Fun Facts About the Name James
- A favorite across generations: James stayed in the U.S. top 100 every year from 1880 through 2025 - 146 consecutive years.
- An all-time favorite: U.S. records show 5,250,515 boys named James from 1880 through 2025.
- More than 5 million babies named James: U.S. records list 5,274,400 babies given the name James from 1880 through 2025. Even 23,885 girls received the name James - about 1 girl for every 220 boys.
What Does the Name James Mean?
James is the English form of the Hebrew name Ya'aqov (יַעֲקֹב), the name of the biblical patriarch Jacob. The meaning commonly given is "supplanter" or "heel-grabber," from the Hebrew noun aqev ("heel") and the verb aqav ("to take by the heel," "to supplant"). This reading comes from the wordplay in Genesis, where Jacob is born grasping the heel of his twin Esau and Esau later says, "Is he not rightly named Jacob? For he has supplanted me these two times." "Supplanter" is therefore a customary interpretation tied to that story, not a plain dictionary translation.
The derivation is not settled. Some scholars treat Ya'aqov as a shortened form of a longer name that once contained a divine element, roughly "may God protect," with the reference to God dropped over time. Others keep the link to "heel." Because the Hebrew root can be read in more than one way, the precise sense of the original name remains disputed.
James and Jacob are the same name reached by two different routes, not two unrelated names. Jacob entered English by way of Latin Iacob; James entered by way of a Late Latin variant, Iacomus, which passed through Old French. The language of origin is Hebrew, but the form "James" is an English development shaped by French. Despite the shared first letter, it is unrelated to the Greek name Jason.
James Name History & Origins
The name moved from Hebrew into Greek as Iakōbos, the form used in the Greek New Testament, and then into Latin as Iacobus. In the Latin spoken across the later Roman world a variant, Iacomus, appeared, with -m- in place of -b-. That -m- form is the one that reached Old French, producing forms such as James and Jaimes, and it was carried into English by Norman French speakers after the Norman Conquest of 1066. The older Latin Iacob produced the English name Jacob, which is why English has two names from one Hebrew original.
Several men in the New Testament bear the Greek name Iakōbos: James the son of Zebedee, one of the twelve apostles; James the son of Alphaeus, another apostle; and James, the brother of Jesus, who led the church in Jerusalem. English translations render this name as "James," so these figures are known in English as James rather than Jacob. The New Testament Letter of James is traditionally linked with one of them, though which one is debated.
In Scotland the name was borne by a long line of kings: James I through James V, then James VI of Scotland, who became James I of England in 1603. The King James Version of the Bible, published in 1611, is named for him. In Spain the apostle James is the patron saint under the name Santiago, from Santo Iago, and the shrine at Santiago de Compostela became a major medieval pilgrimage site.
Other European languages kept different forms of the same name: Italian Giacomo, French Jacques, Spanish Jaime, Portuguese Tiago. In the Scottish Highlands, Scottish Gaelic Seumas was anglicized as Hamish, giving English another form of the name.
How Popular is the Name James?
James has maintained century-spanning popularity, remaining an unbroken fixture in the U.S. top 100 continuously from 1880 to 2025.
U.S. name popularity from 1880-2025, based on SSA data. Rank shows how the name compares with other names - lower numbers mean greater popularity. Births shows how many babies received the name each year.
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #2,873 | 59 | 0.0037% |
| 2024 | #2,580 | 68 | 0.0042% |
| 2023 | #2,322 | 79 | 0.0049% |
| 2022 | #2,216 | 85 | 0.0052% |
| 2021 | #2,567 | 68 | 0.0041% |
| 2020 | #2,581 | 66 | 0.0041% |
| 2019 | #2,576 | 68 | 0.0041% |
| 2018 | #3,458 | 45 | 0.0026% |
| 2017 | #2,367 | 77 | 0.0045% |
| 2016 | #2,629 | 67 | 0.0038% |
| 2015 | #3,879 | 39 | 0.0022% |
| 2014 | #3,680 | 42 | 0.0024% |
| 2013 | #4,945 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2012 | #5,021 | 28 | 0.0016% |
| 2011 | #4,733 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2010 | #4,785 | 30 | 0.0017% |
| 2009 | #3,266 | 51 | 0.0028% |
| 2008 | #4,693 | 32 | 0.0017% |
| 2007 | #4,511 | 33 | 0.0017% |
| 2006 | #3,480 | 46 | 0.0024% |
| 2005 | #5,011 | 26 | 0.0014% |
| 2004 | #1,964 | 95 | 0.0052% |
| 2003 | #3,977 | 34 | 0.0019% |
| 2002 | #4,115 | 31 | 0.0017% |
| 2001 | #3,274 | 42 | 0.0023% |
| 2000 | #3,360 | 40 | 0.0022% |
| 1999 | #3,207 | 40 | 0.0023% |
| 1998 | #2,902 | 45 | 0.0025% |
| 1997 | #2,897 | 42 | 0.0024% |
| 1996 | #2,187 | 62 | 0.0035% |
| 1995 | #2,317 | 57 | 0.0032% |
| 1994 | #2,069 | 67 | 0.0038% |
| 1993 | #1,888 | 75 | 0.0041% |
| 1992 | #1,970 | 70 | 0.0038% |
| 1991 | #1,601 | 95 | 0.0051% |
| 1990 | #1,375 | 115 | 0.0061% |
| 1989 | #982 | 176 | 0.0095% |
| 1988 | #767 | 244 | 0.0137% |
| 1987 | #735 | 246 | 0.0141% |
| 1986 | #674 | 273 | 0.0159% |
| 1985 | #644 | 287 | 0.0167% |
| 1984 | #699 | 238 | 0.0141% |
| 1983 | #618 | 282 | 0.0169% |
| 1982 | #578 | 317 | 0.0187% |
| 1981 | #651 | 272 | 0.0163% |
| 1980 | #663 | 271 | 0.0163% |
| 1979 | #667 | 261 | 0.0163% |
| 1978 | #625 | 269 | 0.0176% |
| 1977 | #617 | 273 | 0.0178% |
| 1976 | #620 | 252 | 0.0172% |
| 1975 | #621 | 254 | 0.0174% |
| 1974 | #623 | 250 | 0.0170% |
| 1973 | #532 | 316 | 0.0217% |
| 1972 | #556 | 300 | 0.0197% |
| 1971 | #579 | 302 | 0.0182% |
| 1970 | #535 | 354 | 0.0202% |
| 1969 | #545 | 329 | 0.0195% |
| 1968 | #548 | 312 | 0.0190% |
| 1967 | #534 | 310 | 0.0188% |
| 1966 | #548 | 298 | 0.0176% |
| 1965 | #544 | 303 | 0.0172% |
| 1964 | #555 | 318 | 0.0168% |
| 1963 | #548 | 311 | 0.0161% |
| 1962 | #621 | 262 | 0.0133% |
| 1961 | #600 | 284 | 0.0141% |
| 1960 | #578 | 291 | 0.0144% |
| 1959 | #574 | 294 | 0.0145% |
| 1958 | #621 | 252 | 0.0125% |
| 1957 | #578 | 279 | 0.0136% |
| 1956 | #609 | 248 | 0.0124% |
| 1955 | #591 | 243 | 0.0124% |
| 1954 | #605 | 225 | 0.0116% |
| 1953 | #574 | 236 | 0.0125% |
| 1952 | #529 | 258 | 0.0139% |
| 1951 | #517 | 256 | 0.0142% |
| 1950 | #515 | 252 | 0.0147% |
| 1949 | #506 | 257 | 0.0150% |
| 1948 | #522 | 251 | 0.0148% |
| 1947 | #516 | 257 | 0.0145% |
| 1946 | #493 | 250 | 0.0159% |
| 1945 | #454 | 247 | 0.0189% |
| 1944 | #468 | 237 | 0.0179% |
| 1943 | #453 | 272 | 0.0195% |
| 1942 | #433 | 280 | 0.0207% |
| 1941 | #428 | 256 | 0.0212% |
| 1940 | #424 | 259 | 0.0226% |
| 1939 | #411 | 268 | 0.0244% |
| 1938 | #402 | 275 | 0.0249% |
| 1937 | #408 | 251 | 0.0236% |
| 1936 | #428 | 229 | 0.0220% |
| 1935 | #422 | 238 | 0.0227% |
| 1934 | #403 | 262 | 0.0251% |
| 1933 | #368 | 299 | 0.0297% |
| 1932 | #355 | 320 | 0.0300% |
| 1931 | #344 | 345 | 0.0324% |
| 1930 | #323 | 419 | 0.0372% |
| 1929 | #325 | 397 | 0.0356% |
| 1928 | #319 | 427 | 0.0370% |
| 1927 | #338 | 390 | 0.0327% |
| 1926 | #353 | 358 | 0.0302% |
| 1925 | #357 | 365 | 0.0300% |
| 1924 | #425 | 274 | 0.0219% |
| 1923 | #401 | 280 | 0.0232% |
| 1922 | #430 | 239 | 0.0199% |
| 1921 | #455 | 231 | 0.0187% |
| 1920 | #424 | 249 | 0.0208% |
| 1919 | #482 | 192 | 0.0170% |
| 1918 | #459 | 212 | 0.0183% |
| 1917 | #486 | 182 | 0.0168% |
| 1916 | #508 | 166 | 0.0159% |
| 1915 | #495 | 155 | 0.0158% |
| 1914 | #545 | 107 | 0.0140% |
| 1913 | #524 | 95 | 0.0152% |
| 1912 | #545 | 81 | 0.0145% |
| 1911 | #498 | 69 | 0.0165% |
| 1910 | #518 | 63 | 0.0159% |
| 1909 | #525 | 52 | 0.0150% |
| 1908 | #684 | 32 | 0.0096% |
| 1907 | #540 | 45 | 0.0141% |
| 1906 | #582 | 37 | 0.0125% |
| 1905 | #590 | 35 | 0.0120% |
| 1904 | #675 | 27 | 0.0098% |
| 1903 | #636 | 28 | 0.0107% |
| 1902 | #607 | 30 | 0.0114% |
| 1901 | #567 | 30 | 0.0125% |
| 1900 | #526 | 41 | 0.0137% |
| 1899 | #600 | 27 | 0.0116% |
| 1898 | #601 | 29 | 0.0112% |
| 1897 | #543 | 30 | 0.0128% |
| 1896 | #587 | 28 | 0.0118% |
| 1895 | #506 | 34 | 0.0146% |
| 1894 | #588 | 25 | 0.0112% |
| 1893 | #607 | 23 | 0.0108% |
| 1892 | #605 | 22 | 0.0104% |
| 1891 | #464 | 31 | 0.0167% |
| 1890 | #452 | 33 | 0.0173% |
| 1889 | #492 | 26 | 0.0146% |
| 1888 | #359 | 45 | 0.0252% |
| 1887 | #518 | 19 | 0.0130% |
| 1886 | #403 | 29 | 0.0201% |
| 1885 | #408 | 26 | 0.0195% |
| 1884 | #343 | 33 | 0.0256% |
| 1883 | #367 | 25 | 0.0223% |
| 1882 | #438 | 18 | 0.0167% |
| 1881 | #330 | 24 | 0.0261% |
| 1880 | #344 | 22 | 0.0242% |
| Year | Rank | Births | % |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | #6 | 11,945 | 0.6993% |
| 2024 | #5 | 11,793 | 0.6875% |
| 2023 | #4 | 11,727 | 0.6864% |
| 2022 | #4 | 12,109 | 0.6942% |
| 2021 | #5 | 12,464 | 0.7129% |
| 2020 | #6 | 12,381 | 0.7177% |
| 2019 | #6 | 13,193 | 0.7357% |
| 2018 | #4 | 13,642 | 0.7514% |
| 2017 | #4 | 14,357 | 0.7759% |
| 2016 | #5 | 14,916 | 0.7862% |
| 2015 | #7 | 14,861 | 0.7755% |
| 2014 | #9 | 14,462 | 0.7531% |
| 2013 | #13 | 13,595 | 0.7188% |
| 2012 | #14 | 13,456 | 0.7095% |
| 2011 | #17 | 13,272 | 0.6989% |
| 2010 | #19 | 13,898 | 0.7245% |
| 2009 | #18 | 14,221 | 0.7170% |
| 2008 | #17 | 15,188 | 0.7445% |
| 2007 | #15 | 15,973 | 0.7697% |
| 2006 | #16 | 16,254 | 0.7909% |
| 2005 | #17 | 16,140 | 0.8082% |
| 2004 | #17 | 16,469 | 0.8298% |
| 2003 | #18 | 16,895 | 0.8553% |
| 2002 | #18 | 16,968 | 0.8740% |
| 2001 | #19 | 17,073 | 0.8788% |
| 2000 | #18 | 17,991 | 0.9161% |
| 1999 | #19 | 18,555 | 0.9664% |
| 1998 | #18 | 19,689 | 1.0301% |
| 1997 | #17 | 20,407 | 1.0825% |
| 1996 | #17 | 21,164 | 1.1173% |
| 1995 | #17 | 22,736 | 1.1943% |
| 1994 | #14 | 24,777 | 1.2825% |
| 1993 | #14 | 26,255 | 1.3387% |
| 1992 | #9 | 28,509 | 1.4273% |
| 1991 | #7 | 30,513 | 1.5103% |
| 1990 | #8 | 32,357 | 1.5753% |
| 1989 | #9 | 32,720 | 1.6353% |
| 1988 | #9 | 32,521 | 1.6989% |
| 1987 | #8 | 32,660 | 1.7493% |
| 1986 | #7 | 34,055 | 1.8493% |
| 1985 | #7 | 35,864 | 1.9404% |
| 1984 | #7 | 35,856 | 1.9866% |
| 1983 | #6 | 36,344 | 2.0273% |
| 1982 | #6 | 38,875 | 2.1423% |
| 1981 | #7 | 38,289 | 2.1375% |
| 1980 | #5 | 39,314 | 2.2036% |
| 1979 | #5 | 39,351 | 2.2856% |
| 1978 | #5 | 39,902 | 2.4301% |
| 1977 | #5 | 40,043 | 2.4367% |
| 1976 | #5 | 38,298 | 2.4407% |
| 1975 | #4 | 39,574 | 2.5344% |
| 1974 | #5 | 41,336 | 2.6288% |
| 1973 | #4 | 42,838 | 2.7484% |
| 1972 | #3 | 47,064 | 2.9020% |
| 1971 | #2 | 54,603 | 3.0875% |
| 1970 | #2 | 61,740 | 3.3223% |
| 1969 | #3 | 59,894 | 3.3492% |
| 1968 | #4 | 60,666 | 3.4905% |
| 1967 | #3 | 61,688 | 3.5374% |
| 1966 | #3 | 65,163 | 3.6537% |
| 1965 | #4 | 67,674 | 3.6378% |
| 1964 | #4 | 73,021 | 3.6643% |
| 1963 | #4 | 71,291 | 3.5105% |
| 1962 | #4 | 72,561 | 3.5075% |
| 1961 | #4 | 75,959 | 3.5763% |
| 1960 | #3 | 76,804 | 3.6026% |
| 1959 | #3 | 78,644 | 3.6844% |
| 1958 | #3 | 78,773 | 3.7117% |
| 1957 | #2 | 84,343 | 3.9097% |
| 1956 | #2 | 84,903 | 4.0137% |
| 1955 | #3 | 84,184 | 4.0870% |
| 1954 | #3 | 86,312 | 4.2335% |
| 1953 | #2 | 86,071 | 4.3639% |
| 1952 | #1 | 87,066 | 4.4795% |
| 1951 | #1 | 87,257 | 4.6343% |
| 1950 | #1 | 86,223 | 4.8161% |
| 1949 | #1 | 86,859 | 4.8965% |
| 1948 | #1 | 88,604 | 5.0498% |
| 1947 | #1 | 94,763 | 5.1795% |
| 1946 | #1 | 87,436 | 5.3840% |
| 1945 | #1 | 74,466 | 5.5331% |
| 1944 | #1 | 76,951 | 5.6463% |
| 1943 | #1 | 80,275 | 5.6244% |
| 1942 | #1 | 77,180 | 5.5882% |
| 1941 | #1 | 66,752 | 5.4345% |
| 1940 | #1 | 62,481 | 5.3902% |
| 1939 | #2 | 59,636 | 5.3880% |
| 1938 | #2 | 59,102 | 5.3286% |
| 1937 | #2 | 56,562 | 5.3029% |
| 1936 | #2 | 54,696 | 5.2734% |
| 1935 | #2 | 55,002 | 5.2819% |
| 1934 | #2 | 54,269 | 5.2556% |
| 1933 | #2 | 51,110 | 5.1547% |
| 1932 | #2 | 51,931 | 4.9735% |
| 1931 | #2 | 51,213 | 4.9259% |
| 1930 | #2 | 53,957 | 4.9170% |
| 1929 | #2 | 52,133 | 4.8468% |
| 1928 | #3 | 52,753 | 4.7627% |
| 1927 | #3 | 53,675 | 4.7630% |
| 1926 | #3 | 53,197 | 4.7903% |
| 1925 | #4 | 52,679 | 4.7207% |
| 1924 | #4 | 52,941 | 4.6737% |
| 1923 | #4 | 50,463 | 4.6038% |
| 1922 | #4 | 49,803 | 4.5768% |
| 1921 | #4 | 49,750 | 4.5168% |
| 1920 | #4 | 47,908 | 4.5011% |
| 1919 | #3 | 42,392 | 4.3251% |
| 1918 | #3 | 42,115 | 4.1555% |
| 1917 | #3 | 37,338 | 4.0344% |
| 1916 | #3 | 35,568 | 3.9960% |
| 1915 | #3 | 33,773 | 3.9800% |
| 1914 | #3 | 26,262 | 4.0109% |
| 1913 | #3 | 20,832 | 4.0643% |
| 1912 | #3 | 17,644 | 4.1038% |
| 1911 | #3 | 9,952 | 4.4041% |
| 1910 | #2 | 9,194 | 4.7341% |
| 1909 | #3 | 7,595 | 4.6312% |
| 1908 | #3 | 7,012 | 4.5433% |
| 1907 | #3 | 6,707 | 4.5680% |
| 1906 | #3 | 5,908 | 4.4370% |
| 1905 | #3 | 6,042 | 4.5667% |
| 1904 | #3 | 5,855 | 4.5699% |
| 1903 | #3 | 5,479 | 4.5953% |
| 1902 | #3 | 5,592 | 4.5589% |
| 1901 | #3 | 4,735 | 4.4474% |
| 1900 | #3 | 7,245 | 4.8148% |
| 1899 | #3 | 4,597 | 4.3282% |
| 1898 | #3 | 5,321 | 4.3371% |
| 1897 | #3 | 5,113 | 4.5345% |
| 1896 | #3 | 5,206 | 4.3541% |
| 1895 | #3 | 5,335 | 4.5446% |
| 1894 | #3 | 5,110 | 4.4140% |
| 1893 | #3 | 5,030 | 4.4784% |
| 1892 | #3 | 5,398 | 4.4233% |
| 1891 | #3 | 4,516 | 4.4628% |
| 1890 | #3 | 5,097 | 4.5909% |
| 1889 | #3 | 5,020 | 4.5397% |
| 1888 | #3 | 5,562 | 4.6023% |
| 1887 | #3 | 4,768 | 4.7017% |
| 1886 | #3 | 5,355 | 4.8338% |
| 1885 | #3 | 5,175 | 4.8006% |
| 1884 | #3 | 5,693 | 4.9746% |
| 1883 | #3 | 5,223 | 4.9921% |
| 1882 | #3 | 5,892 | 5.1827% |
| 1881 | #3 | 5,441 | 5.4013% |
| 1880 | #3 | 5,927 | 5.3643% |
Name popularity over more than a century, based on Social Security Administration data. Gaps in the chart indicate years when the name does not appear in the published records.
