James

James is a male name that entered the English language from the late Latin term "Iacomus", which is from the Greek term Ἰάκωβον.

Some claim that this is based on the Hebrew word for "Jacob" in the Old Testament, which became the Greek term Ἰακώβ. But in fact they are different names.

Some view the name "James" as being originally based on the Hebrew name יעקב "Ya'akov" ("holds the heel"). In Hebrew its diminutive form is קובי "Kobi", and in English "Jim" or "Jimmy".

James may refer to several different individuals:

• James the Apostle - son of Zebedee and brother of John the Apostle.
• James the Younger (or "the Lesser") - son of Alphaeus and possibly a brother of Matthew (evangelist).
• James the Just - the brother of Jesus and author of the Epistle of James
• James, father of Jude the Apostle

Further etymology

"[R]emember that the letters H,I,J,Y were created to vocalise slightly different versions of the sound I in Greek and Vulgar Latin. Sometimes G,Z,and X imitated those sounds."