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Boy · Hebrew, through English
Jimmy
Say it: JIM-ee
Meaning
A pet form of James, from Hebrew Ya'aqov (Jacob), traditionally read as 'heel-holder' or 'supplanter'.
Certainscholars agree on this meaning.
Common as an independent given name in the US for much of the 20th century.
Its wave through time
A fashion of the 1940s
In the United States
- 289,380 babies given this name since 1883
- At its height in 1944, about 1 in 215 boys
- 336 babies in 2020
Through the ages
Used by
The family of the name
Other spellings: Jimmie, Jimi
Famous bearers
- Jimmy Carter, 39th US president
- Jimmy Stewart, American actor
Names worth a look
Where this comes from
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
- United States Social Security birth records, 1880 to today source
Meanings and histories are compiled from the study of names and their languages and checked by a second review.
Meanings and histories are drawn from the study of names and their languages, each with a confidence rating; popularity figures come from official birth records. Name histories are a living field: if you know of a correction, we would be glad to hear it.