Boy · #6 in 2026

James

James is an English language given name that is a derivative of the name Jacob, most commonly used for males.

  • English
  • Biblical
Current Rank
#6
Peak Rank
#1 (1947)
Total Babies
5.3M
5-Yr Trend
-11%
1880
First Year
2026
Last Year
1928
Peak Year
#319
Peak Rank
24K
Total Count
147
Years Active

Meaning & Origin of James

What this name means, where it came from, and how it has traveled across cultures.

James is an English language given name that is a derivative of the name Jacob, most commonly used for males.

Source: Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 3.0). Read more →

Cultural Origins (via Behind the Name)

  • English
  • Biblical
Etymology
James is a modern descendant of the Hebrew name Ya'akov (original Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב ), in English: Jacob . The Hebrew name went successively through the Latin form Iacobus , its derivative Vulgar Latin version Iacomus (cf. Italian Giacomo , Portuguese Tiago or Thiago (in ancient spelling although still used as a first name), and Spanish Iago, Santiago ), and finally the Old French James . The final -s in the English first names is typical of those borrowed from Old French, where it was the former masculine subject case (cf. Jules , Miles , Charles , etc.). [ citation needed ]

The Story of James

James first appeared in U.S. Social Security Administration records as a baby boy name in 1880, with 5,927 babies given the name that year. Its peak popularity came in 1947, when 94,763 Jamess were born — ranking #1 that year. As of 2026, James ranks #6 for baby boys with 11,578 births, gradually falling (-11%). In total, more than 5.3M Jamess have been born in the U.S. since records began in 1880, spanning the 1880s through the 2020s.

Popularity Over Time

Popularity by State

ME
WA
MT
ND
MN
WI
MI
NY
VT
NH
MA
OR
ID
SD
IA
IL
IN
OH
PA
NJ
CT
RI
CA
NV
WY
NE
MO
KY
WV
VA
MD
DE
DC
UT
CO
KS
AR
TN
NC
SC
AK
AZ
NM
OK
LA
MS
AL
GA
HI
TX
FL
Top 10
11-50
51-100
101-500
500+
No data

Variants & Related Forms of James

Foreign forms, alternate spellings, and nicknames that share roots with James. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Where is James most common?

Predicted country distribution based on naming patterns globally.

  • United States
    31%
  • JM
    22%
  • Nigeria
    21%
  • United Kingdom
    14%
  • Australia
    11%

Source: Nationalize.io . Probabilities are global naming-pattern estimates, not strict counts.

Names that sound like James

Phonetically similar names — useful when James is the vibe but a different syllable count or letter feel might suit better. Linked entries have a profile on Peek a Name.

Source: Datamuse . Phonetic similarity ranking, not curated.

Frequently Asked Questions about James

What does the name James mean?
James is an English language given name that is a derivative of the name Jacob, most commonly used for males.
What is the origin of the name James?
James has roots in the following cultural and linguistic traditions: English, Biblical.
How popular is James in 2026?
In 2026, James ranks #6 among boys' names in the U.S., with 11,578 babies given the name that year.
When was James most popular?
James reached its peak popularity in 1947, ranking #1 that year with 94,763 babies given the name.
In which U.S. states is James most popular?
James has historically been most popular in Alaska, Alabama, Arkansas. Rankings vary year to year, but these states show the strongest concentration of births named James.
Is James a unisex name?
In U.S. Social Security records, James is primarily a boy's name. We don't have meaningful data for it as a girl's name.
What names go well with James?
Names that share a similar style or popularity range with James include John, Robert, David. These pairings are based on rank proximity and naming era in U.S. data.
What are nicknames or variants of James?
Common variants and related forms of James include Jae, Jai, Jay, Jaye, Jaymes, Jem. These cover foreign-language equivalents, alternate spellings, and short forms.

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About the name James

James is a boy baby name tracked by the U.S. Social Security Administration. It first appeared in SSA records in 1880 and has accumulated 5.3M births in the dataset. James's peak popularity came in 1947 when it ranked #1. Use the chart and map above to compare James's trajectory across years and U.S. states, or browse the related names section to discover similar choices.

Continue exploring

Data sources

  • Birth statistics (counts, ranks, years 1880–2026) — U.S. Social Security Administration . Predictions for years not yet released by SSA are computed by Peek a Name from historical trends; we update with official data as soon as it ships.
  • Etymology, cultural origins, and related forms — Behind the Name (used under their public API terms).
  • Meaning prose and editorial summary — Wikipedia article extracts, licensed under CC BY-SA 3.0 .
  • Predicted nationality distribution — Nationalize.io .
  • Phonetically similar names — Datamuse .

Peek a Name aggregates and presents the above data for informational purposes. Statistical predictions and external attributions are clearly labelled where shown; we make no guarantee of accuracy beyond what each source provides.