James
Meaning: not confirmed (origin debated)
About the name James
The origin of James is debated, and we couldn't confirm its meaning from a sourced etymology. A commonly cited theory links it to Hebrew roots, with the meaning âSupplanter (from Jacob)â. Treat that as a theory, not a settled fact.
Why we say this: we only state a meaning as fact when a sourced etymology (Wiktionary, with its references) supports it. For James we didn't find one we were confident in, so we show the popular explanation as a theory.
It has a classic, short & sweet feel. In 2025, James ranked #6 for boys in the US, with 11,945 babies given the name. Its peak year since 1940 was 1947. Since 2000, 100% of US babies named James were boys.
- US rank 2025
- #6
- In 2015
- #7
- Babies in 2025
- 11,945
Popularity of James, 1940â2025
Latest SSA data: 2025.
Popularity data: U.S. Social Security Administration national baby names (public domain; names given to at least 5 babies of one sex per year).
Nicknames for James
- Jamie
- Jim
- Jimmy
Names similar to James
Name meanings marked or linked âWiktionaryâ are adapted from Wiktionary by Wiktionary contributors, CC BY-SA 4.0; each name page links its source entry.