James
#2,859 for girls in 2025, 59 births · #6 for boys in 2025, 11,945 births
Given to boys 99.5% of the time
- Peak · boys
- 1947 · 94,767 births
- Debut · boys
- 5,927 births
- In top 100 · boys
- 146 yrsof 146 years
- Total births · boys
- 5,250,638since 1880
James over time
Rank among boys' names. Click any year to open it.
Gaps mean fewer than 5 babies received the name that year, so the SSA doesn't publish it.
Show data table
| Year | girls | boys | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| rank | births | rank | births | |
| 2025 | #2,859 | 59 | #6 | 11,945 |
| 2024 | #2,585 | 68 | #5 | 11,856 |
| 2023 | #2,314 | 79 | #4 | 11,739 |
| 2022 | #2,208 | 85 | #4 | 12,119 |
| 2021 | #2,558 | 68 | #5 | 12,474 |
| 2020 | #2,580 | 66 | #6 | 12,390 |
| 2019 | #2,561 | 68 | #6 | 13,198 |
| 2018 | #3,438 | 45 | #4 | 13,650 |
| 2017 | #2,357 | 77 | #4 | 14,362 |
| 2016 | #2,617 | 67 | #5 | 14,920 |
| 2015 | #3,842 | 39 | #7 | 14,865 |
| 2014 | #3,652 | 42 | #9 | 14,464 |
| 2013 | #4,887 | 28 | #13 | 13,596 |
| 2012 | #4,957 | 28 | #14 | 13,458 |
| 2011 | #4,681 | 30 | #17 | 13,275 |
| 2010 | #4,735 | 30 | #19 | 13,901 |
| 2009 | #3,252 | 51 | #18 | 14,223 |
| 2008 | #4,647 | 32 | #17 | 15,190 |
| 2007 | #4,475 | 33 | #15 | 15,973 |
| 2006 | #3,469 | 46 | #16 | 16,255 |
| 2005 | #4,958 | 26 | #17 | 16,140 |
| 2004 | #1,962 | 95 | #18 | 16,469 |
| 2003 | #3,946 | 34 | #18 | 16,896 |
| 2002 | #4,071 | 31 | #18 | 16,968 |
| 2001 | #3,256 | 42 | #19 | 17,074 |
| 2000 | #3,334 | 40 | #18 | 17,991 |
| 1999 | #3,188 | 40 | #19 | 18,555 |
| 1998 | #2,889 | 45 | #18 | 19,690 |
| 1997 | #2,874 | 42 | #17 | 20,408 |
| 1996 | #2,177 | 62 | #17 | 21,165 |
| 1995 | #2,309 | 57 | #17 | 22,739 |
| 1994 | #2,059 | 67 | #14 | 24,778 |
| 1993 | #1,882 | 75 | #14 | 26,259 |
| 1992 | #1,965 | 70 | #9 | 28,513 |
| 1991 | #1,599 | 95 | #7 | 30,514 |
| 1990 | #1,372 | 115 | #8 | 32,359 |
| 1989 | #982 | 176 | #9 | 32,720 |
| 1988 | #767 | 244 | #9 | 32,523 |
| 1987 | #733 | 246 | #8 | 32,659 |
| 1986 | #670 | 273 | #7 | 34,057 |
| 1985 | #644 | 287 | #7 | 35,862 |
| 1984 | #698 | 238 | #7 | 35,859 |
| 1983 | #618 | 282 | #6 | 36,342 |
| 1982 | #577 | 317 | #6 | 38,874 |
| 1981 | #651 | 272 | #7 | 38,283 |
| 1980 | #663 | 271 | #5 | 39,312 |
| 1979 | #666 | 261 | #5 | 39,351 |
| 1978 | #624 | 269 | #5 | 39,894 |
| 1977 | #616 | 273 | #5 | 40,040 |
| 1976 | #620 | 252 | #5 | 38,294 |
| 1975 | #620 | 254 | #4 | 39,569 |
| 1974 | #623 | 250 | #5 | 41,334 |
| 1973 | #531 | 316 | #4 | 42,836 |
| 1972 | #556 | 300 | #3 | 47,063 |
| 1971 | #579 | 302 | #2 | 54,597 |
| 1970 | #536 | 353 | #2 | 61,735 |
| 1969 | #543 | 329 | #3 | 59,886 |
| 1968 | #547 | 312 | #4 | 60,665 |
| 1967 | #534 | 310 | #3 | 61,683 |
| 1966 | #547 | 298 | #3 | 65,163 |
| 1965 | #544 | 303 | #4 | 67,666 |
| 1964 | #554 | 318 | #4 | 73,026 |
| 1963 | #548 | 311 | #4 | 71,294 |
| 1962 | #621 | 262 | #4 | 72,555 |
| 1961 | #600 | 282 | #4 | 75,969 |
| 1960 | #578 | 291 | #3 | 76,815 |
| 1959 | #571 | 294 | #3 | 78,648 |
| 1958 | #621 | 252 | #3 | 78,774 |
| 1957 | #578 | 279 | #2 | 84,337 |
| 1956 | #608 | 248 | #2 | 84,897 |
| 1955 | #591 | 243 | #3 | 84,186 |
| 1954 | #604 | 225 | #3 | 86,311 |
| 1953 | #573 | 236 | #2 | 86,066 |
| 1952 | #529 | 258 | #1 | 87,065 |
| 1951 | #517 | 256 | #1 | 87,256 |
| 1950 | #513 | 252 | #1 | 86,228 |
| 1949 | #506 | 257 | #1 | 86,858 |
| 1948 | #521 | 251 | #1 | 88,605 |
| 1947 | #516 | 257 | #1 | 94,767 |
| 1946 | #492 | 250 | #1 | 87,438 |
| 1945 | #454 | 247 | #1 | 74,464 |
| 1944 | #467 | 237 | #1 | 76,951 |
| 1943 | #452 | 272 | #1 | 80,278 |
| 1942 | #433 | 280 | #1 | 77,182 |
| 1941 | #428 | 256 | #1 | 66,751 |
| 1940 | #424 | 259 | #1 | 62,481 |
| 1939 | #411 | 268 | #2 | 59,636 |
| 1938 | #402 | 275 | #2 | 59,102 |
| 1937 | #409 | 251 | #2 | 56,561 |
| 1936 | #428 | 229 | #2 | 54,694 |
| 1935 | #419 | 238 | #2 | 55,005 |
| 1934 | #403 | 262 | #2 | 54,270 |
| 1933 | #368 | 299 | #2 | 51,112 |
| 1932 | #355 | 320 | #2 | 51,930 |
| 1931 | #344 | 345 | #2 | 51,212 |
| 1930 | #323 | 419 | #2 | 53,957 |
| 1929 | #325 | 397 | #2 | 52,135 |
| 1928 | #319 | 427 | #3 | 52,752 |
| 1927 | #338 | 390 | #3 | 53,674 |
| 1926 | #352 | 358 | #3 | 53,196 |
| 1925 | #357 | 365 | #4 | 52,680 |
| 1924 | #425 | 274 | #4 | 52,942 |
| 1923 | #400 | 280 | #4 | 50,462 |
| 1922 | #430 | 239 | #4 | 49,802 |
| 1921 | #455 | 231 | #4 | 49,750 |
| 1920 | #423 | 249 | #4 | 47,908 |
| 1919 | #482 | 192 | #3 | 42,392 |
| 1918 | #459 | 212 | #3 | 42,115 |
| 1917 | #486 | 182 | #3 | 37,337 |
| 1916 | #506 | 166 | #3 | 35,569 |
| 1915 | #494 | 155 | #3 | 33,773 |
| 1914 | #540 | 107 | #3 | 26,262 |
| 1913 | #522 | 95 | #3 | 20,832 |
| 1912 | #544 | 81 | #3 | 17,644 |
| 1911 | #496 | 69 | #3 | 9,952 |
| 1910 | #517 | 63 | #2 | 9,194 |
| 1909 | #522 | 52 | #3 | 7,595 |
| 1908 | #678 | 32 | #3 | 7,012 |
| 1907 | #535 | 45 | #3 | 6,707 |
| 1906 | #578 | 37 | #3 | 5,908 |
| 1905 | #587 | 35 | #3 | 6,042 |
| 1904 | #668 | 27 | #3 | 5,855 |
| 1903 | #628 | 28 | #3 | 5,479 |
| 1902 | #600 | 30 | #3 | 5,592 |
| 1901 | #559 | 30 | #3 | 4,735 |
| 1900 | #524 | 41 | #3 | 7,245 |
| 1899 | #593 | 27 | #3 | 4,597 |
| 1898 | #597 | 29 | #3 | 5,321 |
| 1897 | #537 | 30 | #3 | 5,113 |
| 1896 | #576 | 28 | #3 | 5,206 |
| 1895 | #499 | 34 | #3 | 5,335 |
| 1894 | #586 | 25 | #3 | 5,110 |
| 1893 | #594 | 23 | #3 | 5,030 |
| 1892 | #590 | 22 | #3 | 5,398 |
| 1891 | #457 | 31 | #3 | 4,516 |
| 1890 | #446 | 33 | #3 | 5,097 |
| 1889 | #486 | 26 | #3 | 5,020 |
| 1888 | #356 | 45 | #3 | 5,562 |
| 1887 | #512 | 19 | #3 | 4,767 |
| 1886 | #400 | 29 | #3 | 5,355 |
| 1885 | #405 | 26 | #3 | 5,175 |
| 1884 | #341 | 33 | #3 | 5,693 |
| 1883 | #366 | 25 | #3 | 5,223 |
| 1882 | #431 | 18 | #3 | 5,892 |
| 1881 | #325 | 24 | #3 | 5,441 |
| 1880 | #342 | 22 | #3 | 5,927 |
In the first year the SSA published name data, James was already there! It came in at #3, and was given to 5,927 baby boys.
Quietest stretch: 1880–1899, when fewer than 6,000 boys a year got the name.
Where James is popular in 1889
The SSA only publishes names by state from 1910 on.
See more about James
- 1 spot since 2024 (#5 → #6)
- Same as 2020 (#6)
- 1 spot since 2015 (#7 → #6)
- Biggest jump: 4 spots in 2014 (#13 → #9)
- Biggest drop: 5 spots in 1993 (#9 → #14)
- Debuted 1880
- Peaked 1947 at #1 (94,767 births)
- Births halved by 1972, 25 yrs later
- Top 10: 125 yrs · run 1880–1992
- Top 100: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Top 1,000: 146 yrs · run 1880–2025
- Highest: 1 in 18 boys born in 1944 were named James (5.6%)
- Latest: 1 in 143 boys born in 2025 (0.70%)
- Its best rank, #1 in 1947, was only 1 in 19 (5.2%) — a smaller share of a much bigger birth year
- 16.1% of all boys named James (843,768) were born in this decade
Show by decade
| Decade | Births | Best rank | Avg rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 54,055 | #3 (1880) | #3 |
| 1890s | 50,723 | #3 (1892) | #3 |
| 1900s | 62,170 | #3 (1909) | #3 |
| 1910s | 275,070 | #2 (1910) | #3 |
| 1920s | 515,301 | #2 (1929) | #4 |
| 1930s | 547,479 | #2 (1939) | #2 |
| 1940s | 795,775 | #1 (1947) | #1 |
| 1950s | 843,768 | #1 (1951) | #2 |
| 1960s | 684,722 | #3 (1960) | #4 |
| 1970s | 444,713 | #2 (1970) | #4 |
| 1980s | 356,491 | #5 (1980) | #7 |
| 1990s | 244,980 | #7 (1991) | #14 |
| 2000s | 163,179 | #15 (2007) | #17 |
| 2010s | 139,689 | #4 (2017) | #10 |
| 2020s | 72,523 | #4 (2022) | #5 |
All figures count published births only (names given to at least 5 boys in a year). Registrations before 1937 are incomplete, so early shares and totals run low.
James in 1889
Top girls' names in 1889
Top boys' names in 1889
More about 1889
girls
178,366 girls got a published name in 1889; 1 in 6,860 of them was named James, which outranked 67.1% of the 1,479 girls' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 21.2% of girls (24.6% in 1880, 7.0% in 2025).
boys
110,580 boys got a published name in 1889; 1 in 22 of them was named James, which outranked 99.7% of the 1,111 boys' names that year. The ten most popular names covered 38.9% of boys (44.2% in 1880, 8.0% in 2025).
Among names in the top 1,000 of either year.