last 5 yrs vs. prior 5

Variants & nicknames

JacobJaimeGiacomo

Famous people named James

James Madison (US President)
James Baldwin (author)

Similar names

Very popular since the Middle Ages

Who is like God? A rhetorical name honoring the archangel

Bitter; beloved; wished-for child

Eleventh and favorite son of Jacob, by his wife Rachel

God is my judge

God is my oath; consecrated to God

One of the twelve Apostles

About this page

Popularity counts come from the U.S. Social Security Administration's national dataset. Meanings and origins are curated from etymological sources. If you spot an error, please let us know.