James
Girl name · #2860 in 2025 · Uniqueness 76/100
James ranks #2860 among American girls' names as of 2025, with 59 newborns given the name that year. A decade ago it stood at #3842, so the name has been rising over the past ten years. Roughly one in every 30,508 girls born in 2025 was named James.
The 145-year story
James first appears in the Social Security records in 1880, when 22 girls received the name. Its peak came in 1928, when 427 girls were named James — good for #319 that year. Today's parents encounter it as a name from their grandparents’ generation, which is precisely the vintage window from which names get revived. Following the curve matters more than today's snapshot: a name's position on its rise-peak-decline arc is the best predictor of how common it will feel in a kindergarten class five years from now.
Babies named James per year, 1880–2025. Source: SSA.
Unlock the 5-year forecast and compare James against up to 5 other names.
Uniqueness: will there be another James in class?
James scores 76 out of 100 on our uniqueness scale, which blends current rarity with five-year momentum — putting it in the "rare" band. A high score means genuine rarity — your James will likely be the only one in the room, with the occasional spelling-out as the price.
Where James is most common
State-level data for James is sparse in 2025 — the name's footprint is too small for most states to report (the SSA suppresses counts under 5 per state for privacy).
Names like James
Statistically, parents drawn to James tend to be choosing among names with similar popularity arcs, era profiles, and sounds — the closest matches in our model are Dolores, Doris, Juanita, Johnnie, and Jennie.
DoloresDorisJuanitaJohnnieJennieHildaDorcasJoann
Rank history (last 25 years)
| Year | Babies named James | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 59 | #2859 |
| 2024 | 68 | #2585 |
| 2023 | 79 | #2314 |
| 2022 | 85 | #2208 |
| 2021 | 68 | #2558 |
| 2020 | 66 | #2580 |
| 2019 | 68 | #2561 |
| 2018 | 45 | #3438 |
| 2017 | 77 | #2357 |
| 2016 | 67 | #2617 |
| 2015 | 39 | #3842 |
| 2014 | 42 | #3652 |
| 2013 | 28 | #4887 |
| 2012 | 28 | #4957 |
| 2011 | 30 | #4681 |
| 2010 | 30 | #4735 |
| 2009 | 51 | #3252 |
| 2008 | 32 | #4647 |
| 2007 | 33 | #4475 |
| 2006 | 46 | #3469 |
| 2005 | 26 | #4958 |
| 2004 | 95 | #1962 |
| 2003 | 34 | #3946 |
| 2002 | 31 | #4071 |
| 2001 | 42 | #3256 |
Frequently asked questions
Is James a popular girl name?
James ranked #2860 among girls in 2025 with 59 babies given the name — outside the top 500, making it an uncommon pick. Ten years earlier it ranked #3842.
When was the name James most popular?
James peaked in 1928, when 427 American girls received the name (ranked #319 that year). Since 1928 the name has declined from that high.
How rare is the name James?
In 2025, roughly 1 in 30,508 newborn American girls was named James. It scores 76/100 on our uniqueness scale (rarity blended with momentum), which we classify as "rare".
Data source: U.S. Social Security Administration name statistics, 1880–2025, national and state files. Counts reflect Social Security card applications; names with fewer than 5 occurrences in a state-year are suppressed by the SSA.