The first name James
A boy’s name from Hebrew meaning “may he heel”, “to heel”, “heel of the foot”.
Pronounced /d͡ʒeɪmz/ 1 syllable Male Also a surname
Meaning and origin
Hebrew origin
James means “may he heel”, “to heel”, “heel of the foot” in Hebrew.
The English New Testament form of Jacob, from Middle English James, from Old French James, from Vulgar Latin Iācōmus, spoken and altered pronunciation of Latin Iācōbus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Ἰακώβ (Iakṓb), from Biblical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ, literally “May He Heel”), from the third-person singular masculine imperfective form of the Semitic verb "to heel" (with various meanings), in turn from עָקֵב (ʿāqēḇ, “heel of the foot”). Doublet of Jacques, Jacob, Iago, Jago, Yago, Hamish, Seamus, Tiago, Santiago, and Yaakov. In reference to the Ecuadorian island, a modification of the earlier name Duke of York's Island after its eponymous duke's coronation as James II of England. See Occitan Jacme for an intermediary between Old French James and Catalan Jaume.
From Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0).
Popularity
Babies registered in England and Wales, 1996–2025
In 2025, 1,211 boys were named James, making it the 42nd most popular boys’ name. It peaked in 1997, with 9,853 births (#2).
Office for National Statistics; years with fewer than three births are not published and show as zero. Compare James with other names.
Popularity in the United States
Babies named James at birth, 1880–2025
In 2025, 11,945 boys born in the United States were named James, the 6th most popular boys’ name that year. It was used most in 1947, when 94,767 were.
US Social Security Administration, from applications for a Social Security card. A name is only published for a year when at least five babies were given it, so quieter years show as zero.
James in other languages
Equivalent forms of the name, from Wiktionary
Nicknames and spellings
Famous people named James
2,246 on Wikidata, most written-about first
- James CookBritish explorer, cartographer and naval officer (1728–1779)
- James WattBritish engineer (1736–1819)
- James Prescott JouleEnglish physicist and brewer (1818–1889)
- James DeanAmerican actor (1931–1955)
- James WatsonAmerican molecular biologist, geneticist, zoologist and Nobel Laureate (1928–2025)
- James BrownAmerican musician (1933–2006)
- James ChadwickEnglish physicist (1891-1974), who discovered the neutron in 1932
- James StewartAmerican actor and military officer (1908–1997)
- James GandolfiniAmerican actor (1961–2013)
- James Fenimore CooperAmerican writer (1789–1851)
- James CallaghanFormer prime minister of the United Kingdom (1912–2005)
- James CagneyAmerican actor and dancer (1899–1986)
More Hebrew boys’ names
Questions
- What does the name James mean?
- James means “may he heel”, “to heel”, “heel of the foot” in Hebrew.
- What is the origin of the name James?
- The English New Testament form of Jacob, from Middle English James, from Old French James, from Vulgar Latin Iācōmus, spoken and altered pronunciation of Latin Iācōbus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Ἰακώβ (Iakṓb), from Biblical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ, literally “May He Heel”), from…
- How popular is the name James?
- In 2025, 1,211 boys born in England and Wales were named James, ranking 42nd. Its peak was 1997, with 9,853 births.
- What are nicknames for James?
- Common nicknames for James include Jim, Jimmy, Jas, Jay, Jazz, Jamie.
- Is James a boy's or a girl's name?
- Mostly a boy's name: 100% of the 5,274,520 US babies named James since 1880 were boys.
- When was James most popular?
- 1947 in the United States, when 94,767 babies were named James, its highest rank at 1st.
- How do you pronounce James?
- James is /d͡ʒeɪmz/, one syllable.
- What are other spellings of James?
- Jaime, Jimmer, Jemma, Jeames and Jaymes.
- Is James also a surname?
- Yes. James is used as a surname as well as a first name; its surname page has the origin and how many people carry it.