# James (surname)

Source: https://namelineage.com/surname/james/  
Publisher: Name Lineage. Counts from the US Census Bureau; origin and etymology from Wiktionary; bearers from Wikidata. Data updated 2026-11-11.

An English surname originating as a patronymic.

| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| Origin | not recorded |
| Type | patronymic, formed from a father’s (or ancestor’s) given name |
| People in the US (2010 Census) | 249,379 |
| US rank (2010) | 85 of 162,253 |
| How often | about 1 in every 1,238 people |
| Change since 2000 | +6.9% (233,224 in 2000) |
| Pronunciation | /d͡ʒeɪmz/, 1 syllable |
| Variant spellings | none recorded |

## Etymology

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.

## Who carries it

Share of people named James in the 2010 US Census by the Census's own race and ethnicity groups. The Census suppresses a share when the count behind it is small.

| Group | Share |
|---|---|
| White (not Hispanic) | 52% |
| Black (not Hispanic) | 39% |
| Hispanic or Latino (any race) | 3.1% |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.3% |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 2.6% |
| Two or more races | 2.6% |

## Where

Wikidata records people named James in the United States, the United Kingdom, Australia, Austria, Lithuania and South Africa.

## People named James

- William James, American philosopher, psychologist, and pragmatist (1842–1910)
- LeBron James, American basketball player (born 1984)
- Henry James, American and British writer (1843–1916)
- Jesse James, American outlaw, confederate guerrilla, and train robber
- Lily James, British actress (born 1989)
- Kevin James, American comedian and actor
- Theo James, British actor and musician
- Mickie James, American country singer and professional wrestler
- Bradley James, British actor
- M. R. James, 20th century British author, medievalist scholar and provost (1862–1936)
- Geraldine James, British actress
- Lennie James, British actor

and 104 more on Wikidata.

## Similar surnames

Jaimes, Jaimez, Janes, Jaynes, Jones, Johns, Jung, Jiang, Jonas, Jang, Jenks, Jeong.

## How to read these numbers

A Census count is people alive and counted in 2010, not births, and names occurring fewer than 100 times are not published at all. Ethnicity shares are the Census's own categories.