James
James is a popular choice in the UK, ranked #42 in 2025. There's a good chance they'll share their name with at least one classmate throughout school.
Hebrew — Supplanter; He who follows
About the Name James
James is climbing rapidly up the charts, having climbed 5453 places in just five years. Its best recorded rank was #2 in 1997 — and current momentum suggests it could challenge that mark again. The name has been a consistent presence in UK records since 1996. It has spent 30 of the last 30 years inside the UK top 100 — a mark of enduring mainstream appeal.
The name carries Hebrew roots, where it means "Supplanter; He who follows". Names with strong etymological stories tend to age well — they carry weight beyond fashion cycles.
James is a very popular name in the UK — yet a class of 28 is small enough that your child will very likely be the only James on the register.
In the US it ranks even higher at #5, where it enjoys a particularly strong following.
⭐ Famous People Named James
- James Joyce (biography) — James Joyce is a biography of the Irish modernist James Joyce written by Richard Ellmann, which informs an understanding of this author's complex works.
- Bryce James — Bryce Maximus James is an American college basketball player for the Arizona Wildcats of the Big 12 Conference.
- James Boswell — James Boswell, 9th Laird of Auchinleck – 19 May 1795), was a Scottish biographer, diarist, and lawyer, born in Edinburgh.
Biographical summaries are shortened from Wikipedia and are used under the CC BY-SA 4.0 licence; those summaries remain available under that same licence.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about the name James
🏫 Who else is in the room?
In a typical UK class of 28, highlighted children share the name James
Almost certainly the only James in the class
UK Popularity (1996–2025)
Rank and birth count · ONS official data
US Popularity (2020–2025)
Rank · SSA official data
✨ Similar names to James
Names with a similar style — each with their own classroom story
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Famous People Named James
Notable people who share this name, from history to the present day. See full list on Wikipedia