Name James
James is a masculine name with Greek, Hebrew, Latin, French, English origins. It is considered a ubiquitous name that has experienced moderate growth in popularity recently.
Meaning of the name James
Origins and Core Meaning
James, originating from the Hebrew name Jacob, carries the profound meaning of "supplanter" or "one who takes the place of another". It symbolizes strength, resilience, and determination, qualities that have been attributed to bearers of this name throughout history.
Detailed Insights on James
Origins
Hebrew: Jacob ( Supplanter) - Greek: Iakobos - Latin: Iacobus - French: Jacques - English: James.
Symbolic Representation
James is symbolically associated with the following:
- The Dove: Peace, harmony, and the Holy Spirit
- The Pillar: Strength, support, and unwavering faith
- The Lily: Purity, innocence, and divine favor
Personality Traits
The name James evokes a sense of stability and dependability. It conveys the emotional traits of practicality, loyalty, and unwavering resolve. Individuals with this name often exude a quiet confidence and a serene presence, inspiring trust and admiration.
Key Personality Traits
Personal Meanings of the Name James
James Overview & Analysis
Gender statistics
James is predominantly a boy's name with a strong masculine identity. Among 5,379,445 people named James, 5,361,075 are male and 18,370 are female resulting in a 99.7% male distribution. This pronounced gender imbalance underscores the name James's strong masculine identity.
Data Explanation
This data is sourced from actual birth records, ensuring that the statistics provided are accurate reflections of real naming trends. The percentage has been rounded up for easier readability, but the underlying figures are grounded in factual data, not estimates. This ensures that the information is both reliable and user-friendly, giving a clear and truthful picture of the name James's gender association.
Popularity
James classified as an ubiquitous name and ranks 1 in the Namedary database. It has experienced moderate growth over the years, and experienced moderate growth recently. The chance of meeting someone named James is nearly 1.5%, or about one in 66+ people.
Based on the latest data from 2021 (42,760), 2022 (43,000), 2023 (12,563), James's year-to-year percentage change in popularity is -3.61%. The name James was most popular in 1947, making up 2.77% of baby names (or about one in 36 babies), and reached its lowest point in 1910 with a usage rate of 0.27%.
Country-Specific Prevalence
| Flag | Country | Rank | Popularity |
|---|---|---|---|
| United States | 1 | 1.6% | |
| United Kingdom | 2 | 0.94% | |
| Canada | 3 | 1.2% | |
| New Zealand | 4 | 1.2% | |
| Australia | 7 | 1.1% |
People named James are predominantly found in United States (US), particularly in New York (NY), where it makes up 1.4% of the population.
Data Source
The data in this section was gathered from a variety of sources, including:
- United States: Social Security Administration (https://www.ssa.gov/)
- Canada: Government of Ontario (https://data.ontario.ca/). Alberta’s top baby names (https://www.alberta.ca/). B.C.'s Most Popular Baby Names (https://www2.gov.bc.ca/)
- United Kingdom: Office for National Statistics (https://www.ons.gov.uk/)
- Australia: Government of South Australia (https://data.sa.gov.au/). Government of New South Wales (https://www.nsw.gov.au/). Northern Territory Government (https://nt.gov.au/)
- New Zealand: New Zealand Department of Internal Affairs (https://www.data.govt.nz/)
- Supplemental Sources: To enrich our data-driven approach, we supplement our primary sources with information from credible websites, academic publications, and expert opinions. This ensures that we provide a well-rounded perspective on baby names.
To enhance readability, percentages are rounded up. Values less than 0.0015% have been omitted.
Additional Information on James
Pronunciation and Phonetics
- Name
- James
- Pronunciation
- james
- jeymz
- JAYMZ
- j-AI-m-z
- jayms
- IPA Notation
- ʤejˈmz
- Syllable
- Stressed:James
- Syllable Count:1 Syllable
Chinese Translation of the Name James
- Translation
- 詹姆斯
- Pronunce
- (PinYin) : zhān mǔ sī
- Feng Shui
- 詹Fire姆Water斯Metal
James in Numerology
| J | A | M | E | S |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 5 | |||
| 1 | 4 | 1 |
Applying the rules of numerology (Pythagorean numerology):
James's Soul Number (Heart's Desire Number): Number 6
- You embrace your true self while nurturing others, caring for, and being close to those you love.
- You aspire to bring love, beauty, and harmony into the world so that everyone can feel happy, loved, and healed.
- You are driven by beauty, love, family, relationships, and serving and caring for others.
James's Expression Number (Personality Number): Number 6
- You regularly focus a lot of energy and mind on your family home.
- Avoid the possibility of over-indulging others and maintain a balance between love and family members who genuinely need your care. When you are balanced, you will be happy for a long time.
James's Destiny Number (Life Path Number): Number 3
- You are optimistic, creative, enthusiastic, romantic, and humorous, bringing joy to those around you.
- You possess excellent creative leadership skills and have a knack for business success.
Famous People Named James
- James Dean: American actor known for his iconic roles in "Rebel Without a Cause" and "East of Eden"
- James Madison: Fourth President of the United States, known as the "Father of the Constitution"
- James Cook: British explorer who made three voyages to the Pacific Ocean, charting New Zealand and Australia
- James Cameron: Canadian filmmaker known for directing blockbuster hits such as "Titanic" and "Avatar"
- James Joyce: Irish novelist, short story writer, and poet, known for his masterpiece "Ulysses"
User-Submitted Information about James
Joany123
Also Guernésiais: http://dbooks.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/books/PDFs/590676737.pdf
Steffie12345
Also French: https://meilleursprenoms.com/popularite-prenom/James
Also Dutch:
https://nl.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/James
https://www.meertens.knaw.nl/nvb/naam/is/JamesJade_pk_fly
Also Spanish (Latin American), reflecting the Spanish pronunciation of the English spelling. A famous bearer is Colombian footballer James Rodríguez.
Pronunciation: KHA-mehs, ['xa.mes] (Latin American Spanish)
(Information from name #431224 originally submitted by user navarretedf)
Conclusion
In conclusion, the name James encapsulates a rich tapestry of meaning, emotion, and symbolism. It represents strength, dependability, peace, and divine protection. Whether used in its full form or in its myriad of nicknames, James remains a timeless and enduring classic, gracing individuals with its timeless allure.
Zesima454
I think James is a very sexy sounding name - you can't get any sexier than James Bond.
Frozen_koed
Folk etymology from Jacobus de Voragine's Golden Legend (mid-13th century, trans. William Caxton) entry about Saint James the Less:
"James is as much to say as supplanter or supplanting a feast, or making ready.
Or James is said of ja and of cobar, which is as much to say as the burden or weight of God.
Or James may be said of jaculum, a dart and copis smiting, which is to say smitten with a dart, or smitten with glaive [lance]s.
He was said a supplanter of the world, for he despised it in supplanting hastily the devil. And he is said making ready, for always he made ready his body to do well."
Voragine's etymologies are, by and large, totally fabricated in order to highlight the saint's qualities, but they're fun! In this case, only the first one (supplanter) is legit.
Wnfpw2_ba1f
I really like the name because even though it is extremely popular it sounds very strong and I like it. My dad's name is James, but when he was a kid everyone called him Jimmy and now everyone calls him Jim.