James
The English New Testament form of Jacob, from Middle English James, from Old French James, from Vulgar Latin Iācōmus, spoken and altered pronunciation of Latin Iācōbus…
Every James since 1880 — 5,274,520 of them. Popularity, births, and rankings for each year, from official Social Security records.
The story of James
James is a top-10 name for boys in the United States, ranked #6 in 2025 with 11,945 babies given the name. It is currently holding steady compared with a decade ago.
Since 1880, 5,274,520 American babies have been named James. Its peak came in 1947, when 95,024 newborns received the name — the signature sound of the 1940s.
The chart above shows the full history: the popularity view (births per 1,000 babies) is the honest comparison across generations, since total US births have changed enormously since 1880. Switch to the rank view to see where James stood among all boys' names in any year, or use the compare tool to plot it against other names.
James year by year
Every year since 2001, and five-year steps back to 1880. Rank is within each sex.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59 | #2,873 | 11,945 | #6 |
| 2024 | 68 | #2,594 | 11,856 | #5 |
| 2023 | 79 | #2,325 | 11,739 | #4 |
| 2022 | 85 | #2,217 | 12,119 | #4 |
| 2021 | 68 | #2,569 | 12,474 | #5 |
| 2020 | 66 | #2,583 | 12,390 | #6 |
| 2019 | 68 | #2,576 | 13,198 | #6 |
| 2018 | 45 | #3,459 | 13,650 | #4 |
| 2017 | 77 | #2,368 | 14,362 | #4 |
| 2016 | 67 | #2,629 | 14,920 | #5 |
| 2015 | 39 | #3,879 | 14,865 | #7 |
| 2014 | 42 | #3,680 | 14,464 | #9 |
| 2013 | 28 | #4,945 | 13,596 | #13 |
| 2012 | 28 | #5,021 | 13,458 | #14 |
| 2011 | 30 | #4,733 | 13,275 | #17 |
| 2010 | 30 | #4,788 | 13,901 | #19 |
| 2009 | 51 | #3,266 | 14,223 | #18 |
| 2008 | 32 | #4,694 | 15,190 | #17 |
| 2007 | 33 | #4,511 | 15,973 | #15 |
| 2006 | 46 | #3,480 | 16,255 | #16 |
| 2005 | 26 | #5,013 | 16,140 | #17 |
| 2004 | 95 | #1,965 | 16,469 | #18 |
| 2003 | 34 | #3,977 | 16,896 | #18 |
| 2002 | 31 | #4,115 | 16,968 | #18 |
| 2001 | 42 | #3,274 | 17,074 | #19 |
| 2000 | 40 | #3,360 | 17,991 | #18 |
| 1995 | 57 | #2,317 | 22,739 | #17 |
| 1990 | 115 | #1,375 | 32,359 | #8 |
| 1985 | 287 | #644 | 35,862 | #7 |
| 1980 | 271 | #663 | 39,312 | #5 |
| 1975 | 254 | #621 | 39,569 | #4 |
| 1970 | 353 | #537 | 61,735 | #2 |
| 1965 | 303 | #544 | 67,666 | #4 |
| 1960 | 291 | #578 | 76,815 | #3 |
| 1955 | 243 | #591 | 84,186 | #3 |
| 1950 | 252 | #515 | 86,228 | #1 |
| 1945 | 247 | #454 | 74,464 | #1 |
| 1940 | 259 | #424 | 62,481 | #1 |
| 1935 | 238 | #422 | 55,005 | #2 |
| 1930 | 419 | #323 | 53,957 | #2 |
| 1925 | 365 | #357 | 52,680 | #4 |
| 1920 | 249 | #424 | 47,908 | #4 |
| 1915 | 155 | #495 | 33,773 | #3 |
| 1910 | 63 | #518 | 9,194 | #2 |
| 1905 | 35 | #590 | 6,042 | #3 |
| 1900 | 41 | #526 | 7,245 | #3 |
| 1895 | 34 | #506 | 5,335 | #3 |
| 1890 | 33 | #452 | 5,097 | #3 |
| 1885 | 26 | #408 | 5,175 | #3 |
| 1880 | 22 | #344 | 5,927 | #3 |
Famous people named James
- James Watt Inventor · 1736–1819
- James Cook Explorer · 1728–1779
- James K. Polk Politician · 1795–1849
- James, son of Zebedee Religious figure · 1–44
- James Prescott Joule Physicist · 1818–1889
Ranked by global fame across Wikipedia editions (Pantheon project, MIT).
Frequently asked questions
What does the name James mean?
The English New Testament form of Jacob, from Middle English James, from Old French James, from Vulgar Latin Iācōmus, spoken and altered pronunciation of Latin Iācōbus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Ἰακώβ (Iakṓb),…
How popular is the name James in 2025?
James ranked #6 among boys' names in the United States in 2025, with 11,945 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
How many people are named James?
5,274,520 babies have been named James in the United States since 1880, based on Social Security card applications.
When was the name James most popular?
James peaked in 1947, when 95,024 newborns received the name.
Is James a boy or girl name?
James is overwhelmingly a boy's name — 100% of babies with the name.
Is the name James rising or falling?
James has been roughly stable over the past decade.
Who are famous people named James?
Well-known people named James include James Watt (inventor), James Cook (explorer), James K. Polk (politician).