James
Few names outrank James this year, it stands #6, neither climbing nor fading. It crested back in 1947, and what is left is the good kind of familiar: heard of, rarely met.
What James carries
James · Hebrew
“supplanter”
Source: Charlotte M. Yonge, History of Christian Names (1884), see our sources.
James’s free Name Kit
Five printables for James, drawn in your browser at print size the moment you ask: a name print for the wall, a nursery sign, a tracing sheet, a shortlist sheet, and twelve sibling names with the reason for each. Letter size, 300 dpi, in the site’s own hand.
- Name print Meaning, origin and the popularity curve on one sheet, ready for a frame.
- Nursery sign The name big and bright, for a door, a shelf or the top of a dresser.
- Tracing sheet The name in dotted letters, with room to go over it again and again.
- Shortlist sheet A page for weighing names side by side: initials, nicknames, how it sounds with yours.
- Sibling names sheet Twelve names that go with this one, each with the reason, from the sibling matcher.
Name print
Meaning, origin and the popularity curve on one sheet, ready for a frame.
Nursery sign
The name big and bright, for a door, a shelf or the top of a dresser.
Tracing sheet
The name in dotted letters, with room to go over it again and again.
Shortlist sheet
A page for weighing names side by side: initials, nicknames, how it sounds with yours.
Sibling names sheet
Twelve names that go with this one, each with the reason, from the sibling matcher.
Print on plain letter paper or heavier card; the sign and the print look best on matte stock.
James since 1880
James peaked in 1947 at #1; #6 in 2025.
United States national data, Social Security Administration, through 2025, how we use it.
Where James is most common
The state that gives James most often, per boys born there, is Wyoming (2.29% in 2025); Vermont and Alaska are close behind.
Share of the state's recorded names for that sex, from the Social Security Administration's state file; a name is listed in a state only when five or more babies received it there that year.
Names that sit near James
Same shelf of the library: origin, era and shape, scored deterministically.
Joseph
#29 in 2025 · Hebrew
Michael
#21 in 2025 · Hebrew
Jane
#221 in 2025 · Hebrew
John
#23 in 2025 · Hebrew
David
#35 in 2025 · Hebrew
Jacob
#43 in 2025 · Hebrew
Josiah
#54 in 2025 · Hebrew
Joshua
#66 in 2025 · Hebrew
Browse: names starting with J · Hebrew names · all names
About James
How popular is the name James?
Few names outrank James this year, it stands #6, neither climbing nor fading. Every point on the chart is the SSA's own count, back to 1880.
What does James mean?
In our cited reference the recorded gloss is “supplanter”, of Hebrew origin (Charlotte M. Yonge, History of Christian Names (1884)).
Is there a sibling name for James?
Nearest by the published recipe: Joseph, Michael and Jane. The sibling matcher scores every common American name against the ones you already have.
Get James’s free Name Kit
Five printables made in your browser: a name print for the wall, a nursery sign, a tracing sheet, a shortlist sheet and twelve sibling names with the reason for each. Yours in a moment, for one email.
Make the kitThe book is in the works
A printed picture book where James earns every letter of their own name, page by page. See the preview pages and hear when it is ready.
Preview the book