UK surname

James

An English surname derived from the Hebrew name Jacob, meaning "supplanter" or "one who follows."

In the 1881 census there were 58,683 people recorded with the James surname, ranking it #45 among surnames in the records. By 2016, the modern count was 89,879, ranked #40, up from #45 in 1881.

The strongest historical links point to Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff and London parishes. In the modern distribution records, the strongest local clusters include Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire.

Across the surname records, the highest recorded count for James is 90,439 in 2014. Compared with 1881, the name has grown by 53.2%.

1881 census count

58,683

Ranked #45

Modern count

89,879

2016, ranked #40

Peak year

2014

90,439 bearers

Map years

1851 to 2016

Key insights

• James had 58,683 recorded bearers in 1881, making it the #45 surname in that year.
• The latest modern count shown here is 89,879 in 2016, ranked #40.
• Within the historical census years, the highest count was 81,739 in 1911.
• The contemporary neighbourhood profile most associated with the surname is Rural Amenity.

Map

James surname distribution map

The map shows where the James surname is concentrated in each census or modern distribution year. Darker areas mean a stronger local concentration.

Distribution map

James surname density by area, 1881 census.

Year

Loading map

Lower densityMedium densityHigh density

Timeline

James over time

The table below tracks recorded surname counts and rank from the 19th-century census years through the modern adult-register period.

Year	Period	Count	Rank
1851	historical	43,049	#36
1861	historical	49,889	#30
1881	historical	58,683	#45
1891	historical	66,075	#40
1901	historical	72,097	#44
1911	historical	81,739	#37
1997	modern	81,727	#46
1998	modern	85,301	#44
1999	modern	86,155	#43
2000	modern	85,971	#43
2001	modern	83,818	#43
2002	modern	85,566	#43
2003	modern	83,513	#42
2004	modern	83,768	#42
2005	modern	82,689	#43
2006	modern	82,908	#43
2007	modern	83,770	#43
2008	modern	84,195	#43
2009	modern	86,653	#43
2010	modern	89,008	#43
2011	modern	88,053	#42
2012	modern	87,073	#42
2013	modern	89,152	#41
2014	modern	90,439	#40
2015	modern	89,857	#40
2016	modern	89,879	#40

Geography

Where James' are most common

Historical parish links are strongest around Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos), Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff, London parishes and Merthyr Tydfil. These are the places where the surname stands out most clearly in the older records.

The modern local-area list points to Ceredigion, Carmarthenshire and Pembrokeshire. Treat these as concentration signals, not proof that every family line began there.

Some modern areas include a three-digit suffix, such as Leeds 110. The suffix is a small-area code, so it stays in the table while the prose uses the plain place name.

Top historical parishes

Rank	Parish	Area
1	Ystradyfodwg (incl. Rhigos)	Glamorganshire
2	Bristol City: St Mary Redcliff	Gloucestershire
3	London parishes	London 1
4	London parishes	London 3
5	Merthyr Tydfil	Glamorganshire

Top modern areas

Rank	Area	District
1	Ceredigion 009	Ceredigion
2	Carmarthenshire 027	Carmarthenshire
3	Pembrokeshire 001	Pembrokeshire
4	Pembrokeshire 002	Pembrokeshire
5	Ceredigion 010	Ceredigion

Forenames

First names often paired with James

These lists show first names that appear often with the James surname in historical and recent records.

Historical female names

Sarah Ann Annie Alice Ellen Emma Emily Anne Florence Catherine

Historical male names

William Thomas Charles Richard Alfred Arthur Robert Frederick Albert Samuel

Recent female names

Sarah Susan Margaret Elizabeth Emma Mary Helen Nicola Karen Rebecca

Recent male names

David John Michael Andrew Paul Robert Christopher Mark Richard Stephen

Modern profile

Neighbourhood profile for James

Modern surname records can be compared with neighbourhood classifications. For James, this points to the kinds of places where the surname is most concentrated today.

These neighbourhood labels describe areas, not individual people. They are useful because surnames often cluster through family history, migration, housing patterns and local work. A surname can be strongest in one type of neighbourhood even when people with that name live across the country.

The UK classification gives the national picture. The London classification is more specific to the capital, where housing, age profile, tenure and population mix can look quite different from the rest of the UK.

UK neighbourhood type

UK Output Area Classification

Supergroup

Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities

Group

Rural Amenity

Nationally, the James surname is most associated with neighbourhoods classed as Rural Amenity, within Suburbanites and Peri-Urbanities. This does not mean every James household fits that profile, but it gives a useful signal about where the modern surname distribution is strongest.

Read profile summary

Group profile

This Group comprises older parents or retirees, with no resident dependent children, and with the lowest residential densities in this Supergroup. Predominantly UK-born, residents typically live in detached houses, although others do live in semi-detached and terraced properties. The level of multiple car ownership is the highest in this Supergroup. Most houses are owner occupied although social renting is also present. Many concentrations occur in high amenity rural locations, such as Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Wider pattern

Pervasive throughout the UK, members of this Supergroup typically own (or are buying) their detached, semi-detached or terraced homes. They are also typically educated to A Level/Highers or degree level and work in skilled or professional occupations. Typically born in the UK, some families have children, although the median adult age is above 45 and some property has become under-occupied after children have left home. This Supergroup is pervasive not only in suburban locations, but also in neighbourhoods at or beyond the edge of cities that adjoin rural parts of the country.

London neighbourhood type

London Output Area Classification

Supergroup

The Greater London Mix

Group

Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers

Within London, James is most associated with areas classed as Social Rented Sector Professional Support Workers, part of The Greater London Mix. This gives the surname a London-specific profile rather than forcing the capital into the same pattern as the rest of the country.

Read profile summary

Group profile

Mainly located in Inner London, these neighbourhoods retain a diverse employment structure, with some concentration in associated professional and technical occupations rather than skilled trades or construction. Social renting is more common and levels of homeownership are low. Many residents identify as Black. There is a lower than average rate of marriage or civil partnership, few that are very old (85 or over) and higher than average incidence of disability.

Wider London pattern

A Supergroup embodying London's diversity in many respects, apart from low numbers of residents identifying as of Bangladeshi, Indian, Pakistani or Other (non-Chinese) Asian ethnicity. There is lower than average prevalence of families with dependent children, while there are above average occurrences of never-married individuals and single-person households. The age distribution is skewed towards younger, single residents and couples without children, with many individuals identifying as of mixed or multiple ethnicity. Social rented or private rented housing is slightly more prevalent than average, and many residents live in flats. Individuals typically work in professional and associated roles in public administration, education or health rather than in elementary occupations in agriculture, energy, water, construction or manufacturing. Incidence of students is slightly below average. Individuals declaring no religion are more prevalent than average and non-use of English at home is below average.

Healthy neighbourhoods

Access to healthy assets and hazards

James is most concentrated in decile 10 for access to healthy assets and hazards. This places the surname towards the healthier end of the index.

Lower deciles point towards weaker access to healthy assets or stronger exposure to local hazards. Higher deciles point towards stronger access and fewer hazards.

Lower access Higher access

Neighbourhood deprivation

Index of Multiple Deprivation

James falls in decile 5 for neighbourhood deprivation. This puts the surname near the middle of the scale.

Decile 1 represents the more deprived end of the scale. Decile 10 represents the less deprived end.

More deprived Less deprived

Broadband speed

Fixed broadband download speed

The modern neighbourhood pattern for James is most associated with a typical fixed broadband download band of 30-40 mbit/s.

The scale below places that band in context, from slower local download bands through to faster ones.

Slower band Faster band

Area snapshot

Ethnic group estimate

Most common ethnic group estimate: White - British

This describes the area pattern most associated with James, not the ethnicity of every person with the surname.

Origin

Meaning and origin of James

The surname James originated in England and can be traced back to the 11th century. It is derived from the given name James, which comes from the Latin name Iacobus, itself a form of the Hebrew name Ya'aqov, meaning "supplanter" or "heel-catcher". The original Anglo-Norman form of the surname was Jacques, which later evolved into various spellings such as Jammes, Jamys, and eventually James.

The earliest recorded instance of the surname James appears in the Domesday Book of 1086, where it is listed as Jacobus. This document, commissioned by William the Conqueror, was a survey of landholdings across England and Wales. The name James is believed to have been introduced to Britain by the Normans after their conquest in 1066.

One of the earliest known bearers of the surname James was William James, a Norman landowner mentioned in the Domesday Book as holding lands in Gloucestershire and Worcestershire. Another notable early figure was Roger James, a monk from Canterbury who lived in the late 12th century and wrote several religious works.

During the Middle Ages, the surname James was particularly concentrated in the western counties of England, such as Somerset, Devon, and Cornwall. This may have been influenced by the presence of Celtic populations in these regions, as the name James has similarities to the Welsh name Iago and the Cornish name Jago.

In the 16th century, the James family played a prominent role in the English Reformation. John James (c. 1555-1629) was a prominent Puritan clergyman and author, while his son Thomas James (1573-1629) was a renowned biblical scholar and the first Bodley's Librarian at the University of Oxford.

Other notable historical figures with the surname James include Henry James (1843-1916), the renowned American novelist and literary critic, and Jesse James (1847-1882), the infamous American outlaw and bank robber known for his exploits in the American Old West.

Sourced from namecensus.com.

FAQ

James surname: questions and answers

How common was the James surname in 1881?

In 1881, 58,683 people were recorded with the James surname. That placed it at #45 in the surname rankings for that year.

How common is the James surname today?

The latest modern count shown here is 89,879 in 2016. That gives James a modern rank of #40.

What does the James surname mean?