Total births
5,250,638
Boys' name · since 1880
James
James has 5,250,638 recorded births since 1880 in federal Social Security data, most heavily in 1947 -- full year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state rankings follow.
- #5
- among boys today
- 5,250,638
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
Yes -- James is the #5 most popular boys' name in the U.S. today, with 5,250,638 recorded since 1880.
Social Security Administration records show James recorded 5,250,638 times among boys since 1880, holding rank #5 nationally today, ahead of 99.9% of boys, peaking in the 1950s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- #5 among boys today
- 5,250,638 born since 1880
- 1950s peak decade
- 99.9% more common than other boys
Data updated Jun 2026
The verdict
James is currently the #5 boys' name in America, more common than 99.9% of boys - 5,250,638 born since 1880, peaking in the 1950s.
- #5
- among boys today
- 5,250,638
- born since 1880
- 1950s
- peak decade
- 99.9%
- more common than other boys
James vs. every other boys name in current SSA rankings
#5
of 14,294 boys in use
More common than 99.9% of names given to boys today.
1950s
Peak decade
16% of everyone ever named James was born in this single decade.
1947
Single peak year
94,767 babies were named James in 1947 - its busiest year on record.
How James compares
5,250,638 Top 0% higher than 100% of 14,294 names currently given to boys
Based on all-time total births among currently-ranked boys names. Names with fewer occurrences are grouped into wider buckets on the right.
Source U.S. Social Security Administration, national baby name data
How the numbers stack up
James's all-time total is 14,307x the median boys name, and Liam still leads by a wide margin.
| Metric | James | Median boys name (Elchonon) | #1 boys name (Liam) |
|---|---|---|---|
| All-time total births | 5,250,638 | 367 | 358,536 |
| Peak-year births | 94,767 | 23 | 22,252 |
James's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Splitting James's full recorded timeline at 1953, 51% of its total births fall in the more recent half of the record versus 49% in the earlier half -- a fairly even split across the full record. Its quietest year on record was 1891, with just 4,516 recorded births -- worth weighing against the 1947 peak of 94,767 to see the full range of the name's swing in popularity.
James at a glance
Top 10 boys' namePeak year
1947
Current rank
#5
Active since
1880
James popularity over time - boys
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1947)
- 94,767
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
James popularity over time - girls
23,882 total births recorded since 1880 (James as girls' name)
James by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1950s was James's strongest decade.
843,768 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 16% of all-time use.
James births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 54,055
1880s
54,055 births
- 1890s 50,723
1890s
50,723 births
- 1900s 62,170
1900s
62,170 births
- 1910s 275,070
1910s
275,070 births
- 1920s
1920s
515,301 births
- 1930s
1930s
547,479 births
- 1940s
1940s
795,775 births
- 1950s
1950s
843,768 births
- 1960s
1960s
684,722 births
- 1970s
1970s
444,713 births
- 1980s
1980s
356,491 births
- 1990s 244,980
1990s
244,980 births
- 2000s 163,179
2000s
163,179 births
- 2010s 139,689
2010s
139,689 births
- 2020s 72,523
2020s
72,523 births
What this shows Peak: 1950s at 843,768 births (16% of all-time use).
How James compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 boys names closest to James's total volume
James vs 15 similarly-sized boys names
James by state
Where James concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | New York | | 348,452 | 6.6% |
| #2 | Pennsylvania | | 305,924 | 5.8% |
| #3 | California | | 288,257 | 5.5% |
| #4 | Texas | | 284,797 | 5.4% |
| #5 | Ohio | | 263,196 | 5.0% |
| #6 | Illinois | | 254,727 | 4.9% |
| #7 | North Carolina | | 212,379 | 4.0% |
| #8 | Michigan | | 189,909 | 3.6% |
New York share of James's total US births 6.6%
Even split
348,452 of 5,250,638 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 51 reporting states.
James appears in 51 states. Explore state details →
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name James? ▼
5,250,638 babies have been named James since 1880. It currently ranks #5 among boys. The peak year was 1947 with 94,767 births.
When was James most popular? ▼
James was most popular in the 1950s decade with 843,768 total births. The single peak year was 1947.
Where is James most popular? ▼
The top states for the name James are New York (348,452 births), Pennsylvania (305,924 births), California (288,257 births).
How long has the name James been used? ▼
James has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to James? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Jamie, Jameson, Jamal, Jamison, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for boys.
What to do with James's data
- James's decade-level peak was the 1950s (843,768 total births); usage has since declined to 72,523 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- New York records the most Jamess (348,452 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. New York names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring James
Nearby Names Like James
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to James
Jamie Boy
#622 88,654 births
Jameson Boy
#118 61,883 births
Jamal Boy
#1182 33,235 births
Jamison Boy
#759 20,796 births
Jamar Boy
#1664 15,964 births
Compare James side by side: James vs Jamie James vs Jameson James vs Jamal
Related Names
Names with a similar popularity rank to James
Data Sources
Data as of June 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "James: #5 Boys' Name - 5,250,638 Births, Peak 1947." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/james. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for James draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of June 2026.