Baby Name Popularity Profile

James

Data-driven SSA statistics, rankings, and historical trends for James.

✦ Supplanter 🌍 Hebrew biblical traditional
National Rank (2025) #6
All-Time Peak Rank #1 Achieved 1940
Total U.S. Births 5,250,638 since 1880
Unisex Distribution 99.6% Boy / 0.4% Girl Overwhelmingly Male
First Recorded 1880 Last seen: 2025
Peak Decade 1950s 94,767 births in 1947
💡 The James Vibe: Considered a Perennial Favorite. A historic staple that has maintained dominant national popularity for over half a century.

🌍 Meaning & Etymology

Primary Meaning Supplanter
Language Origin Hebrew
Origin Type single
Derived from the Late Latin Iacobus, which was from the Greek Iakobos, itself from the Hebrew name Ya'aqov (Jacob), meaning 'supplanter'.
Common Nicknames
Jim Jimmy Jamie
Alternative Spellings
Jaime
Pronunciation: JAYMZ
Themes & Categories
biblical traditional
Etymology confidence: High

📖 The Story Behind James

According to SSA data, James achieved its highest historical rank of #1 in 1940. Its highest annual registration volume occurred in 1947 with 94,767 babies. Between 2015 and 2025, modern registrations have decreased by 19.6%. Overall, the name has maintained a ranked presence for 146 consecutive years.

📊 Factual Timeline & Current Trajectory (1880 – 2025)

Registration footprint of James across 145 years of SSA data.

5-Year Trajectory Stable
10-Year Shift -19.6% Decline
18801920196020002025

📈 Popularity Milestones & Volatility

Busiest Year on Record 94,767 births in 1947
Years in Top 100 146 yrs
Years in Top 500 146 yrs
Registry Streak 146 yrs
Historical Volatility Very Stable
Largest 1-Year Jump N/A
Decade-by-Decade Registration Volumes
1880s: 54,055
1890s: 50,723
1900s: 62,170
1910s: 275,070
1920s: 515,301
1930s: 547,479
1940s: 795,775
1950s: 843,768
1960s: 684,722
1970s: 444,713
1980s: 356,491
1990s: 244,980
2000s: 163,179
2010s: 139,689
2020s: 72,523

📐 Sound & Spelling Structure

Phonetic Syllables James
Letter Count 5 letters
Spelling Complexity Moderate
Length Percentile Longer than 7.7% of names
Linguistic Profile: It is an isogram, meaning no two letters are repeated. Longer than 7.7% of SSA names. Starts with J, a letter used by only 7.8% of SSA names.

🛠️ Sibling & Surname Cadence Tool

Enter a surname or sibling name to test how it pairs with James.

📍 Authentic State & Regional Rankings

Highest Ranking State Mississippi
Top States Mississippi, South Carolina, Alabama, Kentucky, Tennessee
States with Data 51
State 2025 Rank Total Births Peak Year 5-Yr Velocity
Mississippi #1 115,744 1947 16.2% Decline
South Carolina #4 129,430 1947 Stable
Alabama #3 160,037 1947 3.9% Decline
Kentucky #9 145,857 1947 18.5% Decline
Tennessee #4 175,232 1947 +3.5% Growth
West Virginia #11 76,421 1947 +9.3% Growth
Arkansas #6 86,139 1947 +23.6% Growth
District of Columbia #6 33,287 1947 38.3% Decline
North Carolina #5 212,379 1947 4.5% Decline
Delaware #4 13,707 1957 +2.8% Growth
Virginia #6 151,961 1947 6.4% Decline
Georgia #5 187,301 1947 +3.7% Growth
Wyoming #2 8,236 1954 Insufficient historical volume
Pennsylvania #6 305,924 1947 8.3% Decline
Ohio #8 263,196 1947 14.1% Decline
Missouri #8 126,319 1947 +1.6% Growth
Maryland #9 84,633 1947 28.0% Decline
Montana #6 17,083 1950 Stable
Oklahoma #10 75,761 1925 7.6% Decline
Indiana #6 128,680 1947 1.5% Decline
Massachusetts #5 131,719 1958 1.8% Decline
Rhode Island #11 18,978 1965 12.2% Decline
Illinois #7 254,727 1947 9.6% Decline
Alaska #5 7,115 1956 +11.4% Growth
Michigan #5 189,909 1947 0.6% Decline
Wisconsin #8 98,755 1947 +13.1% Growth
Louisiana #3 89,320 1947 +8.1% Growth
Vermont #7 8,416 1946 Insufficient historical volume
Connecticut #4 52,825 1961 +3.3% Growth
New Jersey #6 129,267 1957 6.7% Decline
South Dakota #14 15,730 1948 5.9% Decline
Iowa #7 61,201 1947 +12.4% Growth
North Dakota #9 15,469 1947 10.8% Decline
Kansas #6 47,724 1954 +14.6% Growth
New York #8 348,452 1947 7.2% Decline
Nebraska #7 32,977 1948 +15.9% Growth
Maine #8 19,310 1947 +22.9% Growth
Minnesota #6 79,792 1947 +8.6% Growth
New Hampshire #5 13,337 1960 +30.0% Growth
Florida #8 144,855 1960 +10.7% Growth
Hawaii #19 12,176 1963 21.2% Decline
Oregon #11 35,685 1947 21.5% Decline
Idaho #10 15,208 1952 17.4% Decline
Washington #8 61,803 1952 3.8% Decline
Texas #12 284,797 1952 +0.9% Growth
Colorado #5 44,156 1955 +9.4% Growth
New Mexico #24 18,932 1960 25.0% Decline
Nevada #9 9,712 1990 +15.0% Growth
California #22 288,257 1957 13.1% Decline
Utah #9 23,690 1978 12.3% Decline
Arizona #21 32,066 1960 11.1% Decline

👨‍👩‍👧 Sibling Name Suggestions

👦 Brother Suggestions
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👧 Sister Suggestions
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