James

Meaning: Supplanter, holder of the heel
Origin: Hebrew — English form of Jacob

Nicknames: Jamie, Jazz, Jaz, Jimmi, Jem

Girl's name · #2873 in the US (2025) · Timeless

1% girls · 99% boys — About 99% of babies named James in recent years have been boys. James →

Popularity over time

Few names move less than James — on the books since 1880, #2873 in 2025, and dependable in between. Roughly 24,000 girls have carried the name since. In all that time it has never once missed a year of the national records.

Across the states

See where James is more common.

Appears in 2020-2025 birth records of 4 states. See the full state-by-state map on this page.

Around the world

See how James ranks in other countries and regions.

#3,478 in Canada (2025) · #8,139 in Ecuador (2022) · #5,493 in England & Wales (2020) · #4,214 in France (2005).

Famous Jameses

James Brown — Nigerian social media personality (born 1999)
James Johnson — Nigerian footballer (born 1979)
James Majoos — Australian actor (born 1997)

What Jameses become

Among 28,148 notable people named James:

Spellings & nicknames

About 380 girls a year are given Jamie as their full name.

Similar names: Jamie · Ofelia · Jayne · Vesper · Joanie · Jacquelyn

Browse more girl names — popularity, trends and eras for 5,700+ American names, free.

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