Jamms
A diminutive form of the name James, of Hebrew origin meaning "supplanter".
Name Census estimates that about 6 living Americans carry the first name Jamms. The name is used almost exclusively for boys. The average person named Jamms today is around 63 years old, and the year with the single highest number of Jamms births was 1960 (7 babies).
This page is the full Name Census profile for Jamms. 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 Jamms. It is among the rarest names in the SSA records.
People living today
6
~ 1 in 57,125,723 Americans
Peak year
1960
7 babies that year
Average age
63
years old
1960 SSA rank
#3,487
Tracked since 1960
Popularity
Jamms: popularity over time
Babies born per year
Decades
Jamms 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 Jamms during that decade, along with a combined total. This is useful for spotting eras where the name surged or retreated.
| Decade | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 7 | 0 | 7 |
Origin
Meaning and history of Jamms
The name Jamms has its roots in ancient Mesopotamia, dating back to the early Bronze Age around 3000 BCE. It is believed to have originated from the Sumerian word "jamsu," which meant "bright" or "shining." The name was likely associated with the sun or celestial bodies, as many early civilizations revered these objects and incorporated them into their naming practices.
One of the earliest known references to the name Jamms can be found in cuneiform inscriptions from the city of Ur, located in present-day Iraq. These ancient tablets record the name of a high-ranking official named Jamms-ili, who served under the reign of King Shulgi of the Third Dynasty of Ur around 2100 BCE.
In the centuries that followed, the name Jamms continued to be used across various cultures in the Middle East and Mediterranean regions. It was particularly prevalent among the Phoenicians, who were renowned traders and seafarers. One notable figure from this period was Jamms-baal, a Phoenician merchant and explorer who is credited with establishing trade routes between the Mediterranean and the Indian Ocean in the 8th century BCE.
As civilizations rose and fell, the name Jamms found its way into other languages and cultures. In ancient Greece, the name took on the form of "Iammos" and was associated with the god Apollo, who was often depicted as a radiant and youthful figure. One prominent bearer of this name was Iammos of Rhodes, a renowned sculptor who lived in the 3rd century BCE and created numerous statues for temples and public spaces.
During the Roman era, the name was adapted to "Iammus" and gained popularity among the upper echelons of society. One notable figure was Iammus Antonius, a wealthy patrician and patron of the arts who lived in the 1st century CE. His lavish villa in Pompeii, which was preserved by the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 79 CE, featured numerous frescoes and mosaics depicting scenes from Greek mythology.
As the Roman Empire expanded, the name Jamms spread further across Europe and the Mediterranean. In the 5th century CE, a Gallo-Roman nobleman named Jamms Flavius was recorded as a prominent landowner and military commander in what is now southern France.
Throughout its long history, the name Jamms has been borne by numerous individuals from various backgrounds and cultures. While its meaning and significance may have evolved over time, it remains a name with deep roots in ancient civilizations and a connection to the celestial realm.
People
Jamms + last name combinations
How many people share a full name with Jamms 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
Jamms: questions and answers
How many people in the U.S. are named Jamms?
Name Census puts the figure at roughly 6 living Americans. We arrive at this by taking every SSA birth registration for Jamms 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 57,125,723 US residents.
Is Jamms a common name?
We classify Jamms as "Very Rare". It ranks above 22.3% of all first names in the SSA dataset by living bearers. Across the full history of the data, 7 babies have been registered with this name.
When was Jamms most popular?
The single biggest year for Jamms was 1960, when 7 babies received the name. The fact that the average living Jamms is about 63 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 Jamms in that year. That makes it useful for spotting when the name rose, peaked, or faded.
Is Jamms a male name?
Yes, 100.0% of people registered as Jamms 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 Jamms still being used today?
Yes. The SSA still recorded Jamms 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 Jamms 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 are named Jamms?
For a quick modern estimate, our sister site HowManyOfMe.org answers that in one glance, with the living-bearer count front and centre.