How popular is the baby name James in the United States right now? How popular was it historically? Use the popularity graph and data table below to find out! Plus, see all the blog posts that mention the name James.

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Popularity of the baby name James


Posts that mention the name James

Popular and unique baby names in Alberta (Canada), 2024

Flag of Alberta
Flag of Alberta

Last year, the Canadian province of Alberta welcomed more than 50,000 babies.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Olivia and Noah, for the sixth year in a row.

Here are Alberta’s top 50+ girl names and top 50+ boy names of 2024:

Girl names

  1. Olivia, 184 baby girls
  2. Charlotte, 164
  3. Amelia, 150
  4. Sophia, 146
  5. Emma, 145
  6. Ava, 120
  7. Harper, 115 (tie)
  8. Isla, 115 (tie)
  9. Hazel, 104 (tie)
  10. Sophie, 104 (tie)
  11. Ellie, 102 (3-way tie)
  12. Evelyn, 102 (3-way tie)
  13. Lily, 102 (3-way tie)
  14. Abigail, 98 (tie)
  15. Aurora, 98 (tie)
  16. Nora, 96
  17. Mia, 95
  18. Isabella, 90
  19. Ella, 88 (tie)
  20. Violet, 88 (tie)
  21. Elizabeth, 86
  22. Sofia, 85
  23. Chloe, 83 (tie)
  24. Scarlett, 83 (tie)
  25. Aria, 80 (tie)
  26. Emily, 80 (tie)
  27. Eleanor, 79
  28. Hannah, 76
  29. Hailey, 75 (tie)
  30. Ivy, 75 (tie)
  31. Mila, 73
  32. Grace, 72
  33. Luna, 70
  34. Maya, 69
  35. Georgia, 68 (tie)
  36. Maeve, 68 (tie)
  37. Lainey, 67
  38. Anna, 66 (tie)
  39. Eliana, 66 (tie)
  40. Emilia, 65
  41. Lucy, 64
  42. Audrey, 61 (tie)
  43. Naomi, 61 (tie)
  44. Avery, 58
  45. Rehmat, 56 (tie)
  46. Willow, 56 (tie)
  47. Adeline, 55 (tie)
  48. Zoey, 55 (tie)
  49. Sadie, 54 (tie)
  50. Stella, 54 (tie)
  51. Ayla, 53 (tie)
  52. Claire, 53 (tie)

Boy names

  1. Noah, 248 baby boys
  2. Oliver, 203
  3. Liam, 196
  4. Theodore, 187
  5. Henry, 160
  6. William, 148
  7. Ethan, 141 (tie)
  8. Leo, 141 (tie)
  9. Jack, 140
  10. Lucas, 139
  11. Levi, 138
  12. Benjamin, 133 (tie)
  13. James, 133 (tie)
  14. Adam, 126
  15. Wyatt, 119
  16. Daniel, 117
  17. Luca, 111
  18. Nathan, 108
  19. Hudson, 107 (tie)
  20. Owen, 107 (tie)
  21. Bennett, 105
  22. Elijah, 104
  23. Thomas, 103
  24. Logan, 102 (tie)
  25. Muhammad, 102 (tie)
  26. Luke, 96
  27. Beau, 95
  28. Maverick, 94
  29. Samuel, 88
  30. Arthur, 84
  31. Jacob, 83
  32. Asher, 81
  33. Cooper, 80 (tie)
  34. Jackson, 80 (tie)
  35. Caleb, 79 (3-way tie)
  36. Elias, 79 (3-way tie)
  37. Ezra, 79 (3-way tie)
  38. Gabriel, 78
  39. Alexander, 77
  40. David, 76
  41. Lincoln, 75
  42. Aiden, 74 (tie)
  43. Wesley, 74 (tie)
  44. Zorawar, 73
  45. Isaac, 71 (tie)
  46. Miles, 71 (tie)
  47. Theo, 70
  48. Carter, 68
  49. Grayson, 65 (5-way tie)
  50. John, 65 (5-way tie)
  51. Mason, 65 (5-way tie)
  52. Matthew, 65 (5-way tie)
  53. Ryan, 65 (5-way tie)

Lainey (ranked 37th) was one of Canada’s fastest-rising girl names, and Zorawar (ranked 44th) was one of Canada’s fastest-rising boy names.

What about the names at the other end of the spectrum? Here’s a selection of the baby names that were bestowed just once in Alberta last year:

Unique girl namesUnique boy names
Aapistsisskitsi, Brevity, Cleofe, Datura, Edrielle, Frishta, Guidance, Hivirikee, Ilunga, Jinanshi, Katawasisin, Luladay, Milto, Nocturna, Olithea, Persimmyn, Quindy, Rhodalyn, Sora, Tezlie, Urenna, Viridis, Waseskwan, Xaeia, Yarrow, ZanessraAalto, Behxhet, Cedar-Sage, Delaneaux, Entz, Fomo, Gloriliel, Haoqi, Invictus, Joonharu, Kamharida, Luigi, Miekkonen, Nîmihitow, Okimâw, Piyêsiw, Qyler, Ryunosuke, Shinichi, Tobit, Urvil, Valo, Woodland, Xevreau, Yipei, Zildjian

Some explanations for a few of the above:

  • Aapistsisskitsi means “flower blossom” in Blackfoot.
  • Invictus means “unconquered” in Latin.
  • Katawasisin means “it is beautiful” in Cree.
  • Meikkonen means “little man” in Finnish. (The word mies means “man.”)
  • Nîmihitow means “he/she dances” in Cree.
  • Okimâw means “chief, leader” in Cree.
  • Piyêsiw means “thunderbird” in Cree.
  • Viridis means “green, youthful” in Latin.
  • Waseskwan means “the sky is clear” in Cree.
  • Zildjian is a musical instrument maker specializing in cymbals.
    • The company was founded in the 1620s by Avedis, an Armenian metalsmith based in Constantinople. In 1623, the Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Mustafa I, granted Avedis the family name Zildjian, meaning “son of [the] cymbal maker.”

Finally, here’s a link to Alberta’s 2023 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Alberta (public domain)

Popular baby names in Kent County (Michigan), 2025

Flag of Michigan
Flag of Michigan

More than 10,500 babies were born in Kent County, Michigan, during the first eleven months (or so) of 2025.*

What were the most popular names among these babies? Sophia and Henry, according to data from Kent County’s Office of Vital Records.

Here are the county’s probable top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2025:

Girl names

  1. Sophia
  2. Charlotte
  3. Emma
  4. Amelia
  5. Harper
  6. Josephine
  7. Nora
  8. Eleanor
  9. Lucy
  10. Violet

Boy names

  1. Henry
  2. James
  3. Theodore
  4. Oliver
  5. Hudson
  6. Bennett
  7. Jack
  8. Noah
  9. Wesley
  10. Levi

One year earlier, the top names state-wide were Charlotte and Noah, according to the SSA. (Sophia ranked 6th and Henry ranked 4th.)

Finally, did you know that the current Kent County clerk is named Lisa Posthumus Lyons? She wasn’t born after the death of her father, like the babies named Posthumus centuries ago; Posthumus is simply her maiden name. (Her father, Michigan politician Dick Posthumus, is still alive.)

*The rankings were posted to Kent County’s social media accounts on December 3rd, so I’m assuming they cover the year from January to November.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Michigan (public domain)

Popular baby names in the Philippines, 2023

Flag of the Philippines
Flag of the Philippines

Two years ago, the archipelagic country of the Philippines welcomed 1,448,522 babies — 695,190 (48%) girls and 753,332 (52%) boys.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Althea and Nathaniel.

Here are the country’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2023:

Girl names

  1. Althea, 1,850 baby girls
  2. Angel, 1,363
  3. Zoey, 1,126
  4. Chloe, 1,042
  5. Nathalie, 1,040
  6. Sofia, 989 [tie]
  7. Zia, 989 [tie]
  8. Princess, 975
  9. Samantha, 971
  10. Ayesha, 939

Boy names

  1. Nathaniel, 1,948 baby boys
  2. Gabriel, 1,669
  3. Jacob, 1,649
  4. Ezekiel, 1,592
  5. Ethan, 1,425
  6. Nathan, 1,421
  7. Matthew, 1,383
  8. Liam, 1,351
  9. Jayden, 1,341
  10. Noah, 1,235

In the girls’ top 10, Zoey and Ayesha replaced Athena and Sophia.

In the boys’ top 10, Jayden replaced James.

The name Argus — which derives from the Ancient Greek word argos, meaning “shining, bright” — was one of the fastest-rising names of the year, skyrocketing in usage from 7 baby boys in 2022 to 247 baby boys in 2023.

What made it trendy all of a sudden?

Child entertainer Argus Aspiras on the TV series "It's Showtime" (2009-)
Argus Aspiras on “It’s Showtime“

Child star Argus Aspiras, who was regularly featured on a children’s segment of the popular Philippine TV variety show It’s Showtime during 2023.

The compound name Yllana Marie also saw a steep rise in usage — from a one baby girl in 2022 to 30 baby girls in 2023. This increase can be attributed to Filipino beauty queen Yllana Marie Aduana, who placed first runner-up at the Miss Earth pageant in 2023.

(Althea and Nathaniel were also the top names in the country one year earlier, in 2022.)

Sources: The Philippines’ Most Common Baby Names of 2023 – Philippine Statistics Authority (PDF), Registered Live Births in the Philippines, 2023 – Philippine Statistics Authority, Argus – Behind the Name, It’s Showtime (Philippine TV program) – Wikipedia

Images: Adapted from Flag of the Philippines (public domain); screenshot of Argus Aspiras on It’s Showtime (episode from Aug. 2023)

Popular baby names in Quebec (Canada), 2024

Flag of Quebec
Flag of Quebec

Last year, the Canadian province of Quebec welcomed about 77,400 babies.

What were the most popular names among these babies? Emma and Noah.

Here are Quebec’s top 50+ girl names and top 50 boy names of 2024:

Girl names

  1. Emma, 461 baby girls
  2. Olivia, 452
  3. Florence, 449
  4. Charlotte, 447
  5. Alice, 407
  6. Charlie, 364
  7. Beatrice, 334
  8. Clara, 331
  9. Sofia, 327
  10. Livia, 298
  11. Lea, 285
  12. Romy, 281
  13. Mila, 280
  14. Juliette, 276
  15. Mia, 254
  16. Eva, 235
  17. Zoe, 234
  18. Rose, 232
  19. Victoria, 213
  20. Leonie, 212
  21. Billie, 206
  22. Julia, 205
  23. Rosalie, 198
  24. Chloe, 185
  25. Jeanne, 178
  26. Elena, 176 (tie)
  27. Flavie, 176 (tie)
  28. Jade, 173
  29. Elizabeth, 171
  30. Margot, 159
  31. Amelia, 158
  32. Adele, 152
  33. Eleonore, 149
  34. Ophelie, 144
  35. Raphaelle, 143
  36. Sophia, 140
  37. Clemence, 138
  38. Maeva, 135
  39. Camille, 130
  40. Lily, 129
  41. Ellie, 127
  42. Lena, 123
  43. Flora, 121
  44. Estelle, 109
  45. Aurelie, 107
  46. Eloise, 105 (tie)
  47. Marguerite, 105 (tie)
  48. Sophie, 104
  49. Jasmine, 102
  50. Evelyne, 101 (tie)
  51. Nora, 101 (tie)

Boy names

  1. Noah, 572 baby boys
  2. Leo, 531
  3. Liam, 494 (tie)
  4. William, 494 (tie)
  5. Thomas, 448
  6. Louis, 445
  7. Arthur, 435
  8. Edouard, 426
  9. Emile, 389
  10. Theo, 387
  11. Jacob, 354
  12. Charles, 346
  13. Adam, 340 (tie)
  14. Jules, 340 (tie)
  15. Nathan, 338
  16. James, 329
  17. Raphael, 303
  18. Laurent, 282
  19. Lucas, 274
  20. Theodore, 273
  21. Arnaud, 268
  22. Felix, 264
  23. Logan, 261
  24. Victor, 254
  25. Henri, 252
  26. Benjamin, 244
  27. Eloi, 237
  28. Elliot, 234
  29. Jackson, 228
  30. Gabriel, 226
  31. Samuel, 209
  32. Nolan, 204
  33. Milan, 203
  34. Ethan, 192
  35. Matheo, 181
  36. Antoine, 180
  37. Jayden, 168
  38. Olivier, 163
  39. Alexis, 159
  40. Leonard, 152
  41. Matteo, 139
  42. Eli, 137
  43. Robin, 131
  44. Hubert, 127
  45. Axel, 126
  46. Leon, 125 (tie)
  47. Zack, 125 (tie)
  48. Caleb, 124
  49. Jake, 123 (tie)
  50. Maverick, 123 (tie)

In the girls’ top 10, Clara and Sofia replaced Lea and Juliette.

In the boys’ top 10, Emile and Theo replaced Jacob and Nathan.

And what about the names at the other end of the spectrum?

Among those given to fewer than five babies, I spotted the place names Kenai and Sitka, the plant name Melilot (sweet clover), the French word Tantine (meaning “auntie”), and the Inuktitut versions of various Christian names:

  • Joanassie (based on John, Jonah, or Jonas)
  • Jusipi/Juusipi (based on Joseph)
  • Paulusie (based on Paul)
  • Silasie (based on Silas)
  • Tuumasi (based on Thomas)
  • Elisapee/Elisapi/Elisapie (based on Elizabeth)

I also noticed names from various indigenous languages, such as…

  • Aqiaruk, which means “stomach” in Inuktut.
  • Arnaq Talittuq, made up of the Inuktitut words arnaq, meaning “woman,” and talittuq, meaning “disappears, hides.”
  • Maikaniss, which means “wolf cub” in Innu. (The word maikan means “wolf.”)
  • Mispun, which means “it is snowing” in East Cree.
  • Missinak, which means “turtle” in Innu.
  • Nipinok, based on the Cree word nipinohk, meaning “last summer.” (The word nipin means “summer.”)
  • Piponik, based on the Cree word pipon, meaning both “winter” and “year.”
  • Putulik
  • Qumaluk
  • Tillikasak
  • Timangiak
  • Uashtessiu, part of the Innu term uashtessiu-pishimu, meaning “the month when the leaves become yellow” (i.e., October).
  • Uiviru
  • Ulluriaq, which means “star” in Inuktitut.
  • Weetalutuk

(I can’t give you the usual sampling of Quebec’s single-use names because, as of 2024, the province has decided to stop specifying which names were given to just one baby. The single-use names — along with the names that were given to two, three, and four babies — are now labeled “<5” in the data.)

Finally, here’s a link to Quebec’s 2023 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Quebec (public domain)