The James surname
In the 2000 U.S. Census, 233,224 people carried this name — #80 among all U.S. surnames, about 1 in every 1,160 people counted.
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In France’s civil register
France’s register of deaths holds 2,907 people named James.
185 of them were born outside France. Those born in France came from 91 départements, most often Calvados.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they were born
Fichier des personnes décédées, INSEE — Licence Ouverte 2.0 · deaths recorded in France since 1970, by place of birth.
In Switzerland’s population statistics
254 people named James live in Switzerland.
They live in 17 of Switzerland’s 26 cantons, most of all in Zurich.
Where it concentrates, on the mapWhere they live today
Swiss Federal Statistical Office (FSO), «Surnames of the permanent resident population by canton», 2025, opendata.swiss · names with fewer than 3 bearers in a canton are not published.
In Poland’s population register
112 people named James have a registered home in Poland.
Of the 321 in Poland’s national register, these are the ones with a permanent address on file. They live in 15 of Poland’s 16 voivodeships, most of all in Masovian.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
PESEL register, Ministry of Digital Affairs of Poland (dane.gov.pl) — CC0 · living people by voivodeship of permanent residence, 20 January 2026.
In Belgium’s population register
At least 43 people named James live in Belgium.
Statbel only publishes a name in a municipality when five or more people there share it, so the real number is higher. Most of them live in Flemish Brabant.
Too few records to say where it concentrates region by region — these are plain counts, not shares.
Where they live today
Statbel (Statistics Belgium), family names of the population by municipality, 1 January 2026 — CC BY 4.0.
Who carried it
People named James,
with a public archive behind them.
-
Thomas James 1593–1635 · ship captain -
Robert James 1703–1776 · physician -
Laure-Auguste de Fitz-James 1744–1814 · lady-in-waiting -
Edwin James 1797–1861 · physician -
George Payne Rainsford James 1799–1860 · writer
Wikidata and Wikimedia Commons (CC0) · 165 lives in all are documented under this name.
Nearby in the index
Surnames next to James.
- Jama 1,227 · U.S. census
- Jamal 1,774 · U.S. census
- Jamar 623 · U.S. census
- Jambois 144 · U.S. census
- Jambon 156 · U.S. census
- Jame 256 · U.S. census
- Jamgotchian 107 · U.S. census
- Jami 177 · U.S. census
- Jamin 186 · U.S. census
- Jaminet 134 · U.S. census
- Jamis 114 · U.S. census
- Jammes 130 · U.S. census
When the index is not enough
This page says where James is.
A volume says what happened to it.
Every page in the index is free and stays free. The Heritage Volume is the long form: the full paper trail, the arms, the crossing — bound, and yours.