Do you have a friend, relative, or son called James and you want to find a nickname for him? But you also want to step away from the traditional nickname of Jim.
We have put together some of the most popular nicknames for James. There are some traditional ones and some that are less common.
But first of all, let’s take a quick look at where the name James comes from and its meaning.
In this article
The Meaning Of James
James is a boy’s name of Hebrew and English origin. It means “supplanter.” It is an English derivation of the Hebrew name Jacob.
James also has biblical connections as it was the name of two apostles in the New Testament, royal connections as both Kings of England and Scotland, presidential as six US Chief Executives named James, and is shared by countless amazing writers and entertainers.
James was recently named as number one in a poll of America’s favorite baby boy’s names.
Popular Nicknames For James
- Jamies
- Jimmy
- Jim
- Jimbo
- Jambo
- Jem
- Hyamez
- Jamon
- Jim Jam
- Jamie
- Jumblat
- Jamey
- Jamo
- Jay
- Jimbob
- Jimothy
- Jimbothy
- Jimothan
- Jamesie
- Jaime
- Jaim
- Jimmothy
- Jimmer
- Jes
- JJ
- Jamison
- Jay
- Jae
- Jimi
- Jame
- Jess
- Jamus
- Ames
- Aymes
- Joe
- Jake
- Jemmy
- Jeree
- Jimi
- Jimlee
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Funny Nicknames For James
- J-Man
- Jam-zee
- Jase
- Jace
- Aim
- Jimsey
- Jimmy-James
- Jamesey
- Jammies
- Jas
- Double J
- Jay-z
- JoJay
- Jamz
- Jimberly
- Jay-mo
- Jimmy-Joe
- Jimmity
- Jammity
- Jimmy-lee
- Ja-Mez
- Jameser
- Big Jim
- Yams
- Yah-Mez
- Jerms
- Jimbob
- Jamosh
- Jay-mis
- Jamus
- Jay-bird
- Jemmy
- Jamerz
- Jimbo Slice
- Jimmory
- Jimstatic
- Jimmy-boy
- Ha-Mez
- Hames
- Jamms
Famous People Named James
It will not surprise you that a name that was voted number one baby boys name has some notable name bearers. Here are some of those famous James from past and present.
- James Franco – An American actor and filmmaker. He was nominated for his role in the movie 127 hours.
- James McAvoy – A Scottish actor, who made his acting debut as a teen in The Near Room. He was mostly known for his television appearances until 2003 when his movie career began.
- James M. Barrie – A Scottish novelist and playwright who is best remembered as the creator of the infamous Peter Pan.
- James Buchanan – An American lawyer and politician who was the 15th president of the United States.
- James Lofton – American football player and coach. He is the former coach of the San Diego Chargers but is best known for his time as a wide receiver for the Green Bay Packers, Los Angeles Raiders, the Buffalo Bills, Los Angeles Rams, and Philadelphia Eagles.
This is just a very small selection of those famous and extraordinary people named James, there are plenty more great examples out there.
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Why Is Jim A Nickname For James?
One of the most common nicknames for James is Jim. But how did this come to be?
There are no hard and fast theories as to why Jim became a popular nickname for James, but the name dates back to the early 1800s.
Although for decades Jim was considered an unpopular name due to the “Jim Crow Law”, which came from an early 19th-century song and dance called Jump Jim Crow.
It was performed by white actors with blackened faces and the name Jim Crow quickly became associated with African Americans.
By 1904 Jim Crow aimed to promote segregation in the South. In the years that followed Jim has shed its racial past and is again a useable first name for boys in itself.
International Variations of James
These are some of the variations, diminutive and short forms of James from all around the world, and from different languages.
Many are the equivalent of James in different languages and these can make a great alternative nickname for anyone called James.
- Seamus – The Irish variant of the name James.
- Diego – A Spanish variant of the name James.
- Jacques – A French variant of the name James.
- Jaume – This is the equivalent of James in Catalan.
- Jacopo – An Italian variant of James
- Jacum – A Friulian variant of the name James.
- Jago – A Cornish variant of the name James.
- Jakab – James in Hungarian.
- Jaak – An Estonian variant of the name James.
- Jaakko – A Finnish variant of the name James.
- Jakes – A Basque variant of the name James.
- Jakov – A Croatian variant of the name James.
- Jakub – A Czech variant of the name James.
- Japik – A Frisian variant of the name James.
- Jekabs – A Latvian variant of the name James.
The Final Thought
There are plenty of different options available for nicknames for someone called James. They range from the more traditional to the funny and everything in between.
But nicknames tend to be the result of a personal experience with the person and usually have a story or event attached to them.
Nicknames often reflect the depth of your friendship or relationship with the person. With this in mind, you may have some less common nicknames for James’ in your life.
