James

See also james, and jamés

English

Etymology

The English New Testament form of Jacob, from Old French James, from Late Latin Iacomus, dialect variant of Iacobus, from Ancient Greek Ἰάκωβος (Iacōbos), from Ἰακώβ (Iacōb), from Classical Hebrew יַעֲקֹב (Yaʿăqōḇ).

Pronunciation

• IPA: /d͡ʒeɪmz/, /ˈd͡ʒeɪms/
• Rhymes: -eɪmz

Proper noun

James

James on Wikipedia.Wikipedia “James” on Wikisource. Wikisource Wiktionary has an Appendix listing books of the Bible

1. (biblical) The twentieth book of the New Testament of the Bible, the general epistle of James.
2. One of two Apostles, James the Greater and James the Less, often identified with James, brother of Jesus.
   • 1611, King James Version of the Bible (Authorized Version), Matthew 10:1-3:

     Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother; Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus; Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.

3. A male given name popular since the Middle Ages. Also a common middle name.
   • 1810 Walter Scott, The Lady of the Lake:

     And Normans call me James Fitz-James. / Thus watch I o'er insulted laws, / Thus learn to right the injured cause.

   • 1979 Charles Kuralt, Dateline America, Harcourt Brace Jovanocich, ISBN 0151239576, page 184:

     Heaven only knows why a man with a strong biblical name like James wants to be a president named Jimmy.

4. An English patronymic surname.

Related terms

• Jacob and its variants
• pet forms: Jaime, Jamie, Jas, Jay, Jim, Jimmie, Jimmy, Jimbo, Jem, Jemmy, Jambo, Jake
• surname:Jameson

Translations

book of the Bible

• Arabic: يعقوب (ar) m
• Czech: Jakub (cs) m
• German: Jakobus (de) m
• Hebrew: אִגֶּרֶת יַעֲקֹב (he) (iggèret-ya'aqóv) f
• Irish: Séamas (ga) m

• Japanese: ヤコブの手紙 (yakobu no tegami)
• Russian: Иаков (ru) (Iákov)
• Scottish Gaelic: Seumas (gd) m
• Welsh: Iago (cy) m

one of two Apostles

• Arabic: يعقوب (ar) ((Ya'kub or Ya'qub)) m
• Czech: Jakub (cs) m
• Danish: Jakob (da)
• Estonian: Jaakobus (et)
• Finnish: Jaakob (fi)
• French: Jacques (fr)
• German: Jakobus (de)
• Hawaiian: Iakobo
• Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב בֵּן זַבְדִי (he) (ya'aqóv bèn zavdí) m
• Irish: Séamas (ga) m
• Italian: Giacomo (it)

• Jèrriais: Jacques m
• Latvian: Jēkabs (lv) m
• Maltese: Ġakbu (mt)
• Northern Sami: Jáhkot
• Norwegian: Jakob (no)
• Portuguese: Tiago (pt)
• Russian: Иаков (ru) (Iákov)
• Scottish Gaelic: Seumas (gd) m
• Spanish: Santiago (es)
• Swedish: Jakob (sv)
• Welsh: Iago (cy) m

male given name (the standard form)

• Arabic: جايمز (ar) (jaymz) m (transliteration), جيمس (ar) m
• Armenian: հակոբ (Hakop or Hakob)
• Basque: Jakes
• Breton: Jagu
• Catalan: Jaume, Xaume
• Chinese:

  Mandarin: 詹姆斯 (cmn) (Zhānmǔsī)

• Cornish: Jago
• Czech: Jakub (cs) m
• Danish: Jacob (da)
• Esperanto: Jakobo (eo)
• Estonian: Jaak (et)
• Finnish: Jaakko (fi)
• French: Jacques (fr)
• Galician: Xaime
• German: Jakob (de)
• Hawaiian: Kimo, Iakopo
• Hebrew: (transcription) ג'יימס (he) m
• Hungarian: Jakab (hu)
• Icelandic: Jakob (is)
• Irish: Séamas (ga) m, Séamus (ga) m
• Italian: Giacomo (it)

• Japanese: ジェームズ (ja) (Jēmuzu), ジェイムズ (ja) (Jeimuzu)
• Jèrriais: Jimce m
• Korean: 야고보 (ko) (Yagobo)
• Latin: Jacomus (Late Latin)
• Latvian: Jēkabs (lv) m, (transliteration) Džeims (lv) m
• Maltese: Ġakbu
• Marathi: जेम्स (mr) (jemsa) m
• Northern Sami: Jáhkot
• Norwegian: Jakob (no)
• Occitan: Jammes, James; Jacme (Provençal)
• Persian: جیمز (fa) (jeymz)
• Polish: Jakub (pl)
• Portuguese: Diogo, Jaime, Tiago
• Russian: Яков (ru) (Jákov), Джеймс (ru) (Džejms) m (transliteration)
• Scots: Hamish
• Scottish Gaelic: Seumas (gd) m
• Slovak: Jakub (sk)
• Spanish: Diego (es), Jaime (es), Santiago (es)
• Swedish: Jakob (sv)
• Tagalog: Jaime, Santiago
• Turkish: Yakub (tr), Yakup (tr)
• Welsh: Iago (cy)

Statistics

• Most common English words before 1923: sufficient · conduct · directly · #931: James · Greek · island · special