James
A male given name from Hebrew popular since the Middle Ages. Also a common middle name.
James at a glance
- Origin
- Hebrew
- Pronunciation (IPA)
- /d͡ʒeɪmz/
Etymology
The English New Testament form of Jacob, from Middle English James, from Old French James, from Vulgar Latin Iācōmus, spoken and altered pronunciation of Latin Iācōbus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iákōbos), from Ἰακώβ (Iakṓb), from Biblical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (yaʿăqōḇ, literally “May He Heel”), from the third-person singular masculine imperfective form of the Semitic verb "to heel" (with various meanings), in turn from עָקֵב (ʿāqēḇ, “heel of the foot”). Doublet of Jacques, Jacob, Iago, Jago, Yago, Hamish, Seamus, Tiago, Santiago, and Yaakov. In reference to the Ecuadorian island, a modification of the earlier name Duke of York's Island after its eponymous duke's coronation as James II of England
Meaning and etymology from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
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FAQ
What does the name James mean?
A male given name from Hebrew popular since the Middle Ages. Also a common middle name.