Given name & surname
Jimmy
“he who supplants”·“she who supplants”
Jimmy is an affectionate form 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. Jimmy is an affectionate form of Jim. In English use, Jim carries the interpretation “he who supplants.”
Meaning & origin
What it means
Jimmy is an affectionate form 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. Jimmy is an affectionate form of Jim. In English use, Jim carries the interpretation “he who supplants.” Jimmy is a variant of Jimmi. In English use, Jimmi carries the interpretation “she who supplants.”
Explained through its name family
Where it comes from
Jimmy is an affectionate form 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 French usage, Jimmy is a diminutive of James. Jimmy is an affectionate form 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 1883. This is the earliest published observation available here, rather than a date for the name’s origin. Jimmy is an affectionate form 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
Jimmy through the years
- Babies since 1880
- 290,955
- 288,737 boys · 2,218 girls
- Most popular year
- 1947
- 7,938 babies
- 2025
- 291
- #847 for boys
- 2021–25 vs 2016–20
- −27%
- Easing
Where it’s given
By the numbers
In 2025, this name appeared in 291 U.S. birth records for boys, ranking No. 847 among boys’ names. Average annual use for boys was 26.6% lower in 2021–2025 than in 2016–2020. Its largest published annual count for boys was 7,881 in 1947. In 2025, California had the largest reported state-level birth count for boys with this name (39). Published U.S. population figures for this spelling include 173,056 as a first name in 2020; 656 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.
Jimmy’s family of names
In French usage, Jimmy is a diminutive of James. Jimmy has a feminine form in Jimmi. In English usage, Jimmy has a conventional equivalent in the Portuguese form Jacob.
Inner ring: spellings · middle: nicknames and forms · outer: across languages.
Around the world
Jimmy has relatives in 12 languages.
14 related names in 12 languages. Point at a dot, or tab to the map and use the arrow keys.
Nicknames & forms 11
Diminutives, pet forms, short forms and variants used alongside the name.
- Jamesfull form · English, French
- Jimfull form · English
- Jimmievariant · English, Swedish
- Jimivariant
- Jimmyelikely variant
- Jimmivariant · Danish
- Jimmmylikely variant
- Seumaidhdiminutive · Scottish Gaelic
Show 3 moreShow fewer
Spellings & scripts 3
The same name written differently, including transliterations into other scripts.
Across languages 8
Equivalents and cognates in other languages, plus older forms it grew from.
People named Jimmy
- Jimmy Walesco-founder of Wikipedia (born 1966)
- Jimmy Carterpresident of the United States from 1977 to 1981 (1924–2024)
- Jimmy PageEnglish guitarist (born 1944)
- MrBeastAmerican YouTuber, media personality and businessman (born 1998)
- Jimmy ConnorsAmerican tennis player (born 1952)
- Jimmy KimmelAmerican talk show host and comedian (born 1967)
- Jimmy FallonAmerican talk show host and comedian (born 1974)
- Jimmy MoralesComedian and former President of Guatemalaborn 1969
- Jimmy CliffJamaican musician (1944–2025)
Characters named Jimmy: Jimmy Olsen (comic book character), Jimmy Neutron (animated character), Jimmy Woo (Marvel Comics), Jimmy Valmer (South Park).
Listed by how widely each person is written about, which says nothing about the name itself.
Similar names
If you love Jimmy, these share its style, era, origin or sound, from outside its own family.
Jeames
“he who supplants”
>99% boys
Jakome
“he who supplants”
>99% boys
Jaim
“he who supplants”
86% boys · 14% girls
Jakom
“he who supplants”
—
Jozia
“God heals” · “God will help”
—
Jaemes
“he who supplants”
>99% boys
Jaem
“he who supplants”
91% boys · 9% girls
Xary
“princess; lady”
—