How to say it
JAMES
dʒeɪmz
Masculine
James
Supplanter
What it means
English form of the Latin Iacomus, which evolved from Iacobus, which came from the Hebrew Ya'akov. So James and Jacob are the same name through different language paths.
Six English kings James, two apostles James (the Greater and the Less), and the King James Bible all kept the name central in English-speaking life. The Spanish Diego and Santiago are also the same name through different Iberian evolutions, as are Italian Giacomo and French Jacques. James held the US top ten for boys for most of the 20th century and never quite left; currently top five. Common short forms: Jim, Jimmy, Jamie. The feminine Jamie has its own modern life.
How to spell James
The standard spelling is James. Common variants include Jaime, Jaymes, Jim, Diego, Santiago, Giacomo, Jacques, but James is the most widely used form.
Popularity over time
peaked at #1 in 1940, currently #6 in 2025.
Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, names given to at least 5 babies in a year, 1880–2025. Reviewed July 2026. See where the names are moving
Heads-up notes
- Nickname
Jim, Jimmy, and Jamie are all in current use, with very different feels. Worth thinking about which one you'd answer to at fifty.
Who's worn it
Historical figures, characters, and public faces who share the name. The cultural surface, for whatever weight you want to give it.
- James Joyce Irish novelist, Ulysses and A Portrait of the Artist
- James Baldwin American essayist and novelist, Go Tell It on the Mountain
- King James I of England Commissioner of the 1611 King James Bible
- James Earl Jones Voice of Darth Vader and Mufasa
Spelling variants
- Jaime
- Jaymes
- Jim
- Diego
- Santiago
- Giacomo
- Jacques
Names with the same feeling
See James from another angle
By style
Common questions
- What does the name James mean?
- English form of the Latin Iacomus, which evolved from Iacobus, which came from the Hebrew Ya'akov. So James and Jacob are the same name through different language paths.
- What does James mean in Hebrew?
- In Hebrew, James means "Supplanter." Six English kings James, two apostles James (the Greater and the Less), and the King James Bible all kept the name central in English-speaking life. The Spanish Diego and Santiago are also the same name through different Iberian evolutions, as are Italian Giacomo and French Jacques. James held the US top ten for boys for most of the 20th century and never quite left; currently top five. Common short forms: Jim, Jimmy, Jamie. The feminine Jamie has its own modern life.
- How do you pronounce James?
- James is pronounced dʒeɪmz. Say it as JAMES, with the stress on the "james" syllable.
- How do you spell James?
- The standard spelling is James. Common spelling variants include Jaime, Jaymes, Jim, Diego, Santiago, Giacomo, Jacques.
- Is James a boy or girl name?
- James is traditionally a masculine name.
- How popular is the name James?
- James ranked #6 in the U.S. in 2025, according to Social Security Administration data.