Jamie Overview
- Meaning: Jamie is short for James, which means “supplanter” or “he who supplants” in Hebrew. It similarly means “leg–puller” or “heel-grabber” as a form of Jacob.
- Gender: Jamie is a unisex name, which is short for James and Jacob for boys and a stand-alone name for girls.
- Origin: Jamie’s origins are both English and Scottish-Gaelic as a short form of James, itself a version of Jacob. It began as the Hebrew “ya`aqob,” meaning “supplanter.”
- Pronunciation: Jamie is pronounced “JHEY-Miy” in English and “HAY-Meh” in Spanish.
- Popularity: Recently, Jamie ranked 624th for boys and 782nd among the top 1,000 U.S. names. It’s been a unisex given name since its peak popularity in the 1970s and is used more for girls than boys in the U.S.
- Nicknames: Jaa, Jae, Jay, JayJay, Jem, Jimi, JJ, Mimi.
- Variations: Chaime, Jacme, Jaimee, Jaimey, Jaimi, Jaimie, Jaimy, Jamee, Jamey, Jami, Jamii, Jamye, Jaska, Jaume, Jayme, Jaymee, Jaymie, Jaymie.
- Namesakes: Jamie Lee Curtis, American actress best known for Halloween (1978). Jamie Oliver, English chef and recipient of the 2010 TED Prize.
What Does Jamie Mean?
Jamie is an English nickname for both James and Jacob. James means “supplanter” or “he who supplants” in Hebrew. Jacob derives from the Hebrew name Yaakob, meaning “leg–puller” and “heel-grabber.” Jacob means “to follow,” “be behind,” or “to overreach.” Jacob also means “may God protect.” As a stand-alone Scottish-Gaelic name, Jamie’s meanings can include “meadow.”
What Is the Origin of the Name Jamie?
First and foremost, Jamie is a diminutive for James, originating in Scotland. James and Jacob come from the Hebrew “ya`aqob,” meaning “supplanted” or “seizing by the heel.” Jamie started as a boy’s nickname but has also been used for English-speaking girls since the 19th-century.
Jamie may be the male spelling and Jaime the female spelling, but there doesn’t seem to be any hard rules. Jamie was notably a royal-friendly name in the 14th-century Middle Ages. It was first used as a Scottish nickname but grew into a unisex name in the U.S. from the 1970s onward.
How Popular Is the Name Jamie?
Jamie has ranked 624th for boys and 697th for girls in the last few years. It first appeared in U.S. naming lists in 1884 and peaked somewhere between 1976 and 1980. Since then, Jamie has experienced a steep decline in the U.S., yet more girls are named Jamie than boys.
In the U.S., Jamie peaked at 18th for girls in 1975 but is usually ranked between the top 20 and 50 for boys in the UK and Ireland. In these countries, Jamie is still given to more boys than girls.
How Do I Pronounce Jamie?
Jamie is pronounced “JHEY-Miy” in English and “HAEY-Meh” when spelled Jaime in Spanish.
Is Jamie a Boy or Girl Name?
Jamie is a unisex nickname and given first name given to boys named James or Jacob.
Variations of Jamie
Many spelling variations for Jamie appear in English, though there are some great international variations:
- Chaime (Spanish)
- Jacme (Spanish)
- Jaimee (English)
- Jaimey (English)
- Jaimi (English)
- Jaimie (Spanish)
- Jaimy (English)
- Jamee (English)
- Jamey (English)
- Jami (English)
- Jamii (English)
- Jamye (English)
- Jaska (Finnish)
- Jaume (Spanish)
- Jayme (Spanish)
- Jaymee (English)
- Jaymie (English)
Nicknames for Jamie
Since Jamie stands for Jacob or James, it has some extra short nicknames:
- Jaa
- Jae
- Jay
- JayJay
- Jem
- Jimi
- JJ
- Mimi
Similar Names to Jamie
A unisex name like Jamie affords similar names for both boys and girls:
- Aiden
- Avery
- Bailey
- Casey
- Charlie
- Darcy
- Demi
- Drew
- Emery
- Hailey
- Harper
- Liam
- Manda
- Nathan
- Parker
- Quinn
- Riley
- Rory
- Verde
- Zach
Middle Names for Jamie
Middle names that work with Jamie vary from the traditional to the offbeat:
- Alexander
- Anders
- Andrew
- Carson
- Dylan
- Ellen
- Ernest
- Floyd
- Grace
- Katelyn
- Lance
- Lauren
- Lee
- Madison
- Ramona
- Randall
- Rose
- Sage
- Samuel
- Tyler
Sibling Names for Jamie
Jamie’s brother or sister will fit right in with any of these unique names:
- Abigail
- Ada
- Andrew
- Crew
- Drake
- Eddie
- Evelyn
- Everett
- Fiona
- Graham
- Griffin
- Hannah
- Josie
- May
- Natalie
- Reid
- Rowan
- Roy
- Ruby
- Sylvia
Famous People Named Jamie
Get inspired by some of the most famous people named Jamie:
- Jamie Bell: English actor known for “Billy Elliot” (2000).
- Jamie Brewer: American actress in the TV series “American Horror Story.”
- Jamie Briggs: Member of the Australian House of Representatives.
- Jamie Chadwick: English race car driver for Andretti Global.
- Jamie Cook: English guitarist in the band “Arctic Monkeys.”
- Jamie Finn: Irish footballer for the Irish national team.
- Jamie Foxx: American actor known for “Ray” (2004).
- Jamie Gold: American poker player who won the 2006 World Series of Poker.
- Jamie Grace: American Christian musician known for the 2011 song “Hold Me.”
- Jamie Hewlett: English comic book artist who created Tank Girl.
- Jamie Hyneman: American co-host of the series “MythBusters.”
- Jamie Langenbrunner: American ice hockey player for the New Jersey Devils.
- Jamie-Lee Kriewitz: German pop singer competing in “The Voice of Germany” (2015).
- Jamie Lynn Spears: American actress on the sitcom “Zoey 101” (2005 to 2008).
- Jamie Peck: American co-host of the “Everybody Loves Communism” podcast.
- Jamie Silverstein: American ice dancer and 2000 Four Continents bronze medalist.
- Jamie Sinclair: American-Canadian curler and three-time National Champion.
- Jamie Thomas: American skateboarder and founder of Zero Skateboards.
- Jamie Waite: Thai-English footballer for Lowestoft Town.
- Jamie Walsh: English rugby player for Castleford.
Jamie in Popular Culture
Jamie has been used by characters in TV series, video games, and films alike:
- Jamie: Character appearing in the English soap opera “Hollyoaks.”
- Jamie: Character from the 2008 film “The Anarchist’s Wife.”
- Jamie: Character name in the sitcom “Malcolm in the Middle.”
- Jamie: Non-player character in the video game Skyblock.
- Jamie: Title character in the 1950s TV series “Jamie.”
- Jamie Clapton: Character in the soap opera “Doctors.”
- Jamie Dutton: Character in the TV series “Yellowstone.”
- Jamie Fraser: Character appearing in the TV series “Outlander.”
- Jamie Grimm: Character in the “Funny” book series.
- Jamie Jolina: Character name in the game series “The Sims 3.”
- Jamie Kane: English title character in the video game.
- Jamie Lawson: Character from the sitcom “Small Wonder.”
- Jamie Lloyd: Character in the “Halloween” horror film series.
- Jamie Madrox: Name of a Marvel superhero character.
- Jamie McCrimmon: Character appearing in the “Doctor Who” series.
- Jamie Powell: Character in the 1980s series “Charles in Charge.”
- Jamie Sullivan: Character appearing in the film “A Walk to Remember” (2002).
- Jamie Tartt: Name of a character in the series “Ted Lasso.”
- Jamie Taylor: Character from the series “The Haunting” of Bly Manor.
- Jamie Tyler: Central character from the “Power of Five” book series.
Jamie FAQs
Jamie has links to both ancient biblical texts and Gaelic naming traditions:
Who Is James in the Bible?
In the Bible, James is one of Jesus’ twelve disciples. The Apostle James is not the same as James the Just, also known as Jesus’ brother. James the Apostle was also known as the first apostle to be martyred for his faith. Neither James was known as Jamie since it didn’t become a nickname for James until the Middle Ages in England and Scotland.
How Do You Say Jamie in Irish?
Séamus is the Irish variation of the English James. It still has origins in Hebrew and means “He shall seize by the heel,” “supplanter,” and “may God protect.” Séamus comes from James, linked to the Hebrew Yaakov, which we know today as Jacob. Unlike Sean, Seamus is considered a more traditional Irish name that doesn’t appear as much in the U.S.
