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, state-by-state birth registrations, and, when available, a 2020 Census snapshot showing who had the name at that point in time. 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 in the 2020 Census
The 2020 Census recorded 2,996,421 people with the first name James, which placed it at #3 in the published first-name tables. This is a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The estimated living count elsewhere on this page is different: it is a current estimate built from SSA birth records and age-based survival rates, so the two figures are not expected to match exactly.
Read this section as a snapshot of people who already had the name in 2020. The SSA charts elsewhere on this page are still the better way to see how the name rose, fell, or shifted across generations.
Gender in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, James was recorded as predominantly male. Out of 2,996,421 people with this name in that snapshot, 99.9% were male and 0.1% were female. That is very close to the long-run birth pattern in SSA records, where the name is male 99.5% of the time.
Census Count
2,996,421
people with this name
Census Rank
#3
among Census first names
Frequency Rate
992.09
per 100,000 people
Recorded Race and Hispanic Origin in the 2020 Census
In the 2020 Census, the first name James was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (82.02%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (9.65%) and Hispanic (3.45%).
These percentages describe the people who had the first name James in the 2020 Census. They do not tell you the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
2020 Census demographic breakdown
Each row shows a recorded Census category for people with the first name James.
| Group | Share | Count |
|---|---|---|
| White | 82.02% | 2,457,719 |
| Black | 9.65% | 289,173 |
| Hispanic | 3.45% | 103,234 |
| Two or More Races | 2.82% | 84,626 |
| Asian and Pacific Islander | 1.48% | 44,337 |
| American Indian and Alaska Native | 0.58% | 17,331 |
The Census published separate sex and race/origin tables for first names, so their total counts can differ slightly for the same name. That is why the race section focuses on the demographic mix rather than repeating a second headline count.
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.
How common was James in the 2020 Census?
The 2020 Census recorded 2,996,421 people with the first name James. That placed it at #3 in the published Census first-name tables, or 992.09 people per 100,000.
Why is the Census count different from the living estimate?
Because they measure different things. The Census number is a count of people with the name in 2020. The living estimate is a current model based on SSA birth records and survival rates, so it aims to estimate how many people with the name are alive now.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The popularity chart tracks birth registrations, not people currently alive. It shows how often James was given to babies from 1880 through 2024, which is why it is the best tool on the page for seeing long-run naming trends.
What does the Census say about the gender split for James?
In the 2020 Census snapshot, James was recorded as predominantly male. The published split was 99.9% male and 0.1% female.
What does the Census say about the background of people named James?
In the 2020 Census, the first name James was most commonly recorded among people who identified as White (82.02%). The next largest recorded groups were Black (9.65%) and Hispanic (3.45%). These percentages describe the people who had the name in the 2020 Census, not the deeper meaning or origin of the name itself.
Why can the Census sex total and race total differ slightly?
The Census published separate first-name tables for sex and for race and Hispanic origin. Those totals can differ slightly for the same name, so the page uses them as two related snapshots rather than treating them as perfectly interchangeable counts.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name tables only include names that met the Bureau's publication rules. That means some names on this site will have SSA history but no published Census demographic snapshot.
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.
Why can James have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because a name can build up a large population over many decades. James peaked in 1947, and the average living bearer is about 57 years old, so a name can still have millions of living bearers even after it stops feeling current for newborns.
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.
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