August
German form of Latin Augustus
“great, magnificent”
Mostly boys · English variation of Jacob, Hebrew
“supplanter”
Say it JAYMZPronunciation may vary by region.
A little maybe, saved for later.
The story behind the name
An English derivation of the Hebrew name Jacob, James is biblical (the name of two apostles in the New Testament), royal (kings of both England and Scotland), and presidential (with more U.S. Chief Executives -- six -- than any other name). The name James is also shared by countless great writers and entertainers.
There are fewer Jimmys, Jimbos or even Jamies these days; the most fashionable form of the name is James itself. Several stylish celebrities have chosen it in recent years for their sons, including Sarah Jessica Parker and Matthew Broderick, Liz Phair, Colin Farrell and Isaac Hanson. Brendan Fehr thought out of the box and named his daughter James, which has now become a fashionable middle names for baby girls..
James has some interesting foreign variations: Diego and Jaime (Spanish), Jacques (French), Giacomo (Italian), Hamish (Scottish), Jaako (Finnish), Seamus (Irish), Jaap (Dutch) and Jago (Cornish).
A little perspective
Recorded US births over time
| Year | Category | US rank | Births |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | Boys | 6 | 11,945 |
| 2025 | Girls | 2,873 | 59 |
| 2024 | Boys | 5 | 11,856 |
| 2024 | Girls | 2,594 | 68 |
| 2023 | Boys | 4 | 11,739 |
| 2023 | Girls | 2,325 | 79 |
| 2022 | Boys | 4 | 12,119 |
| 2022 | Girls | 2,217 | 85 |
| 2021 | Boys | 5 | 12,474 |
| 2021 | Girls | 2,569 | 68 |
| 2020 | Boys | 6 | 12,390 |
| 2020 | Girls | 2,583 | 66 |
| 2019 | Boys | 6 | 13,198 |
| 2019 | Girls | 2,576 | 68 |
| 2018 | Boys | 4 | 13,650 |
| 2018 | Girls | 3,459 | 45 |
| 2017 | Boys | 4 | 14,362 |
| 2017 | Girls | 2,368 | 77 |
| 2016 | Boys | 5 | 14,920 |
| 2016 | Girls | 2,629 | 67 |
| 2015 | Boys | 7 | 14,865 |
| 2015 | Girls | 3,879 | 39 |
| 2014 | Boys | 9 | 14,464 |
| 2014 | Girls | 3,680 | 42 |
Rankings are calculated separately for boys and girls. Records below the publication threshold may be missing; gaps are not zero births.
No nicknames are listed yet. The name can stand beautifully on its own.
Keep the possibilities coming
More names with a similar feeling or shared roots.
German form of Latin Augustus
“great, magnificent”
Hebrew
“son of the right hand”
English, diminutive of Charles, French from Ger…
“free man”
French, feminine diminutive of Charles
“free man”
Hebrew
“Yahweh is God”
German
“estate ruler”