James

Primarily a boy's name · 100% boys

Meaning

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

From Wikipedia

James first appears in the data in 1991 and has been recorded in 34 different years as a boy's name. Its single biggest year was 1991 with 2,063 babies (rank #16 that year). In 2024 it was given to 1,131 boys (rank #8). The name has been declining over the last five years.

Numerology of James

In Pythagorean numerology, every letter has a value from 1 to 9. Adding the letters of James yields these three numbers — a playful read on the name's character.

3Destiny numberThe creativeExpressive, sociable, lifted by playful energy.Sum of every letter. The overall character a name carries.
6Soul urgeThe carerNurturing, responsible, family at the centre.Sum of the vowels — what's said to drive the heart.
6PersonalityThe carerNurturing, responsible, family at the centre.Sum of the consonants — the outer impression.

43,516

Total babies (all years)

Years in the data

2,063

Peak in a single year

Popularity Over Time — Boys

Also a character in

In Sherlock Holmes: Professor James Moriarty — the criminal mastermind
In The Roald Dahl Universe: James — of James and the Giant Peach
In Pokémon: James — Team Rocket

Famous people named James

James Joyceprose writer · b. 1882
James Cookseafarer · b. 1728
James Madisonplantation owner · b. 1751
James Clerk Maxwelltheoretical physicist · b. 1831
James Watttechnician · b. 1736

More popular boys' names

Names ranked near James in 2024

Other boys' names starting with J

Year-by-Year Detail

Rank is among all boys' names registered that year.

Year	Babies	Rank
1991	2,063	#16
1992	2,000	#20
1993	1,781	#20
1994	1,396	#23
1995	1,479	#24
1996	1,374	#27
1997	1,300	#27
1998	1,154	#30
1999	1,119	#32
2000	1,084	#33
2001	1,036	#33
2002	982	#33
2003	1,053	#29
2004	1,024	#30
2005	1,040	#30
2006	1,058	#29
2007	1,065	#28
2008	1,142	#23
2009	1,126	#21
2010	1,106	#19
2011	1,192	#15
2012	1,166	#17
2013	1,235	#15
2014	1,315	#14
2015	1,391	#12
2016	1,473	#10
2017	1,442	#10
2018	1,458	#10
2019	1,350	#10
2020	1,266	#10
2021	1,264	#12
2022	1,176	#11
2023	1,126	#11
2024	1,131	#8