James
/dʒeɪmz/
noun
Origin
Hebrew
Ya'aqov — he who grabs the heel; supplanter
Overview
Meaning Now
- A male given name of Hebrew origin.
- The name of two apostles in the New Testament.
Literal older meaning
supplanter
Language path
Hebrew → Koine Greek → Late Latin → Middle English → English
Earliest form
James
Earliest period
13th century
Journey
The name James is a doublet of Jacob. In the transition from the Latin 'Iacomus' through Old French, the name diverged from the direct English 'Jacob'. It became the standard translation for the name in English-language Bibles, most famously the King James Version of 1611.
Evolution
- Biblical Hebrew
Ya'aqov
“he who follows/supplants”
Name of the patriarch Jacob.
- Koine Greek
Iakōbos
“Jacob”
Hellenized form of the Hebrew name.
- Late Latin
Iacomus
“Jacob/James”
A common variant of Iacobus.
- Old French
Gemmes/James
“James”
The form developed into the Middle English James.
Connections
Related across languages
Spanish
Jaime
James
Italian
Giacomo
Jacob/James
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Related to James
External references use DefinedTerm semantics.