James is the name of six English kings, two American presidents before Madison, and the King James Bible itself — so it comes pre-weathered, like good leather. It descends from the Hebrew Jacob through a Latin detour (Iacomus), and though the old meaning is "supplanter," the name has long since outgrown that narrow gloss. It means, now, what James means: straight-backed, lightly formal, universally legible. After Blake Lively used it for her daughter in 2014, it crossed gender lines without losing any of its classic heft. Two syllables that sound like one. A name that ages in every direction at once.
Popularity
1880 to today
US SSA data. Lower rank number means more popular. A flat line at the top of the chart means the name did not rank in the top 1000.
Nicknames
No common nicknames.
Middle name ideas
All middle names for JamesFamous people
- James Joyce — Irish novelist and poet (1882–1941)
- Jimmy Carter — president of the United States from 1977 to 1981 (1924–2024)
- James Cook — British explorer, cartographer and naval officer (1728–1779)
- James Madison — President of the United States from 1809 to 1817 (1751–1836)
- James Clerk Maxwell — Scottish physicist (1831–1879)
In fiction
No fictional associations tracked.
Sibling name ideas
- William
- Amelia
- Henry
- Charlotte
- Theodore
Similar energy
- William
- Henry
- Theodore
- Jack
- Samuel
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William
SteadyEnglish · boy
Germanic willa + helm; 'resolute protector'.
Henry
SteadyEnglish · boy
Germanic 'ruler of the home'.
Theodore
RisingEnglish · boy
Greek theos + doron; 'gift of God'.
Jack
SteadyEnglish · boy
English diminutive of John; 'God is gracious'.
Samuel
SteadyEnglish · boy
Hebrew 'heard by God'.