James (given name)


James is an English language given name that is a derivative of the name Jacob, most commonly used for males.

Etymology

James is a modern descendant of the Hebrew name Ya'akov, in English: [Jacob (name)|Jacob (name)|Jacob]. The Hebrew name went successively through the Latin form Iacobus, its derivative Vulgar Latin version Iacomus, and finally the Old French James. The final -s in the English first names is typical of those borrowed from Old French, where it was the former masculine subject case.
James is a very popular name in English-speaking populations.

Forms of James

Abbreviations

  • Jas.

Diminutives

Variants in English and various other languages

Popularity

James is one of the most common male names in the English-speaking world. In the United States, James was one of the five most common given names for male babies for most of the 20th century. Its popularity peaked during the Baby Boom, when it was the most popular name for baby boys. Its popularity has declined considerably over the past 30 years, but it still remains one of the 20 most common names for boys.
In Northern Ireland, the name has appeared among the 10 most popular for the last quarter of the 20th century and into the 21st. In 2013, James was the eighth most popular name for boys in Australia.
James is the second most common first name for living individuals in the United States, belonging to roughly 3.4 million people in the United States as of 2021, according to the Social Security Administration.
In 2022, in the United States, the name James was given to 12,028 boys, ranking it as the fourth most popular name.
In 2022, it was the 11th most popular name given to boys in Canada.

Fictional characters