boy (SSA Category)Hebrew Origin Latin OriginUS Rank #6 in 2025

James

Alternative forms & variants: Jacob, Jamie, Jim

Verified Meaning & Etymology

“Supplanter or follower; English derivative of Jacob via Late Latin Jacobus”

Linguistic heritage: Hebrew / Late Latin

Pronunciation

English Phonetic:JAYMZ

IPA (US English):/ˈdʒeɪmz/

Source: Carnegie Mellon Pronouncing Dictionary (en-US)

Compare James With Another Name

Peak Popularity194794,767 births in peak year

2025 US Rank#612,004 births in 2025

Total US Registrations5,274,520Recorded since 1880

Demographic Ratio100% MaleBased on SSA application records

Historical US Popularity Trajectory

Annual recorded US births from 1880 to 2025 (US Social Security Administration)

Peak US Popularity1947 (94,767 births)

Earliest RecordYear 1880

Recent 2025 Level11,945 births

Data source: United States Social Security Administration (1880–2025). The SSA privacy policy suppresses counts under 5. Data indicates biological sex entered on Social Security applications.

Names Similar to James

Calculated deterministically based on shared linguistic origins, styling, and popularity tier.

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Source Citations & Review Provenance

Demographic Data:

United States Social Security Administration (SSA) National Data (1880–2025). Counts reflect 100% of Social Security card applications where year, sex, and state of birth are recorded.

Linguistic Derivation:

Meanings cross-referenced with Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0) and Nurturepedia (MIT). Phonetics audited against the Carnegie Mellon University Pronouncing Dictionary (BSD).

Last reviewed by editorial check: 2026-10-28Submit a factual correction or inquiry →