Comments for the name James

From the Bible, the name James means "catcher of the heel."

Famous bearer is James Potter, Harry Potter's father.

Also Harry Potter's middle name is James. Harry James Potter. After his father, of course.

A famous bearer of this name is American folk singer James Taylor.

Although his level of natural intellect augmentation may appear to be subordinate when judged against his surrounding associates, his level of common sense is of high ability and he finds it effortless to create companions. Although a minute amount aggravating at times, he is a true friend when thought upon.

Succinct, pleasant and masculine, my boyfreind's name.

James Joyce, author of Ulysess, was a famous bearer of this name.

Famous bearer: 1950's actor James Dean.

In a series of books for kids called The Stink Files, the main character is a Bengal cat named James Edward Bristlefur. The Stink Files are written by Jennifer L. Holm and Jonathan Hamel.

James Ford was an American civic leader and business owner in southern Illinois at the turn of the 19th century. Despite his clean public image, he was also secretly a river pirate and the leader of a gang that would come to be known as "Ford's Ferry Gang". His gang was the river equivalent of highway robbers; they would hijack ferries and flatboats with tradable goods from local farms coming down the Ohio River. One nick-name he was given was "Satan's ferryman".

The real name of Sawyer from LOST is James Ford, somehow these two are connected.

James Bond, the British superspy shares the name. [noted -ed]

James (Jamie) Denton (born January 20, 1963) is the name of the mysterious "plumber" Mike Delfino on the popular soap-dramedy "Desperate Housewives".

The playwright James Matthew Barrie is well-remembered for his classic "Peter Pan."

Daniel Radcliffe's middle name is JACOB. Harry Potter's middle name is JAMES and his father name is JAMES. JAMES and JACOB have the same root in Greek, Latin and Hebrew. This is very interesting. Also, my love's middle name is James and his father name's James. I love this name.

My son James was named after my deceased father. Needless to say he is well loved by myself and my family (living and deceased - those are his angels).

A famous bearer of this name is author/playwright James Frey who is well known for the book "My Friend Leonard" and the book and film "A Million Little Pieces" which recall the time James spent as an alcoholic and drug addict and his time in rehab. "A Million Little Pieces" reached #1 on New York Times, USA TODAY, and Publishers Weekly book lists.

Although it's an old name, I wish people would stop calling their kids this. No kidding, I know at least nine James's. It's a cool name but give them a name that not everyone will have.

James Augustine is on the Illini basketball team.

I really like the name because even though it is extremely popular it sounds very strong and I like it. My dad's name is James, but when he was a kid everyone called him Jimmy and now everyone calls him Jim.

I think James is a very sexy sounding name - you can't get any sexier than James Bond.

James Watt did not actually invent the steam engine - he merely innovated it enough to receive a patent and be credited as an inventor. He and his partner Matthew Boulton were granted the patent in 1775. The original steam engine was built in 1712 by Thomas Newcomen, decades before the birth of either man, although designs for the steam engine were present as early as 1663.

The name James is way overused and really gross.

A famous bearer of the name is singer/songwriter James Blunt.

Another famous bearer was Sir James Douglas (the Black Douglas), who was one of Robert the Bruce's closest friends and supporters. Barbour's 'The Bruce' is about Robert the Bruce and James Douglas. After the Bruce died, James Douglas carried his heart on crusade.

It's one of my favourite male names.

James is the real name of actor Jim Carrey.

It is my favorite boy's name, by far.

James sounds a very heavy name to me.

Famous bearer is James Monroe, the 5th President of the United States.

James McAvoy, who played Mr. Tumnus the faun in "The Chronicles of Narnia", is a famous bearer of this name. He also stars as Nicholas in the upcoming "The Last King of Scotland" in the UK.

This the name of a character in my story. He has a middle name (which I won't say) but he is nicknamed "Jacey." He lives in a fictional seaside town during the Depression-Era in 1931. His age is 13 years old, such smart-aleck and a cynic (well, to put it nicely...he is cynical, intelligent, laconic, witty and somewhat sensible yet he needs to learn to grow up...complex isn't it?). I was inspired to name him this because James is a biblical name and means "held by the heel" and this James really is held by his heel because he won't try to grow up yet he acts too dull and mature and won't see past his nose. The only way he has grown up is by cynism, aloofness and arrogance, not by natural choice or real maturity. There was also a James in the New Testament who didn't believe in Christ (which explains the character's disbelief) but later on repented, in which the character does as well. My story also has many metaphors on this, too. Loosely, I fairly based some of his traits on the sneaky, know-it-all Edmund Pevensie from C.S Lewis' series: The Chronicles Of Narnia, but this character is obviously different in many ways yet I compared some similarities. Overall, James is a versatile name and I am proud to name my character this.

Another famous bearer of is James Abbot MacNeill Whistler, who painted "Whistler's Mother".

Yes, the name James has been a popular name for generations but it is a timeless classic. I don't know of any in my kids' classes at school. I wouldn't shorten the name though, I would keep it as James. Jamie as a nickname isn't bad but not Jim or Jimmy or Jack.

I think this makes a fine, respectable middle name, especially if it has familial significance, but as a first name I don't care for it much because of its unattractive nicknames.

Six famous bearers are presidents James Madison, James Monroe, James A. Garfield, James K. Polk, James "Jimmy" Carter, and James Buchanan.

I agree James is a timeless, classic name. But yes please just leave it as James, I dislike the nicknames Jimmy or Jim. Even Jamie sounds silly. I've also thought that if James has a second name such as say, Marcus or William then he go by "J.M" or "J.W" pronounced as the initials of the first name.

James is a nice, timeless and classic name but not one of my favorites. It's ideal for a character. A nickname of my choice (that would be only sometimes) would be Jay which is ok for a nick.

James is a wonderful name. Very masculine, but in a sophisticated rather than a 'macho' way. Reminds me of royalty. All voiced sounds and no plosives, smooth and soothing. Connotes a gentleman; a deep thinker, a man of perhaps a little mystery, whom a lover would need to pursue. It’s the only name I know of that sounds like a plural.

It's such a cool name! I've decided to make it my future boy's name! All the James in my school are super cool, like James Bond, lol, and very nice, and some are really hot, LOL!

I like this name! It sounds so high-class and cool, like James Bond, but to me its nicknames, Jim and Jimmy, kind of kill the feeling. Who thought of those nicknames?

I prefer this as a girls' name.

To the previous commenter who prefers this as a girl name: PLEASE! Let's leave some boy names their dignity by not giving them to girls! Especially classic names like James!

Two members of the alternative rock band, the Smashing Pumpkins, were named James: guitarist James Iha and drummer Jimmy Chamberlain.

James is an awesome name for a boy, I also would keep it as James, not Jim, Jimmy or Jack. I also like Jameson/Jamieson, Jamie isn't too bad while they are young.

I don't think James is really all that common, at least not where I live. I only know one James under the age of twenty, and he's pretty cool. He has a horrible temper and gets in a lot of trouble, but I think he does care about people. I like this name, and not just because of him. James and Jacob are two of my favorite names for boys.

Jimmy Page, the lead guitarist of Led Zeppelin, his real name was James Patrick Page.

This is the first name of Commodore Norrington on Pirates of the Carribbean. I advise you with this name comes strong character and mysteriousness.

A famous bearer is James Earl Jones, who lent his amazing voice to Darth Vader in the Star Wars movies.

I like Jim or Jimmy as nicknames for James, but Jamie sounds like a girl's name. Above all, I prefer the original, James.

Not one kid in class is named James which sucks because I really like that name.

I hate this name! I don't know why. It goes with every name imaginable but I still don't like it. I know someone that isn't a nice person, that's probably why. I don't know, just don't like it. With a passion too!

I love this name! I am so naming my kid James! Awesome name, go for gold!

I really do love this name. In England, it's quite common, and yet I don't know many Jameses. It's a very strong name that should only be used with caution. I named my son this, and have every bit of confidence in him that he'll live up to it like his father.

Famous Jameses:
James Hetfield - Singer in Metallica
Ronnie James Dio - Singer (used to be in Rainbow and Black Sabbath)
Maynard James Keenan - Singer in Tool.

James Marsters is Spike on Buffy - the most gorgeous guy ever.

Famous bearer: James Sunderland from the game "Silent Hill 2".

This is my grandfather's name, and my uncle is named after him. Our family being Scottish, doesn't call my uncle Jimmy or Jim, we call him Jamie. It is also my middle name. I think it's a nice name and I think it really suits my grandfather well, it fits very nicely.

I imagine someone named James as being uber-hot (tall, dark, and handsome), sweet, chill, and funny, and saying "dude" a lot. But, please, everyone, call him "James," not "Jamie" or "Jim" or any of those other tacky nicknames!

There are authors named James Patterson, James Scott Bell and James Siegel.

Two famous James Morrisons:
James "Jim" Morrison, lead singer of The Doors
James Morrison, British singer/songwriter

Dumb. Too common.

I have two uncles on both sides with this name. I have a nephew with this name. Heck, I unfortunately have a niece with this name! I HATE this name. It's so common and has an ugly sound to it. If used as a middle name it sounds like a filler. If I HAD to name my son James I would find some sort of nickname to use, like Jaime. I absolutely hate the nickname Jim, Jimmy is okay. Jamieson is another example of a horrid name. DO NOT NAME YOUR SON (or daughter, which this shouldn't even be considered as a girls name) JAMES.

According to the popularity chart, 1900-1989 there was some use of this name for girls.

Famous bearer: General James Ewell Brown "Jeb", a Confederate Civil War calvary commander.

Famous bearer: Actor James Franco, who is most noted for his role as Harry Osborn in the Spider-man movies.

The final and least famous presenter on Top Gear, James May. He's not that famous but he's really funny.

James Brown, known as 'The Godfather of Soul'. He lived from May 3, 1933 to December 25, 2006.

Believe it or not, Paul Mcartney was a bearer of this name. Paul was only his middle name.

The James form in Portuguese is Tiago.

Great name. Common, but it has a lot of nicknames.

This is my last name and I like it for a last name. James is a good name but I know that most people who have it as a first name don't like it much and usually end up using Jim.

The evil vampire from Stephenie Meyer's book Twilight is named James. Still, I love the name.

I really like this name, but not so much the nicknames. I hate Jim, and Jamie seems sort of feminine now. The old "Jem(my)" is okay but too close to Jim, and too similar to feminine names like Gemma.

James is a very common presidential name: James Madison, James Monroe, James Garfield, James Carter.

Thomas Newcomen (1663-1729) first patented the steam engine, James Watt (1736-1819) just improved the design.

This name is very popular with my generation as I need three hands to name them all.

American James King is a female model and actress.

Hugh Laurie's real name is James. Also, Dr. James Wilson is the best friend of Dr. House on the show House.

My name is James and I like it. I don't, however, like Jim, Jimmy, Jamison, or Jamieson (honestly, who thought of these names). The nickname Jamie is OK if it is applied to a small kid, but it doesn't really sound right to apply to someone over seven. It would never, ever work as a girl's name.

I love this name, but I like it more as a middle name. It is so common now. James is a family name for me, so I plan on using it as a middle name for my future son. About the nicknames, the only one I care for is Jim. I guess it's because they called my uncle (who was named after his father) Jim and his son was called young Jim.

I really like the name James, it's one of my first picks. But it is so popular in my family I might not use it just for that reason.

I love this name because of the famous bearer James Morrison. All his songs are so nice and soothing.

I know many people with the name James. They all either go by Jim or Jimmy. I love James as a middle name.

Slight spoiler warning for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. Harry and Ginny's first son is named James Potter in honor of his grandfather.

Famous bearers:
Actor James Stewart (1908-1997)
Actor and dancer James Cagney (1899-1986)

James Phelps plays Fred in the Harry Potter movies.

Captain James T. Kirk of the ship Enterprise! :D (From Star Trek)

I adore James as a first or middle name. I would use Harry James as a combo, even though most people would think of Harry Potter.

Do not name your girl James! This name is not feminine at all.

Spencer James Smith is Panic! At The Disco's drummer.

I think this is an okay name, like, I have nothing against it, but it's so popular I think it's too boring.

James is a strong, firm, but old name, I think of Bible James before I think of the twentieth century James! But some people pronounce it Ja mez, I don't know who, but I'm sure some one does!

James is an awesome name. There are a few people in my grade named James, but I think they go buy Jim or Jimmy.

I love love love this name! It is so distinguished which is exactly what I look for in a name. It has always been popular, so my kid will have to share but in this case it is so worth it.

Famous bearer is grungey dirty-boy singer of heavy Metal band Metallica - James Hetfield.

Actress Kassie Wesley and James DePaiva have a son James Quentin DePaiva.

James Sirius Potter; the eldest son of Harry and Ginny Potter.

Name of Jim Stark, the main character in the movie 'Rebel Without A Cause' and also of James Dean, the actor who plays him.

James Gillan, the wonderfully talented Scottish actor who gave Boq in Wicked the most amazing Scots accent and made me fall in love with the character! He also acted in numerous other things! I love James Gillan!

I love this name, it is so sexy and masculine.

James A. Michener (February 3, 1907 - October 16, 1997) was an American author. He wrote more than 40 books, including "Tales of the South Pacific", for which he won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction, as well as being the inspiration for the musical "South Pacific".

This is my real name, and I have always pronounced it [jei:mz], making the letter "e" silent. I never let anyone call me "Jamie", "Jim", "Jimmy", or anything else, though through grade school I had another nickname that I will not list here.

This name is by no means feminine, and I hope to never find that I share this name with a girl.

Oddly enough, I have a brother named Jacob, though we are nothing alike.

James is a really solid-sounding name in my opinion, you can't really imagine a person called James with a wishy-washy personality.

I used to call a friend of mine James but you don't say it how you normally would. It's pronounced Yam-EZ because in German and other similar languages you say J as Y and the es on the end can easily be swapped for ez.

Singer Gavin Rossdale and singer Gwen Stefani have a son James McGregor Rossdale, born 26. May 2006, Los Angeles, California.

Actually his name is Kingston James McGregor Rossdale.

I like the name as it is. Jamie sounds too youthful on grown men, especially of the fat and ugly kind, and I absolutely cannot stand the hickish Jim and Jimmy, so I don't like the nicknames much, but the name itself is good. It's short, simple, fairly pleasant in sound, and as a monosyllabic name, it doesn't really require a nickname. It's overused, of course, but you can't reall go wrong with it, as it sounds fine on pretty much any type of guy.

Number 17 for boys in 2005.

James Madison was an American president, Founding Father, and is considered the "writer" of the Constitution. He was instrumental in setting up American democracy. He was the writer of the famous "Federalist Paper #10" concerning dissent and faction. He also wrote many other "Federalist Papers" with Hamilton and John Jay.

James is my favorite boy name! It is handsome and masculine. Popularity doesn't bother me - I don't have to be "unique".

I'm very sad to see this name used on girls! And Semaj makes me *puke*.

James Haven Vojtka, actor, born 11th May 1973, Los Angeles, California.

I love this name. Everything from the way it sounds to its meaning. I would use it as a middle name, only because the popularity does bother me. But it really is a great name: simple, masculine, and will suit any boy perfectly and carry him into adulthood. For nicknames I like Jim and Jamie. I've also known a little girl who had this as a middle name, after a family member, and I don't think that's a completely crazy idea (middle name, that is), but that definitely does not make it a girl name. Leave this one to the boys, please.

I think this name is very sexy for a boy. It's short and quick but it still has a nice sound to it.

James and the Giant Peach! :D

This is my older brother's name. I always thought it was funny being Jessie and James during the time Pokemon was at it's peak of popularity. It's a shame we didn't name our cat Meowth!
If it wasn't for him, I think I would find this name sophisticated, almost rich and snobby sounding, but in an okay way. Insanely popular, of course (along with most known J-names), though he's the only James I've ever known.

Talk show host Jay Leno's real name is James.

James Wesley Vojtka is real name of singer, composer and actor Chip Taylor (1st January 1940, New York City, New York, USA). He is brother of actor Jon Voight.

No offense to any James fans or those with this name, but I just think this name is too plain.

I really love the name James. It's classy and masculine and rolls of the tongue easily. Not to mention the many great namesakes. I am planning on giving my second son the name James for a middle name.

James is the name of author James Patterson, world's number 1 best selling thriller writer. I love his series Maximum Ride.

Oh, James! I don't care how popular it is or how "plain," I just love this name so much. It's adorable on a little boy, strong on a teen, and mature on an adult.

But please. Don't call him Jimmy.

James is a later variation of the name Jacob. Jacob means "supplanter."

In Greek, James is written as ιακωβος

In Hebrew, Jacob is written as יַעֲקֹב‎,

James Rolfe is a internet celebrity best known as the fowl mouthed "Angry Video Game Nerd".

The Wolverine (a comic book hero in the X-Men) was originally born James Logan Howlett, though he is commonly called Logan.

James Doohan played Scottish engineer Scott/Scotty in the original Star Trek series.

This is my most favorite middle name for a boy, and if I ever have a son, this will most likely be his middle name! It sounds great with any first name. Also, I love the nickname Jimmy (but I'm not a fan of Jim, and I can't stand the name Jamie)! And, who wouldn't want their kid to share their name with the amazing late actor James Dean?!

James is a nice name. Even though it is common I don't really know many people my age named James. Jimmy is a cute nickname though I think Jamie sounds really feminine (I might be influenced by Jamie Lynn Spears). I don't like this names for girls and I don't like it spelt "Jaymes". To me, that is a very ugly spelling of a classic name.

James Norrington is my favorite character from Pirates of the Caribbean. I've always thought James was a noble name.

James is one of those names that is hard to not like. It's timeless and classic, and it's strong as well. It's a family name, there are at least 4 people in my immediate family that are named James, so if I do use it for a child, they'd have my preferred nickname, Jay.

MY name is James and I like it! It's a very nice and sophisticated sounding name! Sure, I get a lot of annoying nicknames (jimbo, jimmy, jim-bob, jimmy-bob to name a few!) but it's a very good name. Annoyingly, it's also a very common name. I feel I am a nice person, but I know A LOT of horrible people with this name. My grandfather and father are both named James, so that makes me James III! I also plan on naming any male children I may have James, to continue the tradition!

I'm sure everyone has the middle name James.

A very common name in England and common to a bit lesser extent in the U.S. A very nice, classic name though. It's not trendy and it would age well.

James is the Biblical Jesus Christ's brother's name.

Ian Fleming named his literary creation after James Bond (1900-1989), the American ornithologist. At the time of writing "Casino Royale" in Jamaica he had been reading James Bond's book "Birds of the West Indies". He chose the name because he wanted a name that sounded as "ordinary as possible" that was also short and unromantic yet very masculine.

James is a good traditional name.

I really like this name. I like it as a middle name, short and sweet. I do not like it as a girls name, but I really like this name and Henry together. One of my favorite names.

James Owen Sullivan, also known as The Rev (stage name) or Jimmy was the drummer of metal (hardcore, metalcore, rock etc.) band Avenged Sevenfold. R.I.P The Rev 1981-2009.

Cool, but way too common.

Actress Kirsten Stewart (Isabella Swan of Twilight)'s middle name, but spelt 'Jaymes'.

This is a classic name, and one I have always liked as it works nicely on a child, teenager and adult.

I like the name James despite its popularity. It's kind of a family thing that your son's name has James in it. MY younger sister and I often argue over who gets to use it as a first name because cousins with the same name doesn't quite work for us.
My brother-in-law wants to name his son James Lars Kirk after his heros. I personally think he might as well name his son Metallica for what it's worth.

I love this name. It's simply awesome.

My name is James and I always thought it a noble name but a bit formal, as such, for Americans. I do like the nickname Jim, which is more approachable and democratic. I am surprised at the widespread dislike for Jim. In Conrad's classic Lord Jim it was used as a form of acceptance by the natives. Most speakers of other languages can say the name Jim without difficulty.

Although James Watt a famous bearer of this name, was largely involved in the development of the steam engine, he was not its inventor. Could this please be corrected? [noted -ed]

James Scott plays EJ DiMera on the American daytime show Days of our lives.

One of my favorite traditional names. It has a sophisticated sound without being too stuffy. I think the nickname Jimmy is cute for a preteen/teenage boy.

Famous Bearer: The late James Maury "Jim" Henson, creator of the Muppets.

The American Idol season 10 contestant, James Durbin, is a famous bearer (and is my personal favorite).

James Andrews was a Civil War union spy.

Actor James Maslow. From Nickelodeon TV show and the band Big Time Rush.

James Barry (1741-1806) was an Irish painter.

James Basire (1730–1802), also known as James Basire Sr., was an English engraver.

James Byron Dean was an iconic American actor.

I love the name James, it's strong, undeniably male, easy to pronounce, and it has a long history of famous bearers for a boy to look up to.
I detest Jim and Jimmy and Jamie because I love James so much, I want him to be called James.

Gorgeous and sexy actor James Spader.

I like this name a lot, it's an all time classic.

There are just some names that feel... right. And this name is one of them

It makes me feel warm and at home. It's comfortable and familiar. It reminds me of home.

A James is someone you can love. A warm-hearted, good natured boy, honest, nice and sweet

Maybe it's because I know exactly 5 James' in my life.

James makes me feel safe and happy. It's a good name. A very strong and Charming name

This name is just amazing and love.

Very popular as a middle name, but makes a good first name too.

James was the son of King Charles I of England and his wife Henriette Marie of France. He later became King James II of England.

James (1688-1766) was the son of King James II of England and his second wife Mary of Modena. He is known as the "Old Pretender" of the Jacobites.

James (1663-1667) was the son of King James II of Great Britain and his first wife Anne Hyde.

In my opinion, this name is boring and overused.

James is one of the best names, in my opinion. It definitely ages well, and the nickname jimmy is awesome, although Jim sounds a little too middle aged man to me. I knew a little boy named James and he went by Jamie, which I think is cute :)

Love this name, and I really can't find anything bad about it. The popularity doesn't really concern me, because unlike most popular names nowadays, it deserves to be used often.

James sounds like a very classic and mature name.
Masculine. Strong. Confident. Refined. Honest. Endearing.

You can't go wrong with a name like this. Very dependable name in my opinion. Simple and uncomplicated. No mispronouncing here. No confusion or misunderstanding.

James is James. Give a boy a solid base to start off with a good classic name and he will make the name his own, grow into any type of James he so chooses.

James the athlete
James the artist
James the scholar

Give a boy the name James and he will do all the rest.