How Many People Are Named James?
An estimated 3,142,267 people in the United States have the first name James, making it the 2nd most popular first name, just behind Michael. It is predominantly male (99.5%). The average bearer is 57 years old, and James peaked in popularity in 1947 with 95,020 births that year. It has a similar number of bearers to John (2,941,241).
Below you will find a full statistical profile of James as a first name in the United States, including gender data, a year-by-year popularity timeline going back to 1880, a decade breakdown, and state-by-state birth registrations. You can also check how many people share the full name James paired with any surname.
Key Insights
- While James is overwhelmingly male, 23,826 female births have been registered with this name since 1880.
- With over 3.1 million estimated living bearers, James is one of the most common first names in American history.
Estimated Living Americans
3,142,267
About 1 in 109 people in the U.S.
Rarity
Very Common
Predicted Gender
Male
99.5% confidence
Average Age
57
years old
Peak Year
1947
95,020 births
Total Registered
5,262,396
since 1880
Gender Distribution for James
James is almost exclusively a male name. Out of 5,262,396 total births registered, 99.5% were male.
James as a male name
Ranked #5 in 2024
11,793 male births in 2024
Peak: 1947 (94,763 births)
James as a female name
Ranked #2,580 in 2024
68 female births in 2024
Peak: 1928 (427 births)
James: Popularity Over Time
SSA records for James span from the 1880s to the 2020s, covering 15 decades of naming data. The most popular decade for this name was the 1950s, when 846,319 babies were registered. James has declined significantly from its peak in the 1950s. Recent registrations are a fraction of what they were at the name's height.
James by Decade
How has James tracked across different eras? The table below groups all SSA birth registrations into 10-year periods, with separate male and female counts. The colored bar shows each decade's share relative to the peak.
| Decade | Total | Male | Female | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1880s | 54,323 | 54,056 | 267 | |
| 1890s | 51,005 | 50,723 | 282 | |
| 1900s | 62,527 | 62,170 | 357 | |
| 1910s | 276,392 | 275,070 | 1,322 | |
| 1920s | 518,512 | 515,302 | 3,210 | |
| 1930s | 550,384 | 547,478 | 2,906 | |
| 1940s | 798,333 | 795,767 | 2,566 | |
| 1950s | 846,319 | 843,776 | 2,543 | |
| 1960s | 687,739 | 684,721 | 3,018 | |
| 1970s | 447,580 | 444,749 | 2,831 | |
| 1980s | 359,104 | 356,498 | 2,606 | |
| 1990s | 245,630 | 244,962 | 668 | |
| 2000s | 163,602 | 163,172 | 430 | |
| 2010s | 140,106 | 139,652 | 454 | |
| 2020s | 60,840 | 60,474 | 366 | |
James by State
Birth registrations for James span all 51 states and territories in the SSA database. The highest counts are in New York, Pennsylvania, California. The lowest are in Alaska, Wyoming, Vermont. On average, about 99,804 Jamess were registered per state.
James + Last Name Combinations
How many people share a full name with James as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Names Similar to James
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
James: Questions and Answers
How many people in the U.S. are named James?
We estimate approximately 3,142,267 people named James are alive in the United States today. This is based on SSA birth records from 1880 to 2024, adjusted for mortality using CDC life tables. About 1 in 109 Americans share this first name.
Is James a common name?
James is classified as "Very Common" and is more popular than 100% of all first names in the SSA database. A total of 5,262,396 births have been registered with this name since 1880.
When was James most popular?
James reached peak popularity in 1947, when 95,020 babies were given this name. The average age of a living person named James is approximately 57 years old, reflecting when the name was most commonly given.
Is James a male name?
James is predominantly male. 99.5% of people with this name are male. See the gender breakdown above for full details.
How many James Smiths are there?
To find how many people share a specific full name, we combine first name and surname frequencies. Try: James Smith, James Johnson, James Williams. You can also search any combination on our homepage.
Where does this data come from?
Our estimates use Social Security Administration birth records (1880 to 2024), adjusted for survival using CDC 2023 life tables broken down by sex. The U.S. population figure (342,754,338) is from the Census Bureau's July 2025 estimate. Full methodology.
Search for a full name combination
How Many of Me