James is a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #11 for boy births in the United States, given to 12,004 babies. James first appears in the data in 1880 and reached its peak in 1947 (95,024 births). The chart below shows how the name has risen and fallen over time.
| Year | U.S. births | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12,004 | #11 |
| 2024 | 11,924 | #11 |
| 2023 | 11,818 | #9 |
| 2022 | 12,204 | #9 |
| 2021 | 12,542 | #11 |
| 2020 | 12,456 | #12 |
| 2019 | 13,266 | #11 |
| 2018 | 13,695 | #9 |
| 2017 | 14,439 | #10 |
| 2016 | 14,987 | #9 |
| 2015 | 14,904 | #13 |
| 2014 | 14,506 | #14 |
| 2013 | 13,624 | #18 |
| 2012 | 13,486 | #20 |
| 2011 | 13,305 | #24 |
| 2010 | 13,931 | #26 |
| 2009 | 14,274 | #26 |
| 2008 | 15,222 | #25 |
| 2007 | 16,006 | #25 |
| 2006 | 16,301 | #21 |
| 2005 | 16,166 | #20 |
| 2004 | 16,564 | #21 |
| 2003 | 16,930 | #23 |
| 2002 | 16,999 | #23 |
| 2001 | 17,116 | #23 |
| 2000 | 18,031 | #23 |
| 1999 | 18,595 | #26 |
| 1998 | 19,735 | #26 |
| 1997 | 20,450 | #24 |
| 1996 | 21,227 | #21 |
| 1995 | 22,796 | #21 |
| 1994 | 24,845 | #17 |
| 1993 | 26,334 | #17 |
| 1992 | 28,583 | #11 |
| 1991 | 30,609 | #9 |
| 1990 | 32,474 | #12 |
| 1989 | 32,896 | #13 |
| 1988 | 32,767 | #12 |
| 1987 | 32,905 | #11 |
| 1986 | 34,330 | #11 |
| 1985 | 36,149 | #11 |
| 1984 | 36,097 | #10 |
| 1983 | 36,624 | #8 |
| 1982 | 39,191 | #8 |
| 1981 | 38,555 | #9 |
| 1980 | 39,583 | #6 |
| 1979 | 39,612 | #6 |
| 1978 | 40,163 | #6 |
| 1977 | 40,313 | #6 |
| 1976 | 38,546 | #6 |
| 1975 | 39,823 | #5 |
| 1974 | 41,584 | #6 |
| 1973 | 43,152 | #5 |
| 1972 | 47,363 | #4 |
| 1971 | 54,899 | #3 |
| 1970 | 62,088 | #2 |
| 1969 | 60,215 | #3 |
| 1968 | 60,977 | #4 |
| 1967 | 61,993 | #3 |
| 1966 | 65,461 | #3 |
| 1965 | 67,969 | #4 |
| 1964 | 73,344 | #4 |
| 1963 | 71,605 | #4 |
| 1962 | 72,817 | #4 |
| 1961 | 76,251 | #4 |
| 1960 | 77,106 | #3 |
| 1959 | 78,942 | #3 |
| 1958 | 79,026 | #3 |
| 1957 | 84,616 | #2 |
| 1956 | 85,145 | #2 |
| 1955 | 84,429 | #3 |
| 1954 | 86,536 | #2 |
| 1953 | 86,302 | #2 |
| 1952 | 87,323 | #1 |
| 1951 | 87,512 | #1 |
| 1950 | 86,480 | #1 |
| 1949 | 87,115 | #2 |
| 1948 | 88,856 | #2 |
| 1947 | 95,024 | #2 |
| 1946 | 87,688 | #1 |
| 1945 | 74,711 | #1 |
| 1944 | 77,188 | #1 |
| 1943 | 80,550 | #1 |
| 1942 | 77,462 | #1 |
| 1941 | 67,007 | #1 |
| 1940 | 62,740 | #1 |
| 1939 | 59,904 | #1 |
| 1938 | 59,377 | #2 |
| 1937 | 56,812 | #2 |
| 1936 | 54,923 | #2 |
| 1935 | 55,243 | #3 |
| 1934 | 54,532 | #3 |
| 1933 | 51,411 | #3 |
| 1932 | 52,250 | #3 |
| 1931 | 51,557 | #3 |
| 1930 | 54,376 | #3 |
| 1929 | 52,532 | #3 |
| 1928 | 53,179 | #4 |
| 1927 | 54,064 | #4 |
| 1926 | 53,554 | #4 |
| 1925 | 53,045 | #5 |
| 1924 | 53,216 | #5 |
| 1923 | 50,742 | #5 |
| 1922 | 50,041 | #5 |
| 1921 | 49,981 | #5 |
| 1920 | 48,157 | #5 |
| 1919 | 42,584 | #4 |
| 1918 | 42,327 | #4 |
| 1917 | 37,519 | #4 |
| 1916 | 35,735 | #4 |
| 1915 | 33,928 | #4 |
| 1914 | 26,369 | #4 |
| 1913 | 20,927 | #4 |
| 1912 | 17,725 | #4 |
| 1911 | 10,021 | #5 |
| 1910 | 9,257 | #4 |
| 1909 | 7,647 | #5 |
| 1908 | 7,044 | #5 |
| 1907 | 6,752 | #5 |
| 1906 | 5,945 | #6 |
| 1905 | 6,077 | #5 |
| 1904 | 5,882 | #5 |
| 1903 | 5,507 | #5 |
| 1902 | 5,622 | #5 |
| 1901 | 4,765 | #6 |
| 1900 | 7,286 | #4 |
| 1899 | 4,624 | #6 |
| 1898 | 5,350 | #5 |
| 1897 | 5,143 | #5 |
| 1896 | 5,234 | #5 |
| 1895 | 5,369 | #5 |
| 1894 | 5,135 | #5 |
| 1893 | 5,053 | #5 |
| 1892 | 5,420 | #5 |
| 1891 | 4,547 | #5 |
| 1890 | 5,130 | #5 |
| 1889 | 5,046 | #5 |
| 1888 | 5,607 | #4 |
| 1887 | 4,786 | #4 |
| 1886 | 5,384 | #4 |
| 1885 | 5,201 | #4 |
| 1884 | 5,726 | #4 |
| 1883 | 5,248 | #4 |
| 1882 | 5,910 | #4 |
| 1881 | 5,465 | #4 |
| 1880 | 5,949 | #4 |