James
Boy · JAYMZ · Hebrew
TimelessBig in Northern Ireland
James is a boys' name of Hebrew origin, meaning “heel-holder, supplanter”. In 2025 it ranked 33rd for boys in the UK (1,545 babies) and 6th for boys in the US (11,945 babies).
What does James mean?
Hebrew: from Latin Iacomus, a form of Jacob
“heel-holder, supplanter”
Two of Jesus's apostles were called James, as were seven kings of Scotland.
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- JAYMZ
More on Wiktionary.
Is James a girl's or a boy's name?
James is a boys' name. In 2025, it was given to 1,545 boys in the UK and 59 girls and 11,945 boys in the US.
How popular is James in the UK?
- Rank in 2025
- #33among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 1,545about 1 in 190 boys
- Five-year trend
- Fallingdown 42% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 7%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 1,545 boys in the UK were named James, making it the 33rd most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 20th. Its busiest year was 1997, with 10,843 boys.
It has been given to fewer boys each year for the last 14 years. 2025 had the fewest boys named James since the records began in 1996.
Half of all the boys named James in the UK since 1996 were born between 2000 and 2012. It was already well used in 1996, when the records begin, so earlier boys aren't counted.
Among boys in 2025, it was 42nd in England and Wales, 14th in Scotland and 3rd in Northern Ireland.
In the England and Wales top 100 for boys, which the ONS has published every ten years since 1904: 1904 (#6), 1914 (#5), 1924 (#4), 1934 (#6), 1944 (#10), 1954 (#14), 1964 (#19), 1974 (#7), 1984 (#2), 1994 (#2), 2004 (#4), 2014 (#9) and 2024 (#40).
James in the UK, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1,545 | #33 |
| 2024 | 1,598 | #33 |
| 2023 | 1,784 | #27 |
| 2022 | 1,952 | #26 |
| 2021 | 2,197 | #23 |
| 2020 | 2,459 | #20 |
| 2019 | 2,912 | #17 |
| 2018 | 3,076 | #18 |
| 2017 | 3,536 | #14 |
| 2016 | 4,255 | #8 |
| 2015 | 4,628 | #8 |
| 2014 | 4,909 | #6 |
| 2013 | 4,955 | #7 |
| 2012 | 5,223 | #9 |
| 2011 | 5,709 | #7 |
| 2010 | 5,060 | #9 |
| 2009 | 5,282 | #9 |
| 2008 | 5,904 | #7 |
| 2007 | 5,905 | #6 |
| 2006 | 6,134 | #4 |
| 2005 | 6,389 | #4 |
| 2004 | 6,934 | #4 |
| 2003 | 7,082 | #4 |
| 2002 | 7,149 | #4 |
| 2001 | 7,783 | #3 |
| 2000 | 8,303 | #3 |
| 1999 | 9,662 | #3 |
| 1998 | 10,139 | #2 |
| 1997 | 10,843 | #2 |
| 1996 | 10,039 | #3 |
How popular is James in the US?
- Rank in 2025
- #6among boys
- Babies in 2025
- 11,945about 1 in 140 boys
- Five-year trend
- Steadydown 9% in five years
- Same name in a class
- 9.4%chance among 15 boys
In 2025, 11,945 boys in the US were named James, making it the 6th most popular name for boys. Five years earlier, in 2020, it was 6th. Its busiest year was 1947, with 94,767 boys. 59 girls were also named James in 2025 (2,859th for girls).
Half of all the boys named James in the US since 1880 were born between 1936 and 1971, the years shaded on the chart below.
James in the US, year by year
| Year | Boys | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 11,945 | #6 |
| 2024 | 11,856 | #5 |
| 2023 | 11,739 | #4 |
| 2022 | 12,119 | #4 |
| 2021 | 12,474 | #5 |
| 2020 | 12,390 | #6 |
| 2019 | 13,198 | #6 |
| 2018 | 13,650 | #4 |
| 2017 | 14,362 | #4 |
| 2016 | 14,920 | #5 |
| 2015 | 14,865 | #7 |
| 2014 | 14,464 | #9 |
| 2013 | 13,596 | #13 |
| 2012 | 13,458 | #14 |
| 2011 | 13,275 | #17 |
| 2010 | 13,901 | #19 |
| 2009 | 14,223 | #18 |
| 2008 | 15,190 | #17 |
| 2007 | 15,973 | #15 |
| 2006 | 16,255 | #16 |
| 2005 | 16,140 | #17 |
| 2004 | 16,469 | #18 |
| 2003 | 16,896 | #18 |
| 2002 | 16,968 | #18 |
| 2001 | 17,074 | #19 |
| 2000 | 17,991 | #18 |
| 1999 | 18,555 | #19 |
| 1998 | 19,690 | #18 |
| 1997 | 20,408 | #17 |
| 1996 | 21,165 | #17 |
| 1995 | 22,739 | #17 |
| 1994 | 24,778 | #14 |
| 1993 | 26,259 | #14 |
| 1992 | 28,513 | #9 |
| 1991 | 30,514 | #7 |
| 1990 | 32,359 | #8 |
| 1989 | 32,720 | #9 |
| 1988 | 32,523 | #9 |
| 1987 | 32,659 | #8 |
| 1986 | 34,057 | #7 |
| 1985 | 35,862 | #7 |
| 1984 | 35,859 | #7 |
| 1983 | 36,342 | #6 |
| 1982 | 38,874 | #6 |
| 1981 | 38,283 | #7 |
| 1980 | 39,312 | #5 |
| 1979 | 39,351 | #5 |
| 1978 | 39,894 | #5 |
| 1977 | 40,040 | #5 |
| 1976 | 38,294 | #5 |
| 1975 | 39,569 | #4 |
| 1974 | 41,334 | #5 |
| 1973 | 42,836 | #4 |
| 1972 | 47,063 | #3 |
| 1971 | 54,597 | #2 |
| 1970 | 61,735 | #2 |
| 1969 | 59,886 | #3 |
| 1968 | 60,665 | #4 |
| 1967 | 61,683 | #3 |
| 1966 | 65,163 | #3 |
| 1965 | 67,666 | #4 |
| 1964 | 73,026 | #4 |
| 1963 | 71,294 | #4 |
| 1962 | 72,555 | #4 |
| 1961 | 75,969 | #4 |
| 1960 | 76,815 | #3 |
| 1959 | 78,648 | #3 |
| 1958 | 78,774 | #3 |
| 1957 | 84,337 | #2 |
| 1956 | 84,897 | #2 |
| 1955 | 84,186 | #3 |
| 1954 | 86,311 | #3 |
| 1953 | 86,066 | #2 |
| 1952 | 87,065 | #1 |
| 1951 | 87,256 | #1 |
| 1950 | 86,228 | #1 |
| 1949 | 86,858 | #1 |
| 1948 | 88,605 | #1 |
| 1947 | 94,767 | #1 |
| 1946 | 87,438 | #1 |
| 1945 | 74,464 | #1 |
| 1944 | 76,951 | #1 |
| 1943 | 80,278 | #1 |
| 1942 | 77,182 | #1 |
| 1941 | 66,751 | #1 |
| 1940 | 62,481 | #1 |
| 1939 | 59,636 | #2 |
| 1938 | 59,102 | #2 |
| 1937 | 56,561 | #2 |
| 1936 | 54,694 | #2 |
| 1935 | 55,005 | #2 |
| 1934 | 54,270 | #2 |
| 1933 | 51,112 | #2 |
| 1932 | 51,930 | #2 |
| 1931 | 51,212 | #2 |
| 1930 | 53,957 | #2 |
| 1929 | 52,135 | #2 |
| 1928 | 52,752 | #3 |
| 1927 | 53,674 | #3 |
| 1926 | 53,196 | #3 |
| 1925 | 52,680 | #4 |
| 1924 | 52,942 | #4 |
| 1923 | 50,462 | #4 |
| 1922 | 49,802 | #4 |
| 1921 | 49,750 | #4 |
| 1920 | 47,908 | #4 |
| 1919 | 42,392 | #3 |
| 1918 | 42,115 | #3 |
| 1917 | 37,337 | #3 |
| 1916 | 35,569 | #3 |
| 1915 | 33,773 | #3 |
| 1914 | 26,262 | #3 |
| 1913 | 20,832 | #3 |
| 1912 | 17,644 | #3 |
| 1911 | 9,952 | #3 |
| 1910 | 9,194 | #2 |
| 1909 | 7,595 | #3 |
| 1908 | 7,012 | #3 |
| 1907 | 6,707 | #3 |
| 1906 | 5,908 | #3 |
| 1905 | 6,042 | #3 |
| 1904 | 5,855 | #3 |
| 1903 | 5,479 | #3 |
| 1902 | 5,592 | #3 |
| 1901 | 4,735 | #3 |
| 1900 | 7,245 | #3 |
| 1899 | 4,597 | #3 |
| 1898 | 5,321 | #3 |
| 1897 | 5,113 | #3 |
| 1896 | 5,206 | #3 |
| 1895 | 5,335 | #3 |
| 1894 | 5,110 | #3 |
| 1893 | 5,030 | #3 |
| 1892 | 5,398 | #3 |
| 1891 | 4,516 | #3 |
| 1890 | 5,097 | #3 |
| 1889 | 5,020 | #3 |
| 1888 | 5,562 | #3 |
| 1887 | 4,767 | #3 |
| 1886 | 5,355 | #3 |
| 1885 | 5,175 | #3 |
| 1884 | 5,693 | #3 |
| 1883 | 5,223 | #3 |
| 1882 | 5,892 | #3 |
| 1881 | 5,441 | #3 |
| 1880 | 5,927 | #3 |
Nicknames for James
Names like James
Names given in the same years and the same naming tradition, with a similar sound.
Thomas Joseph William Jack Charles John Harry George David Edward Michael Daniel
Other spellings of James
Names related to James
More Hebrew names
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