Meaning not yet researched.
James: US boys given the name each year, 1880 to 2025, from Social Security card applications. 11,945 in 2025. Its best rank was #1 in 1952.
US births per year · SSA card applications
Peaked at #1 in 1952; #6 in 2025. About 99.5% of babies named James in 2025 were boys.
Baby name · US data 1880–2025
#6 for US boys in 2025. Its best year was 1952, at #1.
Hover, tap or use the arrow keys for any year. Years with fewer than five babies of a sex are not published by SSA and show as zero.
James: US boys given the name each year from 1880 to 2025. 11,945 boys in 2025. Peak: #1 in 1952 · most boys in one year: 94,767 (1947).
In 2025, 11,945 US boys were named James, making it the 6th most common boys’ name of the year, down 1 place from #5 in 2024. That is 89 more than the 11,856 boys named James in 2024. Its best rank for boys was #1, reached in 1952. The most boys given the name in a single year was 94,767, in 1947. For comparison, it was #7 in 2015 and #1 in 1950.
Social Security card records list James in every one of the 146 years from 1880 to 2025; in 1880 there were 5,949 babies with the name. In all, 5,274,520 US babies have been given the name, 0.5% of them girls and 99.5% boys. Its busiest decade was the 1950s, with 846,311 babies named James.
Over the 10 years from 2016 to 2025, 128,653 US boys were named James; the busiest of those years was 2016, with 14,920. In 2025 that was about 1 in 143 of the boys in SSA’s list for the year.
Among the states, James ranked highest in Mississippi in 2025, at #1 for boys there. It was in the top 100 in 51 states (counting DC). Related spellings in the SSA files include Jacob (990,532 babies since 1880), Jamie (359,590 babies since 1880), Jimmy (290,955 babies since 1880) and Jim (153,938 babies since 1880). Rarer spellings such as Giacomo, Jamese and Jamez are summarised on this page. The open nickname list we use links it to Jamie, Jem, Jim, Jimmie and Jimmy.
Meaning not yet researched.
We publish a meaning only with a cited source and a confidence label, and never generate one. Meanings are being researched for the most common names first.
Wikidata records this spelling as a given name in English. That is where the name is used, not necessarily where it comes from.
Rare spellings summarised here: Giacomo (1,896), Jamese (775), Jamez (647), Jaymz (352), Jamis (278), Yacob (202), Jem (171), Jamas (170), Jameis (162), Jaimes (153), Jamise (151), Jacobus (142), and more.
Numbers are all-time US births. Links come from Wikidata’s “said to be the same as” (P460, CC0) and our spelling rule: at most two letters different, with the same sound pattern.
US boys. Rank within each state. SSA leaves out states where fewer than five boys got the name, so every state is listed.
| State | Births 2025 | Rank 2025 | Rank 2015 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mississippi | 160 | #1 | #3 |
| Wyoming | 25 | #2 | #25 |
| Louisiana | 187 | #3 | #9 |
| Alabama | 292 | #3 | #2 |
| Delaware | 37 | #4 | #13 |
| South Carolina | 250 | #4 | #2 |
| Tennessee | 385 | #4 | #2 |
| Connecticut | 156 | #4 | #13 |
| New Hampshire | 65 | #5 | #15 |
| Alaska | 39 | #5 | #3 |
| North Carolina | 471 | #5 | #5 |
| Michigan | 342 | #5 | #15 |
| Massachusetts | 323 | #5 | #5 |
| Georgia | 451 | #5 | #5 |
| Colorado | 256 | #5 | #8 |
| Montana | 44 | #6 | #5 |
| Arkansas | 131 | #6 | #5 |
| Virginia | 368 | #6 | #4 |
| District of Columbia | 37 | #6 | #3 |
| Indiana | 263 | #6 | #14 |
| Pennsylvania | 432 | #6 | #9 |
| Kansas | 141 | #6 | #14 |
| Minnesota | 227 | #6 | #10 |
| New Jersey | 350 | #6 | #16 |
| Illinois | 406 | #7 | #10 |
| Iowa | 118 | #7 | #11 |
| Vermont | 21 | #7 | #22 |
| Nebraska | 73 | #7 | #17 |
| New York | 658 | #8 | #14 |
| Wisconsin | 199 | #8 | #11 |
| Missouri | 248 | #8 | #10 |
| Ohio | 403 | #8 | #9 |
| Florida | 672 | #8 | #16 |
| Maine | 43 | #8 | #16 |
| Washington | 251 | #8 | #10 |
| Nevada | 92 | #9 | #29 |
| North Dakota | 33 | #9 | #16 |
| Kentucky | 181 | #9 | #4 |
| Maryland | 180 | #9 | #3 |
| Utah | 171 | #9 | #3 |
| Oklahoma | 133 | #10 | #8 |
| Idaho | 76 | #10 | #4 |
| Oregon | 106 | #11 | #4 |
| Rhode Island | 36 | #11 | #17 |
| West Virginia | 59 | #11 | #6 |
| Texas | 1,057 | #12 | #17 |
| South Dakota | 32 | #14 | #8 |
| Hawaii | 26 | #19 | #24 |
| Arizona | 192 | #21 | #26 |
| California | 1,005 | #22 | #21 |
| New Mexico | 42 | #24 | #15 |
Births and national rank for each year SSA lists the name, newest first.
| Year | Girls | Girls rank | Boys | Boys rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59 | #2,873 | 11,945 | #6 |
| 2024 | 68 | #2,594 | 11,856 | #5 |
| 2023 | 79 | #2,325 | 11,739 | #4 |
| 2022 | 85 | #2,217 | 12,119 | #4 |
| 2021 | 68 | #2,569 | 12,474 | #5 |
| 2020 | 66 | #2,583 | 12,390 | #6 |
| 2019 | 68 | #2,576 | 13,198 | #6 |
| 2018 | 45 | #3,459 | 13,650 | #4 |
| 2017 | 77 | #2,368 | 14,362 | #4 |
| 2016 | 67 | #2,629 | 14,920 | #5 |
| 2015 | 39 | #3,879 | 14,865 | #7 |
| 2014 | 42 | #3,680 | 14,464 | #9 |
| 2013 | 28 | #4,945 | 13,596 | #13 |
| 2012 | 28 | #5,021 | 13,458 | #14 |
| 2011 | 30 | #4,733 | 13,275 | #17 |
| 2010 | 30 | #4,788 | 13,901 | #19 |
| 2009 | 51 | #3,266 | 14,223 | #18 |
| 2008 | 32 | #4,694 | 15,190 | #17 |
| 2007 | 33 | #4,511 | 15,973 | #15 |
| 2006 | 46 | #3,480 | 16,255 | #16 |
| 2005 | 26 | #5,013 | 16,140 | #17 |
| 2004 | 95 | #1,965 | 16,469 | #18 |
| 2003 | 34 | #3,977 | 16,896 | #18 |
| 2002 | 31 | #4,115 | 16,968 | #18 |
| 2001 | 42 | #3,274 | 17,074 | #19 |
| 2000 | 40 | #3,360 | 17,991 | #18 |
| 1999 | 40 | #3,207 | 18,555 | #19 |
| 1998 | 45 | #2,902 | 19,690 | #18 |
| 1997 | 42 | #2,897 | 20,408 | #17 |
| 1996 | 62 | #2,187 | 21,165 | #17 |
| 1995 | 57 | #2,317 | 22,739 | #17 |
| 1994 | 67 | #2,069 | 24,778 | #14 |
| 1993 | 75 | #1,889 | 26,259 | #14 |
| 1992 | 70 | #1,969 | 28,513 | #9 |
| 1991 | 95 | #1,601 | 30,514 | #7 |
| 1990 | 115 | #1,375 | 32,359 | #8 |
| 1989 | 176 | #982 | 32,720 | #9 |
| 1988 | 244 | #767 | 32,523 | #9 |
| 1987 | 246 | #735 | 32,659 | #8 |
| 1986 | 273 | #674 | 34,057 | #7 |
| 1985 | 287 | #644 | 35,862 | #7 |
| 1984 | 238 | #699 | 35,859 | #7 |
| 1983 | 282 | #618 | 36,342 | #6 |
| 1982 | 317 | #578 | 38,874 | #6 |
| 1981 | 272 | #651 | 38,283 | #7 |
| 1980 | 271 | #663 | 39,312 | #5 |
| 1979 | 261 | #667 | 39,351 | #5 |
| 1978 | 269 | #625 | 39,894 | #5 |
| 1977 | 273 | #617 | 40,040 | #5 |
| 1976 | 252 | #620 | 38,294 | #5 |
| 1975 | 254 | #621 | 39,569 | #4 |
| 1974 | 250 | #623 | 41,334 | #5 |
| 1973 | 316 | #532 | 42,836 | #4 |
| 1972 | 300 | #556 | 47,063 | #3 |
| 1971 | 302 | #579 | 54,597 | #2 |
| 1970 | 353 | #537 | 61,735 | #2 |
| 1969 | 329 | #545 | 59,886 | #3 |
| 1968 | 312 | #548 | 60,665 | #4 |
| 1967 | 310 | #534 | 61,683 | #3 |
| 1966 | 298 | #548 | 65,163 | #3 |
| 1965 | 303 | #544 | 67,666 | #4 |
| 1964 | 318 | #555 | 73,026 | #4 |
| 1963 | 311 | #548 | 71,294 | #4 |
| 1962 | 262 | #621 | 72,555 | #4 |
| 1961 | 282 | #600 | 75,969 | #4 |
| 1960 | 291 | #578 | 76,815 | #3 |
| 1959 | 294 | #574 | 78,648 | #3 |
| 1958 | 252 | #621 | 78,774 | #3 |
| 1957 | 279 | #578 | 84,337 | #2 |
| 1956 | 248 | #608 | 84,897 | #2 |
| 1955 | 243 | #591 | 84,186 | #3 |
| 1954 | 225 | #605 | 86,311 | #3 |
| 1953 | 236 | #574 | 86,066 | #2 |
| 1952 | 258 | #529 | 87,065 | #1 |
| 1951 | 256 | #517 | 87,256 | #1 |
| 1950 | 252 | #515 | 86,228 | #1 |
| 1949 | 257 | #506 | 86,858 | #1 |
| 1948 | 251 | #522 | 88,605 | #1 |
| 1947 | 257 | #516 | 94,767 | #1 |
| 1946 | 250 | #493 | 87,438 | #1 |
| 1945 | 247 | #454 | 74,464 | #1 |
| 1944 | 237 | #468 | 76,951 | #1 |
| 1943 | 272 | #453 | 80,278 | #1 |
| 1942 | 280 | #433 | 77,182 | #1 |
| 1941 | 256 | #428 | 66,751 | #1 |
| 1940 | 259 | #424 | 62,481 | #1 |
| 1939 | 268 | #412 | 59,636 | #2 |
| 1938 | 275 | #402 | 59,102 | #2 |
| 1937 | 251 | #409 | 56,561 | #2 |
| 1936 | 229 | #428 | 54,694 | #2 |
| 1935 | 238 | #422 | 55,005 | #2 |
| 1934 | 262 | #403 | 54,270 | #2 |
| 1933 | 299 | #368 | 51,112 | #2 |
| 1932 | 320 | #355 | 51,930 | #2 |
| 1931 | 345 | #344 | 51,212 | #2 |
| 1930 | 419 | #323 | 53,957 | #2 |
| 1929 | 397 | #325 | 52,135 | #2 |
| 1928 | 427 | #319 | 52,752 | #3 |
| 1927 | 390 | #338 | 53,674 | #3 |
| 1926 | 358 | #353 | 53,196 | #3 |
| 1925 | 365 | #357 | 52,680 | #4 |
| 1924 | 274 | #425 | 52,942 | #4 |
| 1923 | 280 | #401 | 50,462 | #4 |
| 1922 | 239 | #430 | 49,802 | #4 |
| 1921 | 231 | #455 | 49,750 | #4 |
| 1920 | 249 | #424 | 47,908 | #4 |
| 1919 | 192 | #482 | 42,392 | #3 |
| 1918 | 212 | #459 | 42,115 | #3 |
| 1917 | 182 | #486 | 37,337 | #3 |
| 1916 | 166 | #508 | 35,569 | #3 |
| 1915 | 155 | #495 | 33,773 | #3 |
| 1914 | 107 | #545 | 26,262 | #3 |
| 1913 | 95 | #524 | 20,832 | #3 |
| 1912 | 81 | #545 | 17,644 | #3 |
| 1911 | 69 | #498 | 9,952 | #3 |
| 1910 | 63 | #518 | 9,194 | #2 |
| 1909 | 52 | #525 | 7,595 | #3 |
| 1908 | 32 | #684 | 7,012 | #3 |
| 1907 | 45 | #540 | 6,707 | #3 |
| 1906 | 37 | #582 | 5,908 | #3 |
| 1905 | 35 | #590 | 6,042 | #3 |
| 1904 | 27 | #675 | 5,855 | #3 |
| 1903 | 28 | #636 | 5,479 | #3 |
| 1902 | 30 | #607 | 5,592 | #3 |
| 1901 | 30 | #567 | 4,735 | #3 |
| 1900 | 41 | #526 | 7,245 | #3 |
| 1899 | 27 | #600 | 4,597 | #3 |
| 1898 | 29 | #601 | 5,321 | #3 |
| 1897 | 30 | #543 | 5,113 | #3 |
| 1896 | 28 | #587 | 5,206 | #3 |
| 1895 | 34 | #506 | 5,335 | #3 |
| 1894 | 25 | #588 | 5,110 | #3 |
| 1893 | 23 | #607 | 5,030 | #3 |
| 1892 | 22 | #605 | 5,398 | #3 |
| 1891 | 31 | #464 | 4,516 | #3 |
| 1890 | 33 | #452 | 5,097 | #3 |
| 1889 | 26 | #492 | 5,020 | #3 |
| 1888 | 45 | #359 | 5,562 | #3 |
| 1887 | 19 | #518 | 4,767 | #3 |
| 1886 | 29 | #403 | 5,355 | #3 |
| 1885 | 26 | #408 | 5,175 | #3 |
| 1884 | 33 | #343 | 5,693 | #3 |
| 1883 | 25 | #367 | 5,223 | #3 |
| 1882 | 18 | #438 | 5,892 | #3 |
| 1881 | 24 | #330 | 5,441 | #3 |
| 1880 | 22 | #344 | 5,927 | #3 |
About the data: counts are Social Security card applications for US births, for names given to at least five babies of a sex in a year (SSA, names.zip, public domain). Ranks follow SSA’s own order: most births first, ties alphabetical. Files retrieved 2026-10-05 (checksum on our sources page).