Boy name · Hebrew
James
Name meaning, origin and popularity
: supplanter, holder of the heelJames is a boy's name that comes from Hebrew and means "supplanter, holder of the heel". It is used in English, Irish and Scottish.
- Meaning
- Supplanter, holder of the heel
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Gender
- Boy
- US rank
- #6 in 2025
Meaning and origin of James
As a boy's name, James comes from Hebrew and means "supplanter, holder of the heel". It is used in English, Irish and Scottish.
James is also a surname: the 86th most common in the 2020 US Census, held by 243,502 people. See the most common last names.
Meaning checked against Behind the Name. How we research names
James on Nomezo lists
What our editors wrote about James on 4 lists.
“Same name as Jacob (holder of the heel, in Genesis); Hebrew. Name of two apostles in the Gospels”
From Biblical names, biblical names for boys
“A form of Jacob; Hebrew. Smooth after almost any first name”
From Boy middle names, classic boy middle names
“Supplanter, holder of the heel; Hebrew. Jamie or Jim for short; kings and presidents”
From Classic boy names, timeless boy names
“Hebrew for supplanter; borne by seven Stewart kings of Scots.”
From Scottish boy names, scottish kings, saints and heroes
How popular is James?
- US rank in 2025
- #6
- 11,945 babies, 6,993 per million boys
- Best rank
- #1 in 1940
- Most babies: 94,767 in 1947
- Babies since 1880
- At least 5,250,638
- Years with under 5 are not listed
| 1880s | 49,347 per million |
|---|---|
| 1890s | 44,457 per million |
| 1900s | 45,795 per million |
| 1910s | 41,208 per million |
| 1920s | 46,763 per million |
| 1930s | 51,813 per million |
| 1940s | 53,455 per million |
| 1950s | 41,735 per million |
| 1960s | 35,547 per million |
| 1970s | 26,926 per million |
| 1980s | 19,313 per million |
| 1990s | 12,576 per million |
| 2000s | 8,175 per million |
| 2010s | 7,429 per million |
| 2020s | 6,998 per million |
| Year | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 | 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | #5 | #4 | #4 | #6 | #6 | #5 | #4 | #4 | #5 | #6 |
Source: US Social Security Administration baby-name data, 1880 to 2025, as published in 2026. Each spelling is counted separately, a name given to fewer than 5 babies of one sex in a year is left out, and few people born before 1937 have records, which is why the chart shows babies per million rather than raw counts.
Nicknames for James
Established short forms and pet names, not made-up ones.
- Jimthe vowel changes: James, Jim
- JimmyJim + -y; the vowel changes from James
- Jamiecommon English nickname
- Jemcommon English nickname
Other forms of James
The same name in other languages and spellings, with the same meaning and origin.
- GiacomoSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
- HamishSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
- IakovosSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
- JacobSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
- JacopoSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
- JacquesSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
- JakobSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
- JakubSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
- JamieSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, unisex)
- JimmySupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
- KimoSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
- SeamusSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
Names spelled like James
One or two letters apart, but from a different root: they look alike without sharing a meaning.
Names with a similar meaning
- JacquelineSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, girl)
- AkivaFrom Yaakov, holder of the heel (Aramaic, boy)
- IakopaSupplanter (Hebrew, boy)
- JackieSupplanter (Hebrew, girl)
- Jacques-YvesSupplanter, plus yew tree (Hebrew and Germanic, boy)
- JamesinaSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, girl)
- Jean-JacquesGod is gracious, plus supplanter (Hebrew, boy)
- SeumasSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
- TiagoSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
- YaakovSupplanter, holder of the heel (Hebrew, boy)
Middle names for James
Picked from our middle-name lists with a different first letter and a longer length, so the full name flows.
More boy names from Hebrew
- AdamMan, humankind (Hebrew, boy)
- DavidBeloved one (Hebrew, boy)
- DanielGod is my judge (Hebrew, boy)
- NoahRest, repose (Hebrew, boy)
- EliasMy God is Yahweh (Hebrew, boy)
- GabrielGod is my strength (Hebrew, boy)
- AxelMy father is peace (Hebrew, boy)
- BenjaminSon of the right hand (Hebrew, boy)
- IsaacHe will laugh (Hebrew, boy)
- JanGod is gracious (Hebrew, boy)
James: common questions
What does the name James mean?
James comes from Hebrew and means "supplanter, holder of the heel". Checked against Behind the Name.
Is James a boy or girl name?
James is mainly a boy's name. In 2025, 59 girls and 11,945 boys in the US were named James, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are nicknames for James?
Common nicknames for James include Jim, Jimmy, Jamie and Jem.
How popular is the name James?
James ranked #6 in the US in 2025, with 11,945 babies given the name, according to Social Security Administration data.
What are other forms of James?
Forms of James with the same meaning and origin include Giacomo (Italian), Hamish (Scottish), Iakovos (Greek), Jacob (English) and Jacopo (Italian).
What middle names go with James?
Middle names that flow well with James include Carlton, Carter, Cedar, Edward and Gerald. A different first letter and a contrasting length usually sound best.