James is the English language New Testament (Vulgar/Later Latin) form of the Hebrew name Yaʻaqov (known as Jacob in its earlier Latin form). The name James came into the English language from the Old French variation James of the late Latin name Iacomus. This was a Vulgar/Later Latin (proto-Romance) variant of the earlier Latin form Iacobus, from the New Testament Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Hebrew יעקב (Yaʻaqov) (Jacob). The development Iacobus > Iacomus is likely a result of nasalization of the o and assimilation to the following b (i.e., intermediate *Iacombus) followed by simplification of the cluster mb through loss of the b. Diminutives include Jim, Jimmy, Jimmie, Jamie, Jimbo and others.
Afrikaans: Jakobus, Koos (diminutive), Kobus (diminutive), Jakko (diminutive)
Albanian: Jakup, Jakub, Jakob or Jakov
Alemannic: Köbi, Chöbi, Jockel, Jakobli (diminutive), Jockeli (diminutive), Joggi
Amharic: ያዕቆብ (Ya‘əqob)
Arabic: يعقوب (Yaʻqub)
Armenian: Յակոբ in classical orthography and Հակոբ in reformed orthography (Western: Hagop, Eastern: Hakob)
Asturian: Diegu, Xacobu, Xaime
Azerbaijani: Yaqub
Basque: Jakue, Jakob, Jakobe, Jagoba, Jaime, Jakes; Jakoba, Jagobe (feminized); Jago (diminutive)
Belarusian: Jakub, Якуб (Yakub), Jakaŭ, Якаў (Yakaw)
Bengali: জেমস (Jēms/Jēmsh), ইয়াকুব (Iyakub)
Biblical Hebrew: Yaakov (יעקוב)
Bosnian: Jakub
Breton: Jagu, Jagut, Jacut, Jak, Jakes, Jakez, Jakezig, Jakou
Bulgarian: Яков (Yakov)
Catalan: Jaume, Xaume, Jacme, Jacob, Dídac, Santiago
Cornish: Jago, Jammes, Jamma
Croatian: Jakov, Jakob, Jakša
Czech: Jakub, Jakoubek (diminutive), Kuba (diminutive), Kubík (diminutive), Kubíček (diminutive), Kubas (informal, uncommon), Kubi (informal)
Danish: Jakob, Jeppe, Ib.
Dutch: Jacob, Jacobus, Jakob, Cobus, Coos, Jaap, Kobe, Kobus, Koos, Sjaak, Sjakie
English:
Jacob
Jakob (uncommon, by way of German, Yiddish, etc.)
Jacoby (rare, chiefly American, and originally a surname)
Jake, Jakey (diminutive)
Jack, Jacky, Jackie (diminutive, chiefly British)
Coby/Koby (diminutive, uncommon, chiefly American)
Jamie (diminutive, found in all primarily English-speaking lands, United Kingdom, Ireland, Canada, United States, etc.)
Jaime/Jaimie (diminutive, uncommon, chiefly American, and by way of Spanish)
Jim
Jimmy/Jimmi/Jimi (diminutive)
Jimbo (diminutive)
Jambo
Jay
Jamesy
Jem (diminutive, also taken as a diminutive for Jeremiah, Jeremy or Jemma)
Jacqueline/Jaqueline (feminized, by way of French)
Jacqui/Jaqui (feminized diminutive), Jackie (feminized diminutive, chiefly American), Jacki (feminized diminutive)
Jamie/Jamey/Jami (feminized).
Esperanto: Jakobo
Estonian: Jakob, Jaakob, Jaagup, Jaak
Faroese: Jákup, Jakku (only in double names such as Jóan Jakku, Hans Jakku. Previously spelled Jacob/Jakob)
Filipino: Jaimé
Finnish: Jaakob, Jaakoppi, Jaakko, Jaska, Jimi
French: Jacques, Jacqueline (feminized), James, Jammes, Jacob, Jacquot (diminutive), Jacot (diminutive), Jacotte (feminized), Jaco (diminutive), Jack (diminutive), Jacky (diminutive), Jacq (diminutive), Jacquy (diminutive).
Friulian: Jacum
Galician: Xaime, Iago, Diego, Xacobe
Georgian: იაკობ (Iakob), კობა (Koba)
German: Jakob, Jeckel (diminutive), Jäckel (diminutive), Köbes (diminutive), Jackl (Bavarian diminutive)
Greek: Ιακώβ (Iakov, in the Septuagint), Ιάκωβος (Iakovos, New Testament, Γιακουμής (Yakoumis, colloquial, possibly also from Ιωακείμ (Joachim)), Ιακωβίνα (Iakovina, feminized), Γιάγκος (Yangos, probably through Slavic languages, possibly also from Ιωάννης/Γιάννης [Ioannis/Yannis, John]), Ζάκης or Ζακ (Zakis or Zak, French-sounding). James (and so Jim and Jimmy) are anglicized from the Greek name Dimitri as used by the Greek diaspora in the USA, even though the names are etymologically unrelated.
Hawaiian: Kimo, Iakopo
Hebrew: יעקב (Ya'aqov),קובי (Kobi : diminutive from Ya'akov), ג'קי (Jacky : diminutive from Ya'akov) יענקל'ה (Yankele - probably through Yiddish)
Hindi: जेम्स (Jēmsa)
Hungarian: Jakab
Icelandic: Jakob
Igbo Jems, James, Jekọb
Indonesian: Yakobus
Irish: Séamas/Seumas/Séamus, Shéamais (vocative, whence Anglicised: Hamish), Seamus (anglicized), Shamus (anglicized), Séimí (diminutive), Séimín (diminutive), Iacób
Italian: Giacomo, Iacopo or Jacopo, Giacobbe, Giacomino, Giaco, Mino
Jerriais: Jimce
Kannada: ಜೇಮ್ಸ್ (Jēms)
Kazakh: Жақып (Zhaqip, Jacob), Якуб (Yakub, Yacoob)
Kikuyu: Jemuthi, Jemethi, Jimmi
Korean: 야고보 (Yakobo)
Late Roman: Iacomus, Jacobus
Latin: Iacobus, Iacomus (vulgarized)
Latvian: Jēkabs, Jākubs, Jakobs, Jakovs
Lithuanian: Jokūbas
Macedonian: Јаков (Yakov)
Malay: يعقوب (Ya'qub), Ya'kub, Yakub
Malayalam: Chacko, Jacob (pronounced Yah-kohb)
Maltese: Ġakbu, Ġakmu, Jakbu
Manx: Jayms
Māori: Hemi
Northern Sami: Jáhkot
Norwegian: Jakob, Jakop, Jeppe
Occitan: Jacme (pronounced Jamme), Jaume, Jammes (surname, pronounced Jamme), James (surname, pronounced Jamme)
Persian: جیمز (Jeimz), یعقوب(Yaʻqub)
Polish: Jakub, Kuba, Kubuś (diminutive)
Portuguese: Jacó (O.T. form), Jacob, Jaime, Iago, Tiago (contracted form — used in the N.T.), Diogo, Diego. Used only in Brazil: Thiago (Brazilian "anglicized" spelling), Jaqueline (fem.)
Provençal: Jacme
Punjabi: ਜੇਮਸ (Jēmasa)
Romanian: Iacob, Iacov
Russian: Иаков (Iakov) (archaic O.T. form), Яков (Yakov, Iakov), Яша (Yasha) (diminutive)
Samoan: Iakopo, Semisi, Simi (Jim)
Sardinian: Giagu (Logudorese), Iacu (Nuorese)
Scots: Jeams, Jeames, Jamie, Jizer
Scottish Gaelic: Seumas, Sheumais (vocative), Hamish (anglicized)
Serbian (Cyrillic/Latinic): Јаков/Jakov (Yakov); Јакша/Jakša (Yaksha); Јаша/Jaša (Yasha) (diminutive)
Sheng: Jaymo, Jemo, Jimmi, Jahshinki
Sinhala: දියෝගු (Diogu), ජාකොබ් (Jakob), සන්තියාගු (Santhiyagu), යාකොබ් (Yakob)
Slovak: Jakub, Kubo, Kubko (diminutive), Jakubko (diminutive)
Slovene: Jakob, Jaka
Spanish: Jaime, Jacobo, Diego, Santiago, Santi, Iago, Jacoba (fem.), Santiaga (fem.)
Swahili: Yakobo
Swedish: Jakob
Sylheti: য়াকুব (Yakub)
Syriac: ܝܰܥܩܽܘܒ (Yaqub)
Tagalog: Jaime
Tamil: ஜேம்ஸ் (Jēms)
Telugu: జేమ్స్ (Jēms)
Thai: เจมส์ (Jame, Cems̄̒)
Turkish: Yakup, Yakub, Jakob
Ukrainian: Яків (Yakiv)
Urdu: جیمز (James), یعقوب (Yaqoob)
Welsh: Iago, Siâms
Yiddish: יעקב (Yʻqb), Kapel, Koppel, Yankel
Yoruba Jakọbu, Jákọbù, Jakobu, Jak
Zulu Jakobe, uJakobe, uJames, noJakobe
James was the most common male name in the United States in 1990. Likewise, in Northern Ireland, the name has appeared among the 10 most popular for the last quarter of the 20th century and into the 21st.
It is currently the fifth most common name in the United States. 1/32 of all Americans are named James (3.1%).
In 2013, it was the eighth most popular name for boys in Australia.
In England and Wales, James has been one of the Top 20 most commonly given male names since at least 1954 and in the Top 10 since at least 1974.
