James (given name)

This article is about the given name James. For the surname, see James (surname). For other uses, see James.

James

Saint James the Great, one of the Twelve Apostles of Jesus
Pronunciation	/dʒeɪmz/
Gender	Male
Language(s)	English
Name day	June 30th
Origin
Word/name	Hebrew, Latin
Meaning	"He may/will/shall follow/heed/seize by the heel/watch/guard/protect”, "Supplanter/Assailant", "May God protect"
Other names
Related names	Jacob, Jakob, Jake, Jack, Jacques, Jim, Jimmy, Jamie, Jaime, Jemmy, Jay; language variants listed below

James is an English language given name of Hebrew origin, most commonly used for males.

Etymology

It is a modern descendant, through Old French James, of Vulgar Latin Iacomus (cf. Italian Giacomo, Portuguese Tiago, Spanish Iago, Santiago), a derivative version of Latin Iacobus, Latin form of the Hebrew name Jacob (original Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב). The final -s in the English first names is typical of those borrowed from Old French, where it was the former masculine subject case (cf. Giles, Miles, Charles, etc.). James is a very popular name in English-speaking populations.

Forms of James

Abbreviations

• Jas. (English)

Diminutives

• Jack
• Jim or Jimmy/Jimy/Jimmi/Jimi/Jimmie
• Jimbo
• Jay
• Jaime or Jamie

Variants in English and various other languages

• Afrikaans: Jakobus, Koos (diminutive), Kobus (diminutive), Jakko (diminutive)
• Albanian: Jakup, Jakub, Jakob or Jakov
• Alemannic: Köbi, Chöbi, Joggel, Jakobli (diminutive), Joggeli (diminutive), Joggi
• Amharic: ያዕቆብ (Ya‘əqob)
• Arabic: يعقوب (Yaʻqub)
• Aragonese: Chaime, Chacobo
• Armenian: Յակոբ in classical orthography and Հակոբ in reformed orthography (Western: Hagop, Eastern: Hakob)
• Asturian: Diegu, Xacobu, Xaime
• Azerbaijani: Yaqub
• Basque: Jakue, Jakob, Jakobe, Jagoba, Jaime, Jakes; Jakoba, Jagobe (feminized); Jago (diminutive)
• Bavarian: Jackl, Jock, Jocke, Jockei
• Belarusian: Jakub, Якуб (Yakub), Jakaŭ, Якаў (Yakaw)
• Bengali: জেমস (Jēms/Jēmsh), ইয়াকুব (Iyakub)
• Biblical Hebrew: Yaakov (יעקב)
• Bosnian: Jakub
• Breton: Jagu, Jagut, Jacut, Jak, Jakes, Jakez, Jakezig, Jakou, Jalm, Chalm
• Bulgarian: Яков (Yakov)
• Cantonese 占士 (Jeem-see)
• Catalan: Jaume, Xaume, Jacme, Jacob, Dídac, Santiago
• Cherokee (Tsalagi): ᏥᎻ (Tsi-mi)
• Chinese: 詹姆斯 (Zhānmǔsī), 詹姆士 (Zhānmǔshì)
• Cornish: Jago, Jammes, Jamma, Jamys
• Croatian: Jakov, Jakob, Jakša
• Czech: Jakub, Jakoubek (diminutive), Kuba (diminutive), Kubík (diminutive), Kubíček (diminutive), Kubas (informal, uncommon), Kubi (informal), Kubsik (informal, uncommon)
• Danish: Ib, Jacob, Jakob, Jeppe, Jim, Jimmy
• Dutch: Jacob, Jacobus, Jakob, Jaco, Jacco, Cobus, Coos, Jaap, Kobe, Kobus, Koos, Sjaak, Sjakie
• English:
  • Jack
  • Jacob Jacobson Jacobs
  • Jakob (uncommon, by way of German, Yiddish, etc.)
  • Jacoby Jacobie (rare, chiefly American, and originally a surname)
  • Jake, Jakey, Jaky, Jakie, (diminutive)
  • Coby/Koby/Cobie/Kobie (diminutive, uncommon, chiefly American)
  • Jamie (diminutive, found in all primarily English-speaking lands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, United States, etc.)
  • Jaime/Jaimie/Jaimy (diminutive, uncommon, chiefly American, and by way of Spanish)
  • Jim Jam
  • Jambo
  • Jimbo
  • Jimmy Jimmie
  • Jay
  • James
  • Jemmy Jemmie
  • Jammy Jammie
  • Jammes Jameson
  • Jamison Jamieson
  • Jamesy Jamesie Jamesey
  • Jem (diminutive, also taken as a diminutive for Jeremiah, Jeremy or Jemma)
  • Jacqueline/Jaqueline (feminized, by way of French)
  • Jacquie/Jaqui/Jaquy (feminized diminutive), Jackie (feminized diminutive, chiefly American), Jacky (feminized diminutive)
  • Jamie/Jamey/Jami/Jamy/Jamiey/ (feminized)
  • Jamesina, Jamesa (feminine form)
• Esperanto: Jakobo
• Estonian: Jakob, Jaakob, Jaagup, Jaak
• Faroese: Jákup, Jakku (only in double names such as Jóan Jakku, Hans Jakku. Previously spelled Jacob/Jakob)
• Filipino: Jaime, Jacób, Santiago (religious usage)
• Finnish: Jaakob, Jaakoppi, Jaakko, Jaska, Jimi, Jouppi (archaic, nowadays only as a surname), Kauppi (archaic, nowadays only as a surname)
• French: Jacques, Jacqueline (feminized), James, Jammes, Jacob, Jacquot (diminutive), Jacot (diminutive), Jacotte (feminized), Jaco (diminutive), Jack (diminutive), Jacky (diminutive), Jacq (diminutive), Jacquy (diminutive)
• Frisian: Japik
• Friulian: Jacum
• Galician: Xaime, Iago, Diego, Xacobe, Xácome
• Georgian: იაკობ (Iakob), კობა (Koba)
• German: Jakob, Jakobus, Jeckel (diminutive), Jäckel (diminutive), Köbes (diminutive), Köbi (Swiss German diminutive)
• Greek:
  • Ιακώβ (Iakov, in the Septuagint)
  • Ιάκωβος (Iakovos, New Testament)
  • Γιακουμής (Yakoumis, colloquial, possibly also from Ιωακείμ (Joachim))
  • Ιακωβίνα (Iakovina, feminized)
  • Γιάγκος (Yangos, probably through Slavic languages
  • Ζάκης or Ζακ (Zakis or Zak, French-sounding)
• Hawaiian: Kimo, Iakobo, Iakopo
• Hebrew: Jacob and James are two separate, yet related names.
  • Jacob is יעקב (Ya'aqov or Yakov), with its diminutives:
    • קובי (Kobi)
    • ג׳קי (Jecky : from Jacky)
    • ז׳אק (Zhack from French pronunciation of Jacques)
    • יקי (Yaki)
    • יענקל׳ה/ינקי (Yankalleh/Yankee - through Yiddish).
  • James is transliterated as גֵ׳יימס/גִ׳ימי/גִ׳ים/ (James/Jimmy/Jim from English).
  • The Spanish name Jaime for James is pronounced in Spanish like the Israeli pronunciation of חיים (Haim or Chaim pronounced Kha-yim and meaning life). Diminutives of Chaim are:
    • חיימי Chayimee (from Yiddish or Spanish Jaime)
    • חיק׳ל/חיימקה (Chaikel/Chayimke from Yiddish)
• Hindi: जेम्स (Jēmsa)
• Hungarian: Jakab, Jákob
• Icelandic: Jakob
• Igbo Jems, James, Jekọb
• Indonesian: Yakobus, Yakubus, James
• Irish: Séamas/Séamus, Shéamais (vocative, Séimí (diminutive), Séimín (diminutive), Séamuisín (diminutive), Iacób
• Italian: Giacomo, Iacopo or Jacopo, Giacobbe, Giacomino, Giaco, Giamo, Mino
• Japanese: ジェームス (Jēmusu)
• Jerriais: Jimce
• Kannada: ಜೇಮ್ಸ್ (Jēms)
• Kazakh: Жақып (Zhaqip, Jacob), Якуб (Yakub, Yacoob)
• Kyrgyz: Жакып (Jaqıp, Jacob), Якып (Yaqıp), Якуп (Yakup), Якуб (Yakub, Yacoob), Каим (Qaim, Chaim), Кайым (Qayım, Chaim)
• Kikuyu: Jemuthi, Jemethi, Jimmi, Jakubu (Pronounced "Jakufu")
• Korean: 제임스 (Jeimseu), 야고보 (Yakobo)
• Kurdish (Sorani): یەعقوب
• Late Roman: Iacomus
• Latin: Iacobus, Iacomus (vulgarized), Didacus (later Latin)
• Latvian: Jēkabs, Jākubs, Jakobs
• Limburgish: Jakob, Sjaak, Sjak, Keube
• Lithuanian: Jokūbas
• Lombard: Giacom, Giacum, Jacom
• Low German: Jak, Jakob, Kööb, Köpke
• Luxembourgish: Jakob, Jak, Jeek, Jeki
• Macedonian: Јаков (Yakov)
• Malay: يعقوب (Ya'qub), Ya'kub, Yakub
• Malayalam: Chacko, Jacob, Yakkob (pronounced Yah-kohb)
• Maltese: Ġakbu, Ġakmu, Jakbu
• Manx: Jamys
• Māori: Hemi
• Northern Sami: Jáhkot
• Norwegian: Jakob, Jakop, Jeppe
• Occitan: Jacme (pronounced Jamme), Jaume, Jammes (surname, pronounced Jamme), James (surname, pronounced Jamme)
• Persian: یعقوب (Yaʻqub)
• Piedmontese: Giaco, Jaco (Montferrat dialect); diminutive: Giacolin, Giacolèt, Jacolin
• Polish: Jakub, Kuba (diminutive), Kubuś (diminutive endearing)
• Portuguese: Jacó (O.T. form), Jacob, Jaime, Iago, Tiago (contracted form used in the N.T.), Thiago and Thyago (variant used in Brazil), Diogo, Diego, Santiago, Jaqueline (fem.)
• Provençal: Jacme
• Punjabi: ਜੇਮਸ (Jēmasa)
• Romanian: Iacob, Iacov
• Romansh: Giachen, Giacun
• Russian: Иаков (Iakov) (archaic O.T. form), Яков (Yakov, Iakov), Яша (Yasha) (diminutive)
• Samoan: Iakopo, Semisi, Simi (Jim)
• Sardinian: Giagu (Logudorese), Iacu (Nuorese)
• Scots: Jeams, Jeames, Jamie, Jizer, Jamesie
• Scottish Gaelic: Seumas, Sheumais (vocative), Hamish (anglicized)
• Serbian (Cyrillic/Latinic): Јаков/Jakov (Yakov); Јакша/Jakša (Yaksha); Јаша/Jaša (Yasha) (diminutive)
• Sicilian: Giacumu, Jàcumu
• Sinhala: දියෝගු (Diogu), ජාකොබ් (Jakob), සන්තියාගො (Santhiyago), යාකොබ් (Yakob)
• Slovak: Jakub, Kubo, Kubko (diminutive), Jakubko (diminutive)
• Slovene: Jakob, Jaka
• Somali: Yacquub
• Spanish: Jaime, Jacobo, Yago, Tiago, Santiago, Diego, Jacoba (fem.), Jacob
• Swahili: Yakobo
• Swedish: Jakob
• Sylheti: য়াকুব (Yakub)
• Syriac: ܝܰܥܩܽܘܒ (Yaqub)
• Tamil: ஜேம்ஸ் (Jēms)
• Telugu: యాకోబు (Yākôbu) జేమ్స్ (Jēms)
• Thai: เจมส์ (Jame, Cems̄̒)
• Turkish: Yakup, Yakub
• Ukrainian: Яків (Yakiv)
• Urdu: جیمز (James), یعقوب (Yaqoob)
• Venetian: Jàcomo, Jàco
• Walloon: Djåke
• Welsh: Iago, Siâms
• Yiddish: יעקב (Yankev/Yankiff), קאפעל/קופפל (Kappel/Koppel), יענקל/יענקלה (Yankel/Yankelleh), יענקי (Yankee), יאקאב (Yakab - from Romanian Iacob), and the Gentile name not associated with Jacob: דזשעיימס (James)
• Yoruba Jákó̩bù, Jakobu
• Zulu: Jakobe

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 (Census records 1940–1960), 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.

See also

• All pages with titles beginning with James
• All pages with titles beginning with Jimmy
• James (surname)
• John (disambiguation) (similar name)