James History, Family Crest & Coats of Arms

Origins Available:
England-Alt
England
Ireland

Etymology of James

What does the name James mean?

The ancestors of the James family arrived in England following the Norman Conquest of 1066. The name James came from the personal name Jacob, the Latin "Jacobus" via the Late Latin "Jacomus." The Latin "Jacobus" is derived from the Hebrew name Yaakov which is traditionally interpreted as coming from the Hebrew "akev," which means "heel."

Early Origins of the James family

The surname James was first found in Surrey where they were granted lands by William the Conqueror after the Norman Conquest in 1066. Anciently they held lands in Normandy as St. James.

Early History of the James family

This web page shows only a small excerpt of our James research. Another 199 words (14 lines of text) covering the year 1210 is included under the topic Early James History in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

James Spelling Variations

Spelling variations of this family name include: James, Fitzjames, St. James, Jaimes, Geames and many more.

Early Notables of the James family

Sir Roger James of Surrey

James World Ranking

the United States, the name James is the 71^st most popular surname with an estimated 261,135 people with that name. 1 However, in Canada, the name James is ranked the 159^th most popular surname with an estimated 22,043 people with that name. 2 And in France, the name James is the 947^th popular surname with an estimated 5,534 people with that name. 3 Australia ranks James as 46^th with 41,206 people. 4 New Zealand ranks James as 73^rd with 4,726 people. 5 The United Kingdom ranks James as 46^th with 85,698 people. 6 South Africa ranks James as 357^th with 19,311 people. 7

Migration of the James family to Ireland

Some of the James family moved to Ireland, but this topic is not covered in this excerpt. More information about their life in Ireland is included in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.

James migration to the United States +

James Settlers in United States in the 17th Century

Edmund James of Northampton, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet
Thomas James of Northamptonshire, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 9
Mrs. Reana James of Northamptonshire, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 10
Mrs. Elizabeth James of Northamptonshire, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet. Found in Watertown. 10
Mr. William James of Northamptonshire, who arrived in Salem, Massachusetts in 1630 aboard the ship "Ambrose" as part of the Winthrop Fleet 10
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

James Settlers in United States in the 18th Century

Sarah James, who landed in Virginia in 1702 9
James James, who landed in Pennsylvania in 1703 9
Abra James, who landed in Virginia in 1713 9
Harry James, who landed in Virginia in 1718 9
Henry James, who settled in Maryland in 1739
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

James Settlers in United States in the 19th Century

Simon James, who arrived in Pennsylvania in 1802 9
Anthony James, aged 28, who arrived in New York in 1812 9
Daniel James, aged 39, who arrived in New York in 1812 9
Jane James, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 9
Mary James, who arrived in New York, NY in 1816 9
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

James Settlers in United States in the 20th Century

Mr. Henry James, (b. 1877), aged 23, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Louis" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 29th January 1900 en route to Marquette, Michigan, USA 11
Mr. Albert James, (b. 1862), aged 41, Cornish miner travelling aboard the ship "St Paul" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 20th December 1902 en route to Rosedale, New Mexico, USA 11
Mr. Henry Hubert James, (b. 1873), aged 30, Cornish mining engineer travelling aboard the ship "Germanic" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 8th April 1903 en route to Helena, Montana, USA 11
Mr. James Henry James, (b. 1861), aged 42, Cornish miner from Hayle, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Philadelphia" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 11th July 1903 en route to Ishpeming, Michigan, USA 11
Mr. John James, (b. 1877), aged 26, Cornish miner from St. Just, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Campania" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 25th April 1903 en route to Butte, Montana, USA 11
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

James migration to Canada +

James Settlers in Canada in the 17th Century

Henry James who settled in Harbour Grace, Newfoundland in 1681 12

James Settlers in Canada in the 18th Century

Mr. Jonas James U.E. who arrived at Port Roseway [Shelburne], Nova Scotia on December 13, 1783 was passenger number 471 aboard the ship "HMS Clinton", picked up on November 14, 1783 at East River, New York 13
Mr. Robert James U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 son of Benjamin and Sarah James 13
Mrs. Sarah James U.E., "Whitney" (née Whitney) who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 13
Mr. Stephen James U.E. who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 son of Benjamin and Sarah James 13
Mr. Benjamin James U.E. born in Connecticut, USA from Darien, Connecticut, USA who settled in Carleton [Saint John City], New Brunswick c. 1784 married to Sarah Whitney having 8 children 13
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

James Settlers in Canada in the 19th Century

Jane James, aged 34, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Alchymist" from Falmouth, Cornwall, England
Thomas James, aged 20, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Alchymist" from Falmouth, Cornwall, England
Ann James, aged 9, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Alchymist" from Falmouth, Cornwall, England
Caroline James, aged 7, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the barque "Alchymist" from Falmouth, Cornwall, England
George James, aged 36, a merchant, who arrived in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1833 aboard the ship "Lord Goderich" from London, England
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

James Settlers in Canada in the 20th Century

Fred James, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907
Walter L James, who landed in Saint John, New Brunswick in 1907

James migration to Australia +

Emigration to Australia included the First Fleet and Second Fleet of convicts, tradespeople and early settlers. Early immigrants include:

First Fleet

Mr. Richard James, (Dale, Thomas), Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall on 24th March 1787, sentenced to 7 years for being at large before the expiry of a sentence of transportation, transported aboard the ship "Neptune" leaving in 1789 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1790 8

Second Fleet

Mr. Harry James, Welsh settler convicted in Monmouthshire, Wales in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Third Fleet" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Mr. John James, British settler convicted in Worcestershire, England in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Matilda" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Mr. Philip James, (d. 1792), Welsh settler convicted in Monmouthshire, Wales in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "William and Ann" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Mr. Robert James, (Day), British settler convicted in London, England in 1789, sentenced to 7 years for stealing, transported aboard the ship "Atlantic" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9
Mr. Thomas James, British settler convicted in Cornwall in 1790, sentenced to 7 years for burglary from a house, transported aboard the ship "Atlantic" leaving in 1790 arriving in New South Wales, Australia in 1791 9

Following the First and Second Fleets, other convicts and early settlers arriving in Australia include:

James Settlers in Australia in the 19th Century

Mr. John James, British Convict who was convicted in Derby, Derbyshire, England for 7 years, transported aboard the "Earl Cornwallis" in August 1800, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 14
Miss Sophia James, (Rushton), Welsh convict who was convicted in Pembroke, Pembrokeshire, Wales for life, transported aboard the "Experiment" on 4th December 1803, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 15
Mr. George James, (Genn), English convict who was convicted in Surrey, England for life, transported aboard the "Duke of Portland" in January 1807, arriving in New South Wales, Australia 16
Mr. Thomas James, Cornish settler convicted in Cornwall, UK on 23rd March 1805, sentenced for 14 years for stealing tobacco from Robert Stephens of Mawgen, transported aboard the ship "Admiral Gambier" on 2nd July 1808 to New South Wales, Australia 17
Charles James, English convict from London, who was transported aboard the "Ann" on August 1809, settling in New South Wales, Australia 18
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

James migration to New Zealand +

Emigration to New Zealand followed in the footsteps of the European explorers, such as Captain Cook (1769-70): first came sealers, whalers, missionaries, and traders. By 1838, the British New Zealand Company had begun buying land from the Maori tribes, and selling it to settlers, and, after the Treaty of Waitangi in 1840, many British families set out on the arduous six month journey from Britain to Aotearoa to start a new life. Early immigrants include:

James Settlers in New Zealand in the 19th Century

Mr. Stephen James, Australian settler travelling from Hobart, Tasmania, Australia aboard the ship "Bee" arriving in New Zealand in 1831 19
John James, who landed in Bay of Islands, New Zealand in 1836
William James, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840 aboard the ship Martha Ridgway
Mr. William James, British settler travelling from England aboard the ship "Martha Ridgway" arriving in Wellington, New Zealand on 14th November 1840 19
John Charles James, who landed in Wellington, New Zealand in 1840
... (More are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

James migration to West Indies +

The British first settled the British West Indies around 1604. They made many attempts but failed in some to establish settlements on the Islands including Saint Lucia and Grenada. By 1627 they had managed to establish settlements on St. Kitts (St. Christopher) and Barbados, but by 1641 the Spanish had moved in and destroyed some of these including those at Providence Island. The British continued to expand the settlements including setting the First Federation in the British West Indies by 1674; some of the islands include Barbados, Bermuda, Cayman Island, Turks and Caicos, Jamaica and Belize then known as British Honduras. By the 1960's many of the islands became independent after the West Indies Federation which existed from 1958 to 1962 failed due to internal political conflicts. After this a number of Eastern Caribbean islands formed a free association. 20

James Settlers in West Indies in the 17th Century

Mr. Thomas James, (b. 1610), aged 25, British settler traveling aboard the ship "John" arriving in St Christopher (Saint Kitts) in 1635 21
Roger James, aged 29, who landed in St Christopher in 1635 9
Blanch James, a servant sent to Barbados in 1658
Elizabeth James, who settled in Barbados in 1670

James Settlers in West Indies in the 20th Century

Mr. John James, (b. 1860), aged 43, English builder from Carn Kea, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Etruria" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 11th July 1903 en route to Cuba 11
Mr. Fred James, (b. 1877), aged 26, Cornish miner from St. Blazey, Cornwall, UK travelling aboard the ship "Etruria" arriving at Ellis Island, New York on 11th July 1903 en route to Cuba 11

Contemporary Notables of the name James (post 1700) +

Phyllis Dorothy James "P D" James OBE, FRSA, FRSL (1920-2014), Baroness James of Holland Park, English mystery novelist, best known for her detective novels featuring policeman and poet Adam Dalgliesh
Henry James OM (1843-1916), American author and novelist, generally regarded to be among the greatest novelists in the English language, nominated for the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1911, 1912, and 1916
Brett James Cornelius (1968-2025), American Grammy Award winning country music singer, songwriter, and record producer based in Nashville killed when his Cirrus SR22T crashed near an elementary school, close to the Macon County Airport in Franklin, NC
Willard Donald James (1927-2025), American mathematician most known for his work on the James-Stein estimator, graduated with a Ph.D. in mathematics from University of Illinois in 1957, recruited to California State University, Long Beach as a Professor Emeritus (1967-1987)
Sharpe James (1936-2025), American politician from New Jersey, served as the 37th mayor of Newark (1986-2006), state senator for the 29th legislative district (1999-2008), longest-serving mayor in Newark's history
Elkin James (1933-2024), American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer, best known as Sweet Daddy Siki
Tom James (1929-2024), American politician, Member in the Texas House of Representatives from 1959 to 1963
Derwin Alonzo James Jr. (b. 1996), American football safety for the Los Angeles Chargers of the National Football League
Mark Howard James (1961-2023), American hip hop producer and DJ, professionally known as The 45 King and also known as DJ Mark the 45 King
... (Another 55 notables are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

Historic Events for the James family +

Dunbar

Mr. Adrian de Yough James, Australian passenger who died aboard the ship "Dunbar" when she sunk off the coast of Port Jackson (Sydney Harbour), Australia on 28th August 1857
Mr. John Thomas James (1881-1917), Canadian resident from Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada who died in the Halifax Explosion (1917) 22
Mr. Martin Curtis James (1921-1941), Australian Able Seaman from Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia, who sailed into battle aboard HMAS Sydney II and died in the sinking 23
Mr. Jack James (b. 1915), Scottish Royal Navy able seaman from Cromarty, Highland, Scotland was stationed aboard the "HMS Halsted" when it was struck by torpedo by Jaguar and Mowe of the Cherbourg coast on 11th June 1944, he did not survive
Mr. Phillip A James (b. 1922), English Ordinary Seaman serving for the Royal Navy from Radford, Coventry, England, who sailed into battle and died in the HMS Hood sinking 24
... (Another 37 entries are available in all our PDF Extended History products and printed products wherever possible.)

The James Motto +

The motto was originally a war cry or slogan. Mottoes first began to be shown with arms in the 14th and 15th centuries, but were not in general use until the 17th century. Thus the oldest coats of arms generally do not include a motto. Mottoes seldom form part of the grant of arms: Under most heraldic authorities, a motto is an optional component of the coat of arms, and can be added to or changed at will; many families have chosen not to display a motto.

Motto: Victor

Sources +

"What are the 5,000 Most Common Last Names in the U.S.?". NameCensus.com, https://namecensus.com/last-names/
"Surnames Meanings, Origins & Distribution Maps - Forebears." Forebears, https://forebears.io/surnames
http://www.journaldesfemmes.com/nom-de-famille/nom/
"Most Common Last Names in Australia." Forebears, https://forebears.io/australia/surnames
"Most Common Last Names in New Zealand." Forebears, https://forebears.io/new-zealand/surnames
"UK surname ranking." UK Surname map, https://www.surnamemap.eu/unitedkingdom/surnames_ranking.php?p=10
"Most Common Last Names in South Africa." Forebears, https://forebears.io/south-africa/surnames
Convict Records of Australia. Retrieved 4th February 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships
Filby, P. William, Meyer, Mary K., Passenger and immigration lists index : a guide to published arrival records of about 500,000 passengers who came to the United States and Canada in the seventeenth, eighteenth, and nineteenth centuries. 1982-1985 Cumulated Supplements in Four Volumes Detroit, Mich. : Gale Research Co., 1985, Print (ISBN 0-8103-1795-8)
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved January 6th 2023 from https://www.packrat-pro.com/ships/shiplist.htm
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 3rd May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_ellis_island_1892_on.pdf
Seary E.R., Family Names of the Island of Newfoundland, Montreal: McGill's-Queen's Universtity Press 1998 ISBN 0-7735-1782-0
Rubincam, Milton. The Old United Empire Loyalists List. Genealogical Publishing Co., Inc, 1976. (Originally published as; United Empire Loyalists. The Centennial of the Settlement of Upper Canada. Rose Publishing Company, 1885.) ISBN 0-8063-0331-X
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 13th August 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/earl-cornwallis
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 22nd March 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/coromandel-and-experiment
Convict Records Voyages to Australia (Retrieved 28th July 2021). Retrieved from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/duke-of-portland
Cornwall Online Parish Clerks. (Retrieved 30th May 2018). Retrieved from http://www.opc-cornwall.org/Resc/pdfs/emigration_australia_convicts.pdf
State Library of Queensland. (Retrieved 2016, October 27) Ann voyage to New South Wales, Australia in 1809 with 200 passengers. Retrieved from http://www.convictrecords.com.au/ships/ann/1809
New Zealand Yesteryears Passenger Lists 1800 to 1900 (Retrieved 17th October 2018). Retrieved from http://www.yesteryears.co.nz/shipping/passlist.html
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_West_Indies
Pilgrim Ship's of 1600's. Retrieved October 4th 2021 from https://convictrecords.com.au/ships/daphne
Halifax Explosion Book of Remembrance | Maritime Museum of the Atlantic. (Retrieved 2014, June 23) . Retrieved from https://maritimemuseum.novascotia.ca/what-see-do/halifax-explosion/halifax-explosion-book-remembrance
HMAS Sydney II, Finding Sydney Foundation - Roll of Honour. (Retrieved 2014, April 24) . Retrieved from http://www.findingsydney.com/roll.asp
H.M.S. Hood Association-Battle Cruiser Hood: Crew Information - H.M.S. Hood Rolls of Honour, Men Lost in the Sinking of H.M.S. Hood, 24th May 1941. (Retrieved 2016, July 15) . Retrieved from http://www.hmshood.com/crew/memorial/roh_24may41.htm