Jaems
Variant of James, a masculine English name derived from Jacob, meaning "supplanter".
Name Census estimates that about 45 living Americans carry the first name Jaems. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jaems today is around 42 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jaems births was 1987 (10 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jaems. Below you will find a gender breakdown showing how the name splits between male and female registrations, a year-by-year popularity chart stretching back to 1880, decade-level totals, the top US states for this name, its meaning and etymology, and a set of frequently asked questions with data-backed answers.
Key insights
- • Fewer than 100 living Americans are believed to carry the name Jaems. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
45
~ 1 in 7,616,763 Americans
Peak year
1987
10 babies that year
Average age
42
years old
1989 SSA rank
#6,505
Tracked since 1973
Popularity
Jaems: popularity over time
The SSA tracks Jaems from the 1970s through to the 1980s, spanning 2 decades of birth certificate data. The biggest single decade for the name was the 1980s, with 42 total registrations. The name continues to be given at rates close to its all-time high, suggesting it has not yet fallen out of fashion.
Babies born per year
Decades
Jaems by decade
The table below breaks the full SSA timeline into ten-year windows. Each row shows how many male and female babies were given the name Jaems during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
Origin
Meaning and history of Jaems
The name Jaems finds its origins in the ancient Hebrew language, with roots tracing back to Biblical times. It is derived from the Hebrew name Ya'akov, which translates to "supplanter" or "one who follows." This name held great significance in the Old Testament, as it was the name given to the patriarch Jacob, son of Isaac and Rebecca, and the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.
In its Hebrew form, the name was transliterated into Greek as Iakobos and then into Latin as Iacobus. Over time, it evolved into various forms across different languages and cultures. The English variant James emerged from the French rendition of Jacques, which itself stemmed from the Latin Iacobus.
One of the earliest recorded uses of the name James can be found in the New Testament, where it refers to two of Jesus Christ's apostles: James, the son of Zebedee, and James, the son of Alphaeus. This association with early Christianity likely contributed to the name's widespread popularity among believers.
Throughout history, the name Jaems has been borne by numerous notable figures. One of the most famous was James I of England (1566-1625), who united the crowns of England and Scotland and commissioned the King James Bible. Another prominent figure was James Watt (1736-1819), the Scottish inventor and mechanical engineer renowned for his improvements to the steam engine.
In the realm of literature, James Joyce (1882-1941), the Irish novelist and poet, is celebrated for his pioneering work, including the seminal novel "Ulysses." The American philosopher and psychologist William James (1842-1910) is also remembered for his influential contributions to the field of pragmatism.
Lastly, the name Jaems has been carried by several military leaders, such as James Wolfe (1727-1759), the British Army officer who played a crucial role in the capture of Quebec during the Seven Years' War, and James Longstreet (1821-1904), a prominent Confederate general during the American Civil War.
These examples illustrate the enduring legacy and widespread use of the name Jaems across various cultures, religions, and historical periods, reflecting its rich and diverse heritage.
People
Jaems + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jaems as the first name? Click a combination below to see the estimate, or search any pairing.
Related
Other names starting with J
Other first names starting with J with a similar number of bearers.
FAQ
Jaems: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jaems?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 45 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jaems going back to 1880 and adjusting each cohort for expected survival using CDC actuarial life tables. The result is an age-weighted living-bearer count, not a raw birth total. That works out to about 1 in 7,616,763 US residents.
Is Jaems a common name?
We classify Jaems as "Very Rare". It ranks above 52.7% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 47 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jaems most popular?
The single biggest year for Jaems was 1987, when 10 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jaems is about 42 years old gives you a rough sense of which era contributed the most bearers who are still alive today.
What does the SSA popularity chart show?
The chart tracks births, not the number of people alive with the name today. Each point shows how many babies were given the name Jaems in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jaems a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jaems in the SSA data are male. You can see the full per-sex comparison in the gender distribution section above, which includes the latest year rank, birth count, and peak year for each sex.
Is Jaems still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jaems in 2024, and the page above shows its latest-year rank where available. A name can be well past its peak and still remain in steady use, especially if it built up a large population over earlier decades.
Why can a name have a lot of living bearers even if it is not trendy now?
Because living-bearer counts and current baby-name popularity measure different things. A name like Jaems can build up a very large population over many decades, even if fewer parents are choosing it now than they did at its peak.
Where does this data come from?
First-name figures come from the Social Security Administration's national baby name files, which cover every name on a birth certificate from 1880 to 2024. Living-bearer estimates layer in CDC actuarial life tables broken out by sex to account for mortality. The population baseline (342,754,338) is the Census Bureau's latest national estimate. You can read the full calculation on our methodology page.
Does every first name have Census demographic data?
No. The public Census first-name release only covers names that met the Bureau's publication rules, so many rarer names in the SSA files do not have a published Census demographic snapshot. In those cases, the page still shows the SSA trend, gender history, and state data.
How many people share the name Jaems?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.