Given name & surname
Jimmie
“he who supplants”·“she who supplants”
Jimmie is a variant of Jim. In English use, Jim carries the interpretation “he who supplants.” In English use, Jimmie 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
Jimmie is a variant of Jim. In English use, Jim carries the interpretation “he who supplants.” In English use, Jimmie 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. Jimmie is a variant of Jimmi. In English use, Jimmi carries the interpretation “she who supplants.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
In English use, Jimmie 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, Jimmie is a diminutive of James. In English use, Jimmie 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 1880. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. In English use, Jimmie 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
Jimmie through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 135,266
- 112,267 boys · 22,999 girls
- Most popular year
- 1934
- 3,451 babies
- 2025
- 35
- #3,700 for boys · #15,961 for girls
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −33%
- Easing
Boys, girls and both
The balance of boys and girls given this name has shifted over time. Recent births are 92% boys.
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 30 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 3,700 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 34.4% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 2,837 in 1934. It also appeared in 5 birth records for girls in 2025. Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 47,100 as a first name in 2020; 416 as a surname in 2020.
From Social Security birth records and U.S. Census name counts for this exact spelling. Other spellings are counted separately.
Jimmie’s family of names
In English usage, Jimmie is a diminutive of James. Jimmie has a related form in Jimmy. Jimmie is an affectionate form of James.
The ring: nicknames and forms.
Nicknames & forms 5
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
People named Jimmie
- Jimmie JohnsonAmerican racing driverborn 1975
- Jimmie RodgersAmerican country singer (1897–1933)
- Jimmie WilsonAmerican singerborn 1981
- Jimmie DavisAmerican singer, songwriter and 47th Governor of Louisiana (1899–2000)
- Jimmie AngelAmerican aviator (1899–1956)
- Jimmie VaughanAmerican blues rock guitarist and singerborn 1951
- Jimmie WalkerAmerican actorborn 1947
- Jimmie NicolEnglish drummerborn 1939
- Jimmie EricssonSwedish ice hockey playerborn 1980
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jimmie, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Lemuel
“devoted to God” · “one who belongs to God”
>99% boys
Hiram
“my brother has been exalted”
>99% boys
Johny
“God is gracious”
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Willie
“will” · “desire”
98% boys · 2% girls
Nat
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Johnnie
“God is gracious”
68% boys · 32% girls
Willian
“will” · “desire”
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Artie
“strong as a bear”
93% boys · 7% girls