James is one of America's most popular boys' names, ranked #6 in 2025.
James is predominantly a boy name. In 2025 it ranked #6 among boys (11,945) and #2,873 among girls (59) — overall #11 across all names. The charts below show girls and boys separately.
| Year | U.S. births | U.S. + territories | ♀ Rank | ♂ Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 12,004 | 12,004 | #2,873 | #6 |
| 2024 | 11,924 | 11,924 | #2,594 | #5 |
| 2023 | 11,818 | 11,818 | #2,325 | #4 |
| 2022 | 12,204 | 12,204 | #2,217 | #4 |
| 2021 | 12,542 | 12,542 | #2,569 | #5 |
| 2020 | 12,456 | 12,456 | #2,583 | #6 |
| 2019 | 13,266 | 13,277 | #2,576 | #6 |
| 2018 | 13,695 | 13,709 | #3,459 | #4 |
| 2017 | 14,439 | 14,454 | #2,368 | #4 |
| 2016 | 14,987 | 15,016 | #2,629 | #5 |
| 2015 | 14,904 | 14,927 | #3,879 | #7 |
| 2014 | 14,506 | 14,526 | #3,680 | #9 |
| 2013 | 13,624 | 13,652 | #4,945 | #13 |
| 2012 | 13,486 | 13,512 | #5,021 | #14 |
| 2011 | 13,305 | 13,335 | #4,733 | #17 |
| 2010 | 13,931 | 13,955 | #4,788 | #19 |
| 2009 | 14,274 | 14,302 | #3,266 | #18 |
| 2008 | 15,222 | 15,261 | #4,694 | #17 |
| 2007 | 16,006 | 16,041 | #4,511 | #15 |
| 2006 | 16,301 | 16,329 | #3,480 | #16 |
| 2005 | 16,166 | 16,193 | #5,013 | #17 |
| 2004 | 16,564 | 16,604 | #1,965 | #18 |
| 2003 | 16,930 | 16,971 | #3,977 | #18 |
| 2002 | 16,999 | 17,048 | #4,115 | #18 |
| 2001 | 17,116 | 17,150 | #3,274 | #19 |
| 2000 | 18,031 | 18,080 | #3,360 | #18 |
| 1999 | 18,595 | 18,641 | #3,207 | #19 |
| 1998 | 19,735 | 19,777 | #2,902 | #18 |
| 1997 | 20,450 | — | #2,897 | #17 |
| 1996 | 21,227 | — | #2,187 | #17 |
| 1995 | 22,796 | — | #2,317 | #17 |
| 1994 | 24,845 | — | #2,069 | #14 |
| 1993 | 26,334 | — | #1,889 | #14 |
| 1992 | 28,583 | — | #1,969 | #9 |
| 1991 | 30,609 | — | #1,601 | #7 |
| 1990 | 32,474 | — | #1,375 | #8 |
| 1989 | 32,896 | — | #982 | #9 |
| 1988 | 32,767 | — | #767 | #9 |
| 1987 | 32,905 | — | #735 | #8 |
| 1986 | 34,330 | — | #674 | #7 |
| 1985 | 36,149 | — | #644 | #7 |
| 1984 | 36,097 | — | #699 | #7 |
| 1983 | 36,624 | — | #618 | #6 |
| 1982 | 39,191 | — | #578 | #6 |
| 1981 | 38,555 | — | #651 | #7 |
| 1980 | 39,583 | — | #663 | #5 |
| 1979 | 39,612 | — | #667 | #5 |
| 1978 | 40,163 | — | #625 | #5 |
| 1977 | 40,313 | — | #617 | #5 |
| 1976 | 38,546 | — | #620 | #5 |
| 1975 | 39,823 | — | #621 | #4 |
| 1974 | 41,584 | — | #623 | #5 |
| 1973 | 43,152 | — | #532 | #4 |
| 1972 | 47,363 | — | #556 | #3 |
| 1971 | 54,899 | — | #579 | #2 |
| 1970 | 62,088 | — | #537 | #2 |
| 1969 | 60,215 | — | #545 | #3 |
| 1968 | 60,977 | — | #548 | #4 |
| 1967 | 61,993 | — | #534 | #3 |
| 1966 | 65,461 | — | #548 | #3 |
| 1965 | 67,969 | — | #544 | #4 |
| 1964 | 73,344 | — | #555 | #4 |
| 1963 | 71,605 | — | #548 | #4 |
| 1962 | 72,817 | — | #621 | #4 |
| 1961 | 76,251 | — | #600 | #4 |
| 1960 | 77,106 | — | #578 | #3 |
| 1959 | 78,942 | — | #574 | #3 |
| 1958 | 79,026 | — | #621 | #3 |
| 1957 | 84,616 | — | #578 | #2 |
| 1956 | 85,145 | — | #608 | #2 |
| 1955 | 84,429 | — | #591 | #3 |
| 1954 | 86,536 | — | #605 | #3 |
| 1953 | 86,302 | — | #574 | #2 |
| 1952 | 87,323 | — | #529 | #1 |
| 1951 | 87,512 | — | #517 | #1 |
| 1950 | 86,480 | — | #515 | #1 |
| 1949 | 87,115 | — | #506 | #1 |
| 1948 | 88,856 | — | #522 | #1 |
| 1947 | 95,024 | — | #516 | #1 |
| 1946 | 87,688 | — | #493 | #1 |
| 1945 | 74,711 | — | #454 | #1 |
| 1944 | 77,188 | — | #468 | #1 |
| 1943 | 80,550 | — | #453 | #1 |
| 1942 | 77,462 | — | #433 | #1 |
| 1941 | 67,007 | — | #428 | #1 |
| 1940 | 62,740 | — | #424 | #1 |
| 1939 | 59,904 | — | #412 | #2 |
| 1938 | 59,377 | — | #402 | #2 |
| 1937 | 56,812 | — | #409 | #2 |
| 1936 | 54,923 | — | #428 | #2 |
| 1935 | 55,243 | — | #422 | #2 |
| 1934 | 54,532 | — | #403 | #2 |
| 1933 | 51,411 | — | #368 | #2 |
| 1932 | 52,250 | — | #355 | #2 |
| 1931 | 51,557 | — | #344 | #2 |
| 1930 | 54,376 | — | #323 | #2 |
| 1929 | 52,532 | — | #325 | #2 |
| 1928 | 53,179 | — | #319 | #3 |
| 1927 | 54,064 | — | #338 | #3 |
| 1926 | 53,554 | — | #353 | #3 |
| 1925 | 53,045 | — | #357 | #4 |
| 1924 | 53,216 | — | #425 | #4 |
| 1923 | 50,742 | — | #401 | #4 |
| 1922 | 50,041 | — | #430 | #4 |
| 1921 | 49,981 | — | #455 | #4 |
| 1920 | 48,157 | — | #424 | #4 |
| 1919 | 42,584 | — | #482 | #3 |
| 1918 | 42,327 | — | #459 | #3 |
| 1917 | 37,519 | — | #486 | #3 |
| 1916 | 35,735 | — | #508 | #3 |
| 1915 | 33,928 | — | #495 | #3 |
| 1914 | 26,369 | — | #545 | #3 |
| 1913 | 20,927 | — | #524 | #3 |
| 1912 | 17,725 | — | #545 | #3 |
| 1911 | 10,021 | — | #498 | #3 |
| 1910 | 9,257 | — | #518 | #2 |
| 1909 | 7,647 | — | #525 | #3 |
| 1908 | 7,044 | — | #684 | #3 |
| 1907 | 6,752 | — | #540 | #3 |
| 1906 | 5,945 | — | #582 | #3 |
| 1905 | 6,077 | — | #590 | #3 |
| 1904 | 5,882 | — | #675 | #3 |
| 1903 | 5,507 | — | #636 | #3 |
| 1902 | 5,622 | — | #607 | #3 |
| 1901 | 4,765 | — | #567 | #3 |
| 1900 | 7,286 | — | #526 | #3 |
| 1899 | 4,624 | — | #600 | #3 |
| 1898 | 5,350 | — | #601 | #3 |
| 1897 | 5,143 | — | #543 | #3 |
| 1896 | 5,234 | — | #587 | #3 |
| 1895 | 5,369 | — | #506 | #3 |
| 1894 | 5,135 | — | #588 | #3 |
| 1893 | 5,053 | — | #607 | #3 |
| 1892 | 5,420 | — | #605 | #3 |
| 1891 | 4,547 | — | #464 | #3 |
| 1890 | 5,130 | — | #452 | #3 |
| 1889 | 5,046 | — | #492 | #3 |
| 1888 | 5,607 | — | #359 | #3 |
| 1887 | 4,786 | — | #518 | #3 |
| 1886 | 5,384 | — | #403 | #3 |
| 1885 | 5,201 | — | #408 | #3 |
| 1884 | 5,726 | — | #343 | #3 |
| 1883 | 5,248 | — | #367 | #3 |
| 1882 | 5,910 | — | #438 | #3 |
| 1881 | 5,465 | — | #330 | #3 |
| 1880 | 5,949 | — | #344 | #3 |