Given name
Jimi
“she who supplants”·“he who supplants”
Jimi is a variant of Jimmi. In English use, Jimmi carries the interpretation “she who supplants.” In English use, Jimi is a diminutive of James. James is traditionally associated with “he who supplants” through its connection with Jacob. The explanation belongs to the biblical Jacob story, rather than describing a separate meaning created by the English spelling James.
Meaning & origin
What it means
Jimi is a variant of Jimmi. In English use, Jimmi carries the interpretation “she who supplants.” In English use, Jimi is a diminutive of James. James is traditionally associated with “he who supplants” through its connection with Jacob. The explanation belongs to the biblical Jacob story, rather than describing a separate meaning created by the English spelling James. Jimi is a variant of Jim. In English use, Jim carries the interpretation “he who supplants.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Jimi is a diminutive of James. James is the English and Scottish form of a name sharing the Hebrew ancestor Yaakov with Jacob. English developed a lasting distinction between the two; that separation is not universal across languages.
Explained through its name family
How it developed
In English usage, Jimi is a diminutive of James. In Finnish usage, Jimi developed from Jim. In English use, Jimi is a diminutive of James. The shared background comes through James: The route to James passes through Late Latin Iacomus, a variant of the Latin form of Jacob. This different Latin development helps explain how James and Jacob could become distinct English names while retaining the same older origin.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
The story
Published U.S. birth records include this spelling as early as 1944. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Jimi is a diminutive of James. The history of James gives this family its wider story. James was borne by two New Testament disciples: James son of Zebedee and James son of Alphaeus. James later became a recurring Scottish royal name: James VI of Scotland took the English throne in 1603. After James II lost that throne in 1688, his family’s supporters became known as Jacobites, drawing on the Latin form of James.
Combines direct and name-family evidence
Jimi through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 1,908
- 1,241 boys · 667 girls
- Most popular year
- 1971
- 66 babies
- 2025
- 0
- Outside the ranked list
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −28%
- Easing
By the numbers
The most recent published U.S. birth count for boys is 6 in 2024. Later missing counts do not mean the name went unused. Its largest published annual count for boys was 46 in 1971. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 1,754 as a first name in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Jimi’s family of names
In English usage, Jimi is a diminutive of James. In Finnish usage, Jimi developed from the English form Jim. Jimi has a related form in Jimmi.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Nicknames & forms 4
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
Spellings & scripts 1
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 1
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Jimi
- Jimi HendrixAmerican guitarist (1942–1970)
- Jimi JamisonAmerican singer (1951–2014)
- Jimi Blue OchsenknechtGerman actorborn 1991
- Jimi MistryBritish actorborn 1973
- Jimi Manuwamixed martial artistborn 1980
- Jimi HeseldenBritish businessman (1948-2010)
- Jimi TenorFinnish multi-instrumentalist, composer and producerborn 1965
- Jimi SalonenFinnish freestyle skierborn 1994
- Jimi SolankeNigerian poet1942–2024
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Appears in
Similar names
If you love Jimi, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Jona
“dove” · “God has given”
63% boys · 37% girls
Tobi
“God is good” · “The Lord is good”
60% boys · 40% girls
Jaime
“he who supplants” · “she who supplants”
91% boys · 9% girls
Tory
“victorious woman; winner; conqueror” · “one who pays homage to Ireland”
58% boys · 42% girls
Toby
“The Lord is good” · “God is good”
72% boys · 28% girls
Jazz
“refers to the style of music”
63% boys · 37% girls
Jody
“woman from Judea” · “God will add”
70% boys · 30% girls
Davey
“Beloved” · “darling”
61% boys · 39% girls