| John | James | |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning | God is gracious | Supplanter |
| Origin | Hebrew | Hebrew |
| Gender | Boy | Boy |
| Pronunciation | JON | JAYMZ |
| Syllables | 1 | 1 |
| First appeared | 1880 | 1880 |
| Peak year | 1947 (88,324) | 1947 (94,767) |
| In 2025 | 8,027 | 11,945 |
| Trend | Declining | Steady |
Source: US Social Security Administration.
| Decade | John | James |
|---|---|---|
| 2020s | 48,370 | 72,523 |
| 2010s | 102,800 | 139,689 |
| 2000s | 161,104 | 163,179 |
| 1990s | 240,151 | 244,980 |
| 1980s | 321,150 | 356,491 |
| 1970s | 402,612 | 444,713 |
| 1960s | 713,394 | 684,722 |
| 1950s | 797,922 | 843,768 |
| 1940s | 711,614 | 795,775 |
| 1930s | 487,950 | 547,479 |
| 1920s | 564,052 | 515,301 |
| 1910s | 376,311 | 275,070 |
| 1900s | 84,590 | 62,170 |
| 1890s | 80,664 | 50,723 |
| 1880s | 89,949 | 54,055 |
John comes from the Hebrew Yochanan, “Yahweh is gracious.” The most widespread of all Christian names, it was carried by John the Baptist and the apostle John, and appears in nearly every European language.
James descends, through Latin Iacomus, from the Hebrew Yaʿaqov (Jacob), traditionally read as “supplanter” or “one who follows.” It has been borne by kings and two apostles.
James is more popular than John today: about 11,945 US babies were given the name James in 2025, compared with 8,027 named John.
John means God is gracious (Hebrew origin), while James means Supplanter (Hebrew origin).
In US records, John first appears in 1880 and James in 1880, so John has the longer recorded history.