James

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ORIGIN AND HISTORY

Greek, Iakobos^[1]

The name James originates from the Hebrew “Yaakov,” which stems from “ya'aqob” (Jacob) meaning “supplanting” or “seizing by the heel.” Subsequently, the name was transferred to the Greek “Iakobos” and then “Iacobus,” which influenced the Ecclesiastic Late Latin “Iacomus,” although some suggest the latter is due to an error in transcription from Greek to Latin. The Gaelic form of “James” is “Seamus.”

In the New Testament of the Bible, James is the name of two apostles - Saint James the Greater and James the Lesser. Additionally, James the Just is recognized as the brother of Jesus, in the Bible.

POPULARITY

According to the 1990 United States Census, James ranked as the 1st most popular male first name, the 875th most popular female first name and the 71st most popular last name. In the United States, the name ranked in the Top 1,000 most popular boys' names every decade since 1880 and in the Top 1,000 most popular girls' names eleven decades since 1880, but not since 1990. In the 21st century, the name ranked in the Top 20 most popular boys' names every year from 2000 (18th) through 2006 (16th).

United States Popularity of the boy's name James in the 21st Century:

• Year: 2006 Rank:16th
• Year: 2005 Rank:17th
• Year: 2004 Rank:17th
• Year: 2003 Rank:18th
• Year: 2002 Rank:18th
• Year: 2001 Rank:19th
• Year: 2000 Rank:18th

In 2007, the popularity of the boy’s name James ranked 8th in Australia, 9th in England/Wales, 10th in Wales and 2nd in New Zealand. Its still hugely popular in England where it ranked 4th in 2005 and 5th in Scotland and Ireland in 2006 and 2005, respectively.

The name James is extremely popular in all English speaking countries and always has been as a boy's first name. As a girl, "Jamie", the female counterpart of James is growing in popularity too. James as a surname is also quite common.

FACTS

• 65 celebrities who have a son named James. Here are just a few: Mick Jagger, Paul McCartney, Farrah Fawcett, James Cagney, Gladys Knight, Bruce Springsteen, Marie Osmond, Jon Voight, Sarah Jessica Parker, Della Reese and Jim Belushi.

• US President James Carter is the only president ever to take the oath of office using his nickname, "Jimmy" instead of his given name James.

• James Watt 1736-1819. James Watt was a Scottish inventor and engineer. His achievement was fundamental to the changes brought by the Industrial Revolution. What did he invent? The first steam locomotive.

• January 16th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James of Tarentaise.
• January 28th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James the Hermit.
• February 6th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James Kisai.
• February 12th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James Feun.
• March 25th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James Bird.
• March 28th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James Claxton.
• April 19th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James Duckett.
• May 3rd is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James the Lesser.
• June 3rd is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James Buzabalio.
• June 23rd is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James of Toul.
• July 9th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James Lacop.
• July 25th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James the Greater.
• August 6th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James the Syrian.
• August 12th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James Nam.
• August 17th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James the Deacon.
• August 18th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James Guengoro.
• August 19th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James Denshi.
• September 8th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James Fayashida.
• November 1st is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James.
• November 19th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James of Sasseau.
• November 27th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James Intercisus.
• November 28th is celebrated by the Catholic Church in honor of St. James of the Marches and St. James Thompson.

NAMESAKES

• “James” was the name of various Shakespearean characters including “Lord James Fiennes Say” in Henry VI, “James Gurney” in King John and “Sir James Blunt” and “Sir James Tyrrel” in Richard III.
• “James Bond” is a British spy, dubbed 007, who stars in a plethora of action, spy movies; he was created by Ian Fleming
• James Candy Co. Specializing in salt water taffy
• Apache James Project delivers open source solutions written in Java
• James Ontario, Canada
• Bible book of James was written by James, the brother of Jesus c.62
• James Hotel, a luxury, boutique hotel in downtown Chicago, USA
• James Publishing, a publishing company that donates 1% of revenue to needy youth
• James.com highlights a famous person named James every week
• James British Rock, a rock band established in 1981

FAMOUS PERSONS

• James Joyce - Renowned author who wrote Ulysses, which is widely considered one of the best works of literature ever written.
• James J. Heckman – Won the Nobel Prize for economics in 2000.
• James Francis Cameron – Film writer and director who won three Academy Awards (Oscars) for “Best Director,” “Best Film Editing” and “Best Picture” for his effort on the 1997 movie Titanic.
• James Madison Jr. – Fourth President of the United States of America (1809 – 1817), the only president to have two vice presidents
• James Earl Carter Jr. – Thirty ninth President of the United States of America (1977 - 1981) who won the Nobel Prize for peace in 2002.
• James Monroe (1758-1831) - His presidency was known as "The Era of Good Feelings" despite a serious recession in 1819.
• James Polk (1790-1862) - The only president to be widowed and remarried during his office
• James Buchanan (1791-1868) - Served 1 term and during this term the Confederate States declared their independence.
• James Garfield (1831-1881) - Second president to be assassinated and the last to be born in a log cabin
• James Cagney (1899-1986) - Actor, song and dance man. Best known for "Yankee Doodle Dandy," a timeless, patriotic musical which was nominated for 8 Academy Awards and won 3.
• James Mason (1909-1984) - An English actor who was both popular in UK and Us. Known for his handsome looks and distinctive voice. He is buried in Switzerland, just a few feet away from his old friend, Charlie Chaplin.
• James Dean (1931-1955) The only actor to receive 2 posthumous Academy Awards for best actor. He influenced the teenage world greatly in the 3 movies he completed before he tragically died: East of Eden, Giant and Rebel Without a Cause.

NOTES

Authors: Rich Kachold, Victoria Rose Perkins