Meaning and origin
The last name James has its origin in the Hebrew name "Yaakov," which was anglicized to "James" through various linguistic evolutions. Derived from the biblical figure Jacob, meaning "holder of the heel" or "supplanter," it became a popular given name in early Christian society due to the veneration of St. James the Greater. As surnames started to emerge, "James" was adopted in medieval England as a patronymic, indicating a descendant or relative of someone named James. Over time, it spread across various English-speaking countries, and today, it remains a common and recognizable surname.
Surname origins are rarely settled: one spelling can have several sources, and families often took a name for reasons nobody wrote down. Check it against the sources below before you rely on it.
#85
James was the 85th most common surname in the 2010 US Census, with 249,379 people, about 85 in every 100,000.
Who carries it
Surnames like James
Names it is linked with, then names with the same origin and a similar standing.
Check the sources
- Forebears: where James is found around the world
- The Internet Surname Database: a second opinion on the origin
- US Census Bureau: the 2010 surname figures used here
For a name you are serious about, compare the dictionaries: Reaney and Wilson, A Dictionary of English Surnames; Hanks, Dictionary of American Family Names.