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 baby names in Scotland (UK), 2024

Flag of the United Kingdom
Flag of the United Kingdom

Last year, the country of Scotland — which takes up the northern third of Great Britain — welcomed 45,779 babies.

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

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

Girl names

  1. Olivia, 266 baby girls
  2. Isla, 264
  3. Freya, 244
  4. Lily, 231
  5. Millie, 222
  6. Sophia, 214
  7. Amelia, 198 (tie)
  8. Emily, 198 (tie)
  9. Ella, 195
  10. Charlotte, 191
  11. Ava, 188 (tie)
  12. Bonnie, 188 (tie)
  13. Grace, 183
  14. Evie, 180 (tie)
  15. Ivy, 180 (tie)
  16. Rosie, 167
  17. Sophie, 164
  18. Maisie, 161
  19. Maya, 159 (tie)
  20. Orla, 159 (tie)
  21. Harper, 149
  22. Sofia, 147
  23. Aria, 142
  24. Poppy, 135
  25. Maeve, 129
  26. Mia, 126
  27. Daisy, 123
  28. Lucy, 113
  29. Willow, 106
  30. Mila, 105
  31. Elsie, 104 (tie)
  32. Hallie, 104 (tie)
  33. Esme, 102
  34. Ruby, 100
  35. Ellie, 99
  36. Zara, 98
  37. Lottie, 97
  38. Eilidh, 91 – pronounced EH-lee
  39. Ayla, 90 (tie)
  40. Chloe, 90 (tie)
  41. Layla, 89 (3-way tie)
  42. Sienna, 89 (3-way tie)
  43. Violet, 89 (3-way tie)
  44. Ada, 87
  45. Skye, 83
  46. Phoebe, 82
  47. Callie, 81
  48. Jessica, 80 (tie)
  49. Robyn, 80 (tie)
  50. Isabella, 79

Boy names

  1. Noah, 366 baby boys
  2. Muhammad, 293
  3. Rory, 275
  4. Theo, 270
  5. Leo, 260
  6. Luca, 255
  7. Jack, 247 (tie)
  8. Oliver, 247 (tie)
  9. Harris, 243
  10. Archie, 228
  11. Finlay, 220
  12. Alexander, 208 (tie)
  13. Jude, 208 (tie)
  14. James, 203
  15. Alfie, 196
  16. Brodie, 195
  17. Finn, 190
  18. Arlo, 177
  19. Charlie, 159
  20. Thomas, 154 (tie)
  21. Tommy, 154 (tie)
  22. Oscar, 151
  23. Lucas, 147
  24. Arthur, 145
  25. Freddie, 144 (tie)
  26. Mason, 144 (tie)
  27. Jacob, 141
  28. Lewis, 136
  29. Logan, 132 (tie)
  30. Max, 132 (tie)
  31. Harry, 124
  32. Albie, 123
  33. Cameron, 117
  34. Ollie, 116
  35. Myles, 111
  36. Callan, 108 (tie)
  37. Theodore, 108 (tie)
  38. Angus, 106 (tie)
  39. Reuben, 106 (tie)
  40. Harrison, 105
  41. Blake, 102
  42. Adam, 101 (tie)
  43. Caleb, 101 (tie)
  44. Sonny, 100
  45. Louie, 99
  46. Roman, 98
  47. Liam, 93
  48. George, 91
  49. Isaac, 90
  50. Luke, 89

Muhammad, which entered the boys’ top 100 in 2008, jumped from 11th to 2nd place.

And the bonny name Bonnie, which entered the girls’ top 100 in 2018, now sits just outside the top 10.

Last year’s fastest-rising girl names already in the top 100 were Violet, Arabella, Myla, and Chloe, while the fastest-rising girl names entering the top 100 for the first time were Eliza, Romy, and Nora.

The fastest-rising boy names already in the top 100 were Myles, Callan, Ruairidh, and Lochlan, while the fastest-rising boy name entering the top 100 for the first time was Reggie.

Una and Ernie, two of the top names in the Scottish archipelago of Orkney, were given to 19 baby girls and six baby boys (respectively) nation-wide.

Here’s a selection of the names that were given to just three babies each in Scotland last year:

Rare girl namesRare boy names
Aizal, Beira, Ceilidh, Davina, Este, Fleur, Greta, Hadley, Ines, Jemimah, Kassie, Lavinia, Merida, Nicola, Opal, Peach, Roxy, Safiyyah, Tully, Verity, Yuna, ZarishArgyll, Bruce, Cobi, Derek, Ernest, Frazer, Graham, Harbaaz, Innis, Justin, Korey, Lawrie, Malachi, Niven, Orran, Percy, Rui, Somhairle, Thorfinn, Uzair, Wilder, Zahir

Beira is a modern Scottish name for the Gaelic mythological figure Cailleach, and Innis is a Scottish Gaelic word meaning “small island, islet.”

(I can’t give you the usual sampling of Scotland’s single-use names because, as of 2024, the country has decided to stop releasing names given to fewer than three babies. The news release noted that “the exclusion of the names given to one or two babies is consistent with policies in England and Wales and Northern Ireland.”)

Finally, here are Scotland’s 2023 rankings, if you’d like to compare last year to the year before.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of the United Kingdom (public domain)

Popular baby names in Ireland, 2024

Flag of Ireland
Flag of Ireland

The top baby names in the Republic of Ireland last year were Sophie and Jack.

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

Girl names

  1. Sophie, 294 baby girls
  2. Éabha, 293
  3. Grace, 291
  4. Emily, 290
  5. Fiadh, 286
  6. Lily, 253
  7. Olivia, 246
  8. Amelia, 220
  9. Sadie, 216
  10. Mia, 213
  11. Lucy, 204
  12. Freya, 196
  13. Isla, 193
  14. Ella, 192
  15. Ellie, 190
  16. Croía, 188
  17. Emma, 187 (tie)
  18. Maya, 187 (tie)
  19. Sophia, 180
  20. Chloe, 179 (tie)
  21. Hannah, 179 (tie)
  22. Molly, 171
  23. Evie, 167
  24. Saoirse, 164
  25. Sofia, 154
  26. Ava, 152
  27. Robyn, 148
  28. Millie, 145
  29. Anna, 140
  30. Ruby, 134
  31. Caoimhe, 131 (tie)
  32. Rosie, 131 (tie)
  33. Róisín, 126
  34. Bonnie, 123
  35. Erin, 120 (tie)
  36. Isabelle, 120 (tie)
  37. Cara, 118
  38. Sadhbh, 117
  39. Holly, 115
  40. Éala, 114
  41. Annie, 112
  42. Clodagh, 109 (tie)
  43. Daisy, 109 (tie)
  44. Hazel, 108
  45. Aoife, 107 (tie)
  46. Katie, 107 (tie)
  47. Kate, 106 (tie)
  48. Willow, 106 (tie)
  49. Maisie, 105
  50. Ada, 104 (tie)
  51. Méabh, 104 (tie)

Boy names

  1. Jack, 490 baby boys
  2. Noah, 486
  3. Rían, 432
  4. Cillian, 352
  5. James, 336
  6. Tadhg, 318
  7. Fionn, 304
  8. Liam, 303
  9. Oisín, 286
  10. Charlie, 258
  11. Daniel, 257
  12. Finn, 255
  13. Theo, 252
  14. Thomas, 226
  15. Seán, 222
  16. Patrick, 220
  17. Michael, 218
  18. Luke, 217
  19. Conor, 210
  20. Harry, 209
  21. Tommy, 202
  22. Leo, 201 (tie)
  23. Páidí, 201 (tie)
  24. Luca, 197
  25. Adam, 188
  26. Darragh, 184
  27. Oliver, 181
  28. Bobby, 179
  29. John, 168
  30. Jamie, 162 (tie)
  31. Kai, 162 (tie)
  32. Oscar, 159
  33. Cian, 158 (tie)
  34. Max, 158 (tie)
  35. Ollie, 157
  36. Alex, 155
  37. Callum, 154
  38. Sonny, 147
  39. Dylan, 141
  40. David, 134
  41. Ben, 132
  42. Matthew, 131
  43. Caelan, 128
  44. Alexander, 127
  45. Muhammad, 126
  46. Ryan, 124
  47. Arthur, 119
  48. Arlo, 118
  49. Alfie, 117
  50. Shay, 107

The trendy name Croía (pronounced KREE-a) rose from 95th in 2020, to 52nd in 2021, to 38th in 2022, to 24th in 2023, to 16th last year. Do you think it will reach the top 10 in 2025?

Speaking of names on the upswing, the fastest-rising girl names in the top 100 were Maya (in terms of number of babies) and Rhea (in terms of rank). Likewise, the fastest-rising boy names in the top 100 were Rían (in terms of number of babies) and Caleb (in terms of rank).

And what about the names at the other end of the spectrum? Here’s a selection of the names given to just 3 babies each in Ireland last year:

Rare girl namesRare boy names
Annalivia, Brídín, Ceoladh, Dolcie, Elira, Fearne, Goldie, Heather, Iveagh, Jessa, Kenza, Líobhan, Morrigan, Nollaig, Oonagh, Peach, Réalta, Saffi, Tiffany, Vega, Willa, ZariaAhan, Bento, Chulainn, Daróg, Enda, Fearghal, Gene, Hughie, Íarlaith, Jameson, Keelin, Laith, Mick, Naomhán, Oilibhéar, Pat, Ralphie, Séadh, Téidí, Vlad, Willie, Zeke

The Irish word réalta means “star.”

Source: Irish Babies’ Names – CSO (Irish Babies’ Names 2024)

Image: Adapted from Flag of Ireland (public domain)

How did Jess Willard influence baby names in the 1910s?

Heavyweight boxer Jess Willard (1881-1968)
Jess Willard

In late 1908, Jack Johnson became the first African-American world heavyweight boxing champion.

During Johnson’s reign, promoters actively searched for a “great white hope” — a white contender to defeat him.

Several white boxers (including former title holder James Jeffries) challenged Johnson, but were unsuccessful.

The one who finally triumphed? Jess Willard.

In April of 1915, Willard — a six-and-a-half-foot-tall Kansas-born wheat farmer — fought Johnson in Havana, Cuba. Upon knocking Johnson out in the 26th round, Willard became the new heavyweight champion.

Boxing match between Jack Johnson and Jess Willard in Cuba (Apr. 1915)
Jack Johnson vs. Jess Willard

The same year, the baby names Jess and Willard both reached peak usage (and Willard its highest-ever ranking) among U.S. babies:

Boys named JessBoys named Willard
1917352 (rank: 273rd)2,188 (rank: 80th)
1916485 (rank: 220th)2,413 (rank: 69th)
1915577† (rank: 193rd)2,889† (rank: 58th)
1914258 (rank: 271st)1,302 (rank: 92nd)
1913180 (rank: 296th)926 (rank: 99th)
†Peak usage

(The rise of both names during first half of the 1910s was also likely fueled by Jess Willard, who’d been boxing professionally since early 1911.)

“Jess” and “Willard” were particularly popular in a handful of U.S states:

Rank of Jess in 1915Rank of Willard in 1915
West Virginia64th (35 boys)19th (117 boys)
Oklahoma71st (56 boys)33rd (100 boys)
Kentucky89th (37 boys)36th (113 boys)
Virginia200th (13 boys)39th (90 boys)
Kansas120th (20 boys)40th (82 boys)
Tennessee78th (41 boys)41st (89 boys)
Missouri108th (40 boys)42nd (134 boys)

According to records, hundreds of the baby boys named Jess in 1915 were also given the middle name Willard. Some examples…

Many other babies were also given the first-middle combo “Jess Willard” during the ensuing years of Willard’s reign, which ended in July of 1919 (when Willard was knocked out by Jack Dempsey).

What are your thoughts on the boy names Jess and Willard? (Which one do you prefer?)

P.S. The second African-American to win the title of world heavyweight boxing champion was Joe Louis, in 1937.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Jess Willard 1915 (LOC) and Knockout – Willard-Johnson fight, Havana (LOC)

Popular baby names in the Channel Islands, 2024

Flag of Jersey
Flag of Jersey

The Channel Islands, located in the English Channel, are divided into two territories: Jersey and Guernsey.

Jersey consists of the archipelago’s largest and most populous island, Jersey, while Guernsey consists of the next-largest and next-most-populous island, Guernsey, along with several smaller islands.

What were the most popular baby names in each territory last year?

Jersey

Last year, Jersey welcomed a total of 716 babies — 330 girls and 386 boys. Here are Jersey’s top 10 girl names and top 10 boy names of 2024:

Girl names

  1. Isla
  2. Olivia
  3. Isabella
  4. Grace
  5. Elodie
  6. Bella
  7. Ruby
  8. Clara
  9. Mia
  10. Pearl

Boy names

  1. Theodore
  2. Luca
  3. James
  4. Alfie
  5. Leo
  6. Finley
  7. Henry
  8. William
  9. Arlo
  10. Alexander

A year earlier, the top names were Olivia and Oliver.

Guernsey

Last year, Guernsey welcomed a total of 422 babies. Here are Guernsey’s top girl names and top boy names of 2024:

Girl names

  1. Charlotte, 4 baby girls (tie)
  2. Isla, 4 (tie)
  3. Amelia, 3 (7-way tie)
  4. Evie, 3 (7-way tie)
  5. Harper, 3 (7-way tie)
  6. Isabella, 3 (7-way tie)
  7. Mila, 3 (7-way tie)
  8. Olivia, 3 (7-way tie)
  9. Pippa, 3 (7-way tie)

Boy names

  1. Charlie, 5 baby boys
  2. Reggie, 4

A year earlier, the top names were Mia and Harry. (And there were four boys named Lando! I wish Guernsey had released more of 2024’s top boy names — I’m curious to know if Lando still ranks inside the top 10.)

Finally, here’s a link to the Channel Islands’ 2023 rankings, if you’d like to compare.

Sources:

Image: Adapted from Flag of Jersey (public domain)