James - Definition and Overview

James */dʒeɪmz/ is a popular name worldwide, and the most popular name for a male in the United States. During the 1990 US Census, approximately 3.318% of males counted had the first name James. The name is derived from the Hebrew word meaning held by the heel, protected, or supplanted.

Etymology

Came into English from the French variation Gemmes of the Late Latin Iacomus, dialect variant of Iacobus, from New Testament Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iacōbos), from Hebrew יעקב (Yaʻaqov). Cognates include Jacob

Variant spellings

• Jaymes

Female equivalents

• Jamesina, Jamey, Jaymie, Jaimie, Jaimita, Gemina

Diminutives

• Jim, Jay, Jamie, Jimmy, Jimmie, Jimi, Jamsey, Jame, Jameson, Jimbo, Jake, Jem, Jems, Jemmy

Translations

• Basque: Jakes
• Breton: Jagu
• Castilian: Jaime
• Catalan: Jaume, Xaume
• Cornish: Jago, Jammes, Jamma
• French: Jacques, Jame, Gemmes (Normandy), Gemme (Normandy)
• Galician: Xaime
• German: Jakob
• Hawaiian: Kimo
• Italian: Giacomo, Iago
• Irish: Séamas, Seamus (anglicized), Shamus (anglicized), Séimí (dim)
• Japanese: ジェームズ, ジェイムズ
• Latin: Jacobus, Jacomus
• Manx: Jayms
• Occitan: Jammes, James
• Portuguese: Diogo, Jaime, Tiago
• Provencal: Jacme
• Scottish: Seumas, Sheumais, Jamsey, Hamish (anglicized)
• Spanish: Diego, Jaimito, Jacóme, Iago, Santiago, Jaime
• Welsh: Siam, Iago

Famous persons with the name James

• Characters from the Bible:
  • Saint James the Great or Saint James of Compostela, brother of John the Apostle;
  • Saint James the Less;
  • James the Just, brother of Jesus and believed to have written one of the books of the New Testament, the Epistle of James.
• Kings of Scotland and/or England:
  • James I of Scotland
  • James II of Scotland
  • James III of Scotland
  • James IV of Scotland
  • James V of Scotland
  • James I of England (VI of Scotland)
  • James II of England (VII of Scotland)
• Kings of Aragon:
  • James I of Aragon
  • James II of Aragon
• James (band), a band from Manchester, England
• James Bond, a fictional spy featured in novels and films
• James T. Kirk, a fictional sci-fi captain from Star Trek.
• Presidents of the United States of America:
  • James Madison (1751-1836), 4th President of the United States.
  • James Monroe (1758-1831), 5th President of the United States.
  • James Buchanan (1791-1868), 15th President of the United States.
  • James K. Polk (1795-1849), 11th President of the United States.
  • James Garfield (1831-1881), 20th President of the United States.
  • Jimmy (James Earl) Carter (1924-) 39th President of the United States.
• Prime Ministers of the United Kingdom
  • James Callaghan, (1912-) Labour Prime Minister 1976-1979

Letter of James in the Bible

• James is the common abbreviation of the Epistle of James/Letter of James in the Bible, New Testament