Male name
James
143,095 births (England and Wales, 1996–2025), peaking in 1997. Expression number: 3.
Origin
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), from Biblical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ, literally “May He Heel”), from the third-person singular masculine imperfective form of the Semitic verb "to heel" (with various meanings), in turn from עָקֵב (ʿāqēḇ, “heel of the foot”). Doublet of Jacques, Jacob, Iago, Jago, Yago, Hamish, Seamus, Tiago, Santiago, and Yaakov. In reference to the Ecuadorian island, a modification of the earlier name Duke of York's Island after its eponymous duke's coronation as James II of England. See Occitan Jacme for an intermediary between Old French James and Catalan Jaume.From Wiktionary, entry “James”, text under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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How many babies received it
From the official birth registers.
In England and Wales
Peak in 1997: 9,853 births. 143,095 births from 1996 to 2025. A name given mostly in the 1990s, 2000s and 2010s. At its peak, it ranked 2nd among boys' names in 1997. It is still given: 7,199 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Office for National Statistics, Baby names in England and Wales, Open Government Licence v3.0.
In the United States
Peak in 1947: 95,024 births. 5,274,520 births from 1880 to 2025. A name given steadily, decade after decade, from the 1920s to the 1980s. At its peak, it ranked 1st among boys' names in 1940. It is still given: 60,492 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Social Security Administration, Popular Baby Names, public domain.
In Ireland
Peak in 1964: 1,554 births. 51,701 births from 1964 to 2025. A name given steadily, decade after decade, from the 1960s to the 2010s. At its peak, it ranked 1st among boys' names in 1994. It is still given: 1,918 births from 2021 to 2025.
Source: Central Statistics Office, Irish Babies' Names, CC BY 4.0.
Elsewhere in the world
The name in the birth records of the 10 countries we track. The period covered varies from country to country.
| Country | Births | Period | Best rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| France | 27,795 | 1900–2025 | 85th in 1945 |
| Quebec | 7,835 | 1980–2025 | 16th in 2021 |
| Switzerland | 3,007* | 1915–2025 | — |
| Argentina | 1,236 | 2012–2023 | — |
| Berlin | 534 | 2012–2023 | 88th in 2022 |
| Belgium | 510 | 2014–2023 | — |
| Austria | 390 | 1984–2025 | — |
* These are the people living in the country, counted by year of birth, not the number of births.
Source: INSEE, Fichier des prénoms, Etalab Open Licence 2.0; Retraite Québec, Banque de prénoms, CC BY 4.0; Federal Statistical Office, First names of the population by year of birth, free use with attribution; RENAPER, Nombres propios en Argentina, CC BY 4.0 (the registry doesn't record sex); Open Data Berlin, Häufige Vornamen, CC BY 3.0 DE (every name a child carries, not only the first); Statbel, first names of newborns, CC BY 4.0 (one total for the whole period, no yearly breakdown); Statistik Austria, Vornamen, CC BY 4.0.
The numbers of the name
Each letter has a value: A = 1, B = 2… I = 9, then J = 1 again (Pythagorean method). We add them up, then reduce to a single digit, except 11, 22 and 33.
■ vowel · ■ consonant
Expression
All the letters: talents, the way you act.
3
expression, creativity, sociability
1 + 1 + 4 + 5 + 1 = 12 → 3
Soul
The vowels: what drives you deep down.
6
responsibility, harmony, commitment to others
1 + 5 = 6
Personality
The consonants: what others notice first.
6
responsibility, harmony, commitment to others
1 + 4 + 1 = 6
- Digits missing from the name
- 2, 3, 6, 7, 8, 9
- Most frequent digit
- 1 · initiative, independence, beginnings
The meaning of the numbers comes from numerological tradition; it isn't a measure of your personality. A full portrait needs your first and middle names, your last name at birth, and your date of birth. How we calculate
Your name and theirs
The number of each name, and the number of the bond, which comes from adding them together. A symbolic game: what your two names say together, to be read as a metaphor, not as a verdict on your relationship.