Jim
Meaning
pet form of James, traditionally 'supplanter'
The formal names behind Jim
Jim is an established short form of this name.
James · Hebrew origin · traditionally "supplanter," the English form of Jacob by way of the Late Latin Iacomus; the name of kings, two apostles, and more US presidents than any other. Royal in Britain, everyman in America, durable everywhere: Jim, Jamie, and Jem included
Jim around the world
One shared root links 18 names across 5 languages.
Shared root: from Hebrew Ya'aqov, traditionally "holder of the heel, supplanter"; Late Latin split it into Jacobus and Iacomus, giving Europe both Jacob and James
The constellation
11 more branches of this family
Popularity, 1890–2024
Shape drawn from US Social Security baby-name records. Jim peaked in the 1930s and the 1960s in nearly equal measure.
See popularity in Brazil
Popularity in Brazil
205 people · the #24,961 first name in Brazil · about 1 in 1,000,000 · median age 34
Among people named Jim living in Brazil at the 2022 census, more were born in the 1980s than in any other decade.
Source: IBGE, Censo Demográfico 2022
When you meet Jim
People given the name Jim in the United States span the generations: the middle half were born anywhere from 1940 to 1969. Age is the one thing the name won't tell you.
Estimated from US Social Security birth registrations and typical lifespans; a rough guide, not a rule.
The Jim deep dive
Whether you’re naming a baby or exploring your own name’s history, this is a personal letter, not a list: where Jim truly comes from, how it traveled, and what a century of records reveals. If you have grown a tree on nametree, it also considers how Jim fits with your family’s names and surname.
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