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James Name Popularity

    

Charts | Table | About | By Year

How popular is James?

In 2018 the uber popular name James, ranked the 4th Most Popular Boys Name in the United States.

Presently one of the top 10 most popular, James has been a top 50 placer since the Social Security Administration began keeping records in 1880.

Its highest popularity ranking of #1 was reached for the first time in 1940 and as recently as 1952.

The name was given to the greatest number of children in 1947 with 94,757 occurrences.

In any year, the least number of babies named James was 4,516 in 1891.

Approximately during the years 1897-1900, 1903-1924, and 1935-1947, the name James took a definitive turn upwards in popularity whereas unequivocal downward movement occurred about 1955-1958, 1959-1967, 1968-1976, 1980-1987, 1988-2001, and 2005-2011.

For a number of years, the name James has been moving downward in popularity. Of late however, the number of parents selecting the name James for their newborn has remained about the same.

What does the future hold for the popularity of James?

Currently, the name is at a very low point when compared to its most popular year.

The name James is a huge favorite and has recently started to plateu at its present level but may also begin to make a more decisive move up or down.

*Mouse over the charts or scroll down to the table for data details.

 
Mouse over or Click for Percentages.
   James (Girl)James (Boy)
Year %No. of Babies Given NamePopul. RankNo. of Babies Given NamePopul. Rank
2018 44 3,512 13,525 4
2017 77 2,363 14,291 4
2016 66 2,647 14,862 5
2015 39 3,871 14,824 7
2014 42 3,676 14,431 9
2013 28 4,941 13,567 13
2012 28 5,016 13,426 14
2011 30 4,728 13,251 17
2010 29 4,902 13,883 19
2009 51 3,262 14,208 18
2008 32 4,691 15,178 17
2007 33 4,511 15,962 15
2006 46 3,476 16,239 16
2005 26 5,010 16,135 17
2004 95 1,964 16,463 17
2003 34 3,977 16,892 18
2002 31 4,114 16,959 18
2001 42 3,272 17,070 19
2000 40 3,358 17,987 18
1999 40 3,207 18,552 19
1998 45 2,902 19,687 18
1997 42 2,897 20,404 17
1996 62 2,188 21,156 17
1995 57 2,317 22,730 17
1994 67 2,069 24,770 14
1993 75 1,887 26,249 14
1992 70 1,970 28,503 9
1991 95 1,601 30,507 7
1990 115 1,375 32,349 8
1989 176 982 32,703 9
1988 244 767 32,510 9
1987 246 734 32,643 8
1986 273 673 34,040 7
1985 287 645 35,861 7
1984 238 698 35,857 7
1983 282 618 36,354 6
1982 317 578 38,875 6
1981 272 651 38,313 7
1980 271 663 39,325 5
1979 261 667 39,371 5
1978 269 626 39,915 5
1977 273 617 40,054 5
1976 252 619 38,309 5
1975 254 621 39,591 4
1974 251 622 41,354 5
1973 317 530 42,889 4
1972 299 556 47,083 3
1971 302 579 54,621 2
1970 353 537 61,759 2
1969 330 542 59,915 3
1968 312 547 60,693 4
1967 311 534 61,698 3
1966 298 548 65,174 3
1965 303 544 67,701 4
1964 317 556 73,037 4
1963 311 548 71,322 4
1962 262 621 72,555 4
1961 286 595 75,924 4
1960 289 581 76,832 3
1959 295 571 78,606 3
1958 252 621 78,713 3
1957 280 577 84,275 2
1956 250 603 84,863 2
1955 248 582 84,155 3
1954 225 605 86,272 3
1953 235 576 86,099 2
1952 259 527 87,063 1
1951 256 517 87,261 1
1950 252 515 86,224 1
1949 257 506 86,857 1
1948 251 522 88,584 1
1947 257 516 94,757 1
1946 250 493 87,436 1
1945 247 454 74,449 1
1944 237 468 76,951 1
1943 271 453 80,261 1
1942 282 431 77,176 1
1941 255 430 66,736 1
1940 259 424 62,473 1
1939 268 411 59,627 2
1938 275 402 59,099 2
1937 251 408 56,551 2
1936 229 428 54,686 2
1935 238 422 55,000 2
1934 262 403 54,249 2
1933 299 368 51,102 2
1932 320 356 51,922 2
1931 345 344 51,219 2
1930 419 323 53,941 2
1929 397 325 52,127 2
1928 427 319 52,754 3
1927 389 338 53,674 3
1926 359 352 53,209 3
1925 365 357 52,682 4
1924 274 425 52,939 4
1923 280 401 50,463 4
1922 239 431 49,801 4
1921 231 455 49,748 4
1920 249 424 47,912 4
1919 192 482 42,390 3
1918 212 459 42,118 3
1917 182 486 37,339 3
1916 166 508 35,569 3
1915 155 495 33,775 3
1914 107 545 26,263 3
1913 95 524 20,832 3
1912 81 545 17,644 3
1911 69 498 9,951 3
1910 63 518 9,195 2
1909 52 525 7,594 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 5,480 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 5,207 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 4,768 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

United States name popularity data is provided by the Social Security Administration and is based on Social Security card applications.

Data for a given year is not made available until well into the next year.

Data reflects what was recorded and has not been edited for errors, so for example the gender associated with a name may be incorrect.

The more babies that are given a particular name, the higher the popularity ranking. If multiple names have the same usage, the tie is broken by assigning popularity rank in alphabetical order. Therefore in the case of names with fewer occurrences, names with the same number of occurrences may have vastly different rankings because they will be interranked alphabetically.

To safeguard privacy, the SSA does not include names with less than 5 occurrences.

Please note, we update the data each May when the SSA releases new figures. All data changes at that time, including previous years, which will change minutely based on new information.