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 1996 and has been recorded in 29 different years as a boy's name. Its single biggest year was 1997 with 9,853 babies (rank #2 that year). In 2024 it was given to 1,252 boys (rank #40). 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.

141,881

Total babies (all years)

Years in the data

9,853

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
1996	9,385	#4
1997	9,853	#2
1998	9,197	#3
1999	8,748	#3
2000	7,489	#3
2001	7,026	#4
2002	6,377	#4
2003	6,305	#4
2004	6,135	#4
2005	5,654	#4
2006	5,411	#6
2007	5,136	#9
2008	5,170	#9
2009	4,544	#9
2010	4,351	#10
2011	4,945	#8
2012	4,495	#10
2013	4,236	#9
2014	4,167	#9
2015	3,912	#11
2016	3,580	#12
2017	2,925	#17
2018	2,536	#21
2019	2,336	#22
2020	1,977	#24
2021	1,772	#30
2022	1,534	#34
2023	1,430	#35
2024	1,252	#40