How old is someone named James?
The average James is 54 years old.
Half of all living Jameses are between 40 and 71.
When was James popular?
James is a steady name: popular for generations, with a peak in 1947 but no single era. You'll meet Jameses of every age.
Popular names of 1947 · The most popular names of the 1940s →
Show the numbers by decade
| Born in | Babies born | Alive today |
|---|---|---|
| 1900s | 62,527 | 0 |
| 1910s | 276,392 | 0 |
| 1920s | 518,511 | 3,100 |
| 1930s | 550,385 | 70,000 |
| 1940s | 798,341 | 350,000 |
| 1950s | 846,311 | 560,000 |
| 1960s | 687,738 | 550,000 |
| 1970s | 447,543 | 400,000 |
| 1980s | 359,097 | 340,000 |
| 1990s | 245,648 | 240,000 |
| 2000s | 163,609 | 160,000 |
| 2010s | 140,143 | 140,000 |
| 2020s | 72,948 | 72,000 |
How many Jameses are still alive?
About 2.9 million Jameses are alive in the US today. That's 55% of the roughly 5.3 million babies named James since 1880.
Roughly half of all Jameses ever born are still living.
What generation is the name James?
About one in three living Jameses are Baby Boomers, born between 1946 and 1964.
Is James an old name?
Yes. James is older than 82 in 100 names on AgeByName.
Looking ahead: if babies keep getting the name at today's pace, the typical James will be 55 in 2056, about the same as today.
Is James a boy or girl name?
Almost entirely boys: 99.5% of living Jameses are men.
Names the same age as James
NAME TWIN
James's name twin is John. Of all 3,713 names on AgeByName, John's age curve is the closest match to James's: 97% alike.
Compare: James vs. Jimmy
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Questions about the name James
How old is the average James?
The average James in the US is 54 years old. The median is 58, so half are older and half younger.
How many people are named James?
About 2.9 million Jameses are alive in the US today, out of roughly 5.3 million babies given the name since 1880.
When was the name James most popular?
In 1947, when about 95,000 baby boys were named James.
Is James a Boomer name?
Partly. Baby Boomers are the largest group, about 36% of living Jameses, but the name spans several generations.
Estimates from Social Security Administration baby-name records (births 1880–2025) and SSA cohort life tables (2026 Trustees Report). Updated each spring. How we calculate this