James
#1 most common boys' name of all time · #1 across all names · >99% male / <1% female · used 1880–2025
Rank among boys
#1
Rank overall
#1 of 105,966
First appeared
1880 or earlier
Years on the list
146 of 146
All-time
5,274,520
Since 2016
129,335
Peak year
1947 #1
Best rank
#1 1940
Girls
Boys
peak 95,024/yr
James is in the records from the very first year available, so it was almost certainly in use before 1880 — the data simply doesn't go back further.
Year by year
| Year | Girls | Boys | Total | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59 | 11,945 | 12,004 | #6 |
| 2024 | 68 | 11,856 | 11,924 | #5 |
| 2023 | 79 | 11,739 | 11,818 | #4 |
| 2022 | 85 | 12,119 | 12,204 | #4 |
| 2021 | 68 | 12,474 | 12,542 | #5 |
| 2020 | 66 | 12,390 | 12,456 | #6 |
| 2019 | 68 | 13,198 | 13,266 | #6 |
| 2018 | 45 | 13,650 | 13,695 | #4 |
| 2017 | 77 | 14,362 | 14,439 | #4 |
| 2016 | 67 | 14,920 | 14,987 | #5 |
| 2015 | 39 | 14,865 | 14,904 | #7 |
| 2014 | 42 | 14,464 | 14,506 | #9 |
| 2013 | 28 | 13,596 | 13,624 | #13 |
| 2012 | 28 | 13,458 | 13,486 | #14 |
| 2011 | 30 | 13,275 | 13,305 | #17 |
| 2010 | 30 | 13,901 | 13,931 | #19 |
| 2009 | 51 | 14,223 | 14,274 | #18 |
| 2008 | 32 | 15,190 | 15,222 | #17 |
| 2007 | 33 | 15,973 | 16,006 | #15 |
| 2006 | 46 | 16,255 | 16,301 | #16 |
| 2005 | 26 | 16,140 | 16,166 | #17 |
| 2004 | 95 | 16,469 | 16,564 | #18 |
| 2003 | 34 | 16,896 | 16,930 | #18 |
| 2002 | 31 | 16,968 | 16,999 | #18 |
| 2001 | 42 | 17,074 | 17,116 | #19 |
| 2000 | 40 | 17,991 | 18,031 | #18 |
| 1999 | 40 | 18,555 | 18,595 | #19 |
| 1998 | 45 | 19,690 | 19,735 | #18 |
| 1997 | 42 | 20,408 | 20,450 | #17 |
| 1996 | 62 | 21,165 | 21,227 | #17 |
| 1995 | 57 | 22,739 | 22,796 | #17 |
| 1994 | 67 | 24,778 | 24,845 | #14 |
| 1993 | 75 | 26,259 | 26,334 | #14 |
| 1992 | 70 | 28,513 | 28,583 | #9 |
| 1991 | 95 | 30,514 | 30,609 | #7 |
| 1990 | 115 | 32,359 | 32,474 | #8 |
| 1989 | 176 | 32,720 | 32,896 | #9 |
| 1988 | 244 | 32,523 | 32,767 | #9 |
| 1987 | 246 | 32,659 | 32,905 | #8 |
| 1986 | 273 | 34,057 | 34,330 | #7 |
| 1985 | 287 | 35,862 | 36,149 | #7 |
| 1984 | 238 | 35,859 | 36,097 | #7 |
| 1983 | 282 | 36,342 | 36,624 | #6 |
| 1982 | 317 | 38,874 | 39,191 | #6 |
| 1981 | 272 | 38,283 | 38,555 | #7 |
| 1980 | 271 | 39,312 | 39,583 | #5 |
| 1979 | 261 | 39,351 | 39,612 | #5 |
| 1978 | 269 | 39,894 | 40,163 | #5 |
| 1977 | 273 | 40,040 | 40,313 | #5 |
| 1976 | 252 | 38,294 | 38,546 | #5 |
| 1975 | 254 | 39,569 | 39,823 | #4 |
| 1974 | 250 | 41,334 | 41,584 | #5 |
| 1973 | 316 | 42,836 | 43,152 | #4 |
| 1972 | 300 | 47,063 | 47,363 | #3 |
| 1971 | 302 | 54,597 | 54,899 | #2 |
| 1970 | 353 | 61,735 | 62,088 | #2 |
| 1969 | 329 | 59,886 | 60,215 | #3 |
| 1968 | 312 | 60,665 | 60,977 | #4 |
| 1967 | 310 | 61,683 | 61,993 | #3 |
| 1966 | 298 | 65,163 | 65,461 | #3 |
| 1965 | 303 | 67,666 | 67,969 | #4 |
| 1964 | 318 | 73,026 | 73,344 | #4 |
| 1963 | 311 | 71,294 | 71,605 | #4 |
| 1962 | 262 | 72,555 | 72,817 | #4 |
| 1961 | 282 | 75,969 | 76,251 | #4 |
| 1960 | 291 | 76,815 | 77,106 | #3 |
| 1959 | 294 | 78,648 | 78,942 | #3 |
| 1958 | 252 | 78,774 | 79,026 | #3 |
| 1957 | 279 | 84,337 | 84,616 | #2 |
| 1956 | 248 | 84,897 | 85,145 | #2 |
| 1955 | 243 | 84,186 | 84,429 | #3 |
| 1954 | 225 | 86,311 | 86,536 | #3 |
| 1953 | 236 | 86,066 | 86,302 | #2 |
| 1952 | 258 | 87,065 | 87,323 | #1 |
| 1951 | 256 | 87,256 | 87,512 | #1 |
| 1950 | 252 | 86,228 | 86,480 | #1 |
| 1949 | 257 | 86,858 | 87,115 | #1 |
| 1948 | 251 | 88,605 | 88,856 | #1 |
| 1947 | 257 | 94,767 | 95,024 | #1 |
| 1946 | 250 | 87,438 | 87,688 | #1 |
| 1945 | 247 | 74,464 | 74,711 | #1 |
| 1944 | 237 | 76,951 | 77,188 | #1 |
| 1943 | 272 | 80,278 | 80,550 | #1 |
| 1942 | 280 | 77,182 | 77,462 | #1 |
| 1941 | 256 | 66,751 | 67,007 | #1 |
| 1940 | 259 | 62,481 | 62,740 | #1 |
| 1939 | 268 | 59,636 | 59,904 | #2 |
| 1938 | 275 | 59,102 | 59,377 | #2 |
| 1937 | 251 | 56,561 | 56,812 | #2 |
| 1936 | 229 | 54,694 | 54,923 | #2 |
| 1935 | 238 | 55,005 | 55,243 | #2 |
| 1934 | 262 | 54,270 | 54,532 | #2 |
| 1933 | 299 | 51,112 | 51,411 | #2 |
| 1932 | 320 | 51,930 | 52,250 | #2 |
| 1931 | 345 | 51,212 | 51,557 | #2 |
| 1930 | 419 | 53,957 | 54,376 | #2 |
| 1929 | 397 | 52,135 | 52,532 | #2 |
| 1928 | 427 | 52,752 | 53,179 | #3 |
| 1927 | 390 | 53,674 | 54,064 | #3 |
| 1926 | 358 | 53,196 | 53,554 | #3 |
| 1925 | 365 | 52,680 | 53,045 | #4 |
| 1924 | 274 | 52,942 | 53,216 | #4 |
| 1923 | 280 | 50,462 | 50,742 | #4 |
| 1922 | 239 | 49,802 | 50,041 | #4 |
| 1921 | 231 | 49,750 | 49,981 | #4 |
| 1920 | 249 | 47,908 | 48,157 | #4 |
| 1919 | 192 | 42,392 | 42,584 | #3 |
| 1918 | 212 | 42,115 | 42,327 | #3 |
| 1917 | 182 | 37,337 | 37,519 | #3 |
| 1916 | 166 | 35,569 | 35,735 | #3 |
| 1915 | 155 | 33,773 | 33,928 | #3 |
| 1914 | 107 | 26,262 | 26,369 | #3 |
| 1913 | 95 | 20,832 | 20,927 | #3 |
| 1912 | 81 | 17,644 | 17,725 | #3 |
| 1911 | 69 | 9,952 | 10,021 | #3 |
| 1910 | 63 | 9,194 | 9,257 | #2 |
| 1909 | 52 | 7,595 | 7,647 | #3 |
| 1908 | 32 | 7,012 | 7,044 | #3 |
| 1907 | 45 | 6,707 | 6,752 | #3 |
| 1906 | 37 | 5,908 | 5,945 | #3 |
| 1905 | 35 | 6,042 | 6,077 | #3 |
| 1904 | 27 | 5,855 | 5,882 | #3 |
| 1903 | 28 | 5,479 | 5,507 | #3 |
| 1902 | 30 | 5,592 | 5,622 | #3 |
| 1901 | 30 | 4,735 | 4,765 | #3 |
| 1900 | 41 | 7,245 | 7,286 | #3 |
| 1899 | 27 | 4,597 | 4,624 | #3 |
| 1898 | 29 | 5,321 | 5,350 | #3 |
| 1897 | 30 | 5,113 | 5,143 | #3 |
| 1896 | 28 | 5,206 | 5,234 | #3 |
| 1895 | 34 | 5,335 | 5,369 | #3 |
| 1894 | 25 | 5,110 | 5,135 | #3 |
| 1893 | 23 | 5,030 | 5,053 | #3 |
| 1892 | 22 | 5,398 | 5,420 | #3 |
| 1891 | 31 | 4,516 | 4,547 | #3 |
| 1890 | 33 | 5,097 | 5,130 | #3 |
| 1889 | 26 | 5,020 | 5,046 | #3 |
| 1888 | 45 | 5,562 | 5,607 | #3 |
| 1887 | 19 | 4,767 | 4,786 | #3 |
| 1886 | 29 | 5,355 | 5,384 | #3 |
| 1885 | 26 | 5,175 | 5,201 | #3 |
| 1884 | 33 | 5,693 | 5,726 | #3 |
| 1883 | 25 | 5,223 | 5,248 | #3 |
| 1882 | 18 | 5,892 | 5,910 | #3 |
| 1881 | 24 | 5,441 | 5,465 | #3 |
| 1880 | 22 | 5,927 | 5,949 | #3 |