This surname is derived from the name of an ancestor. 'the son of John,' from nick. Jack; v. Jakes. It seems probable that for a short period after Jack was becoming the nick, for John, robbing James of the distinction, Jakes with an s answered for Jacques or Jacobus, and Jake or Jack without an s for John.

John le Warner, or Jacke le Warner, Norfolk, 1273. Hundred Rolls.

John de Bondec, or Jakke de Bondec, Buckinghamshire, ibid.

Jacobus Amadur, or Jakes Amadur, Lincolnshire, ibid.

1753. Married — William Jack and Elizabeth Davison: St. George's Chapel, Mayfair.

1788. — John Tobias and Elizabeth Jacks: St. George, Hanover Square.

Now considered a variant of John, but more correctly of James, from French Jacques, pronounced 'zhak.' As a forename we have Jak Donaldson in Cowpar Grange, 1453 and Jak Richardson in 1469 (Cupor-Angus, I, p. 129,154). Wil. Jak was tenant of the mill of Kethek in 1473 (ibid., I, p. 178), and Duncan Jak appears as a charter witness in Dundee in 1480 (HP., II, p. 187). Gilbert Jak was a resident of Vddynston in 1498 (REG., 478—479), John Jak held a tenement in Glasgow before 1498 (ibid., p. 500), and Katherine Jak in Stirling was charged with assault in 1545 (SBR., p. 40). Richard Jak in Auld Roxburghe was beheaded for slaughter in 1502 (Trials, I, p. 27), and Robert Jack, merchant and burgess of Dundee was "hangit and quarterit for false coin called Hardheads whilk he had brought out of Flanders" in December, 1567 (Birrel, Diary). William Jak who was admitted burgess of Aberdeen in 1554 (NSCM., I, p. 64) may be the William Jak who was "admittit maister of Saint Thomas Hospitall" there in 1580 (CRA., p. 39), and possibly the Wilyem Jaik who was elected deacon of the kirk of Aberdeen in the same year (SCM., II, p. 54). Thomas Jack, who was master of the Grammar School of Glasgow before 1574, Latinized his name Jacchaeus. The ship of Andro Jaik of Aberdeen was lost in 1577 (SCM., II, p. 47). Peter Jak held a fen in Scone in 1586 (Scon, p. 232), and Jonet Jak is in record in Kyndrochat in 1589 (REB., II, 227). The surname was not uncommon in Aberdeen in the seventeenth century (Retours, Aberdeen, 303,304). compare Jacque.

The French form of Jacob-us: v. Jacob and cp. Jack.

Jacques Bonhomme is in France (like Hodge and Hobb in England) a generic name for a rustic.

(French) Descendant of Jacques (the supplanter).

A nickname which has, like many others, become a surname. With respect to this appellation, it is curious that meaning, as it originally did, James, from the French Jacques, and Latin Jacobus, it should have come to be considered as a synonym of John. It was usually applied in a contemptuous way, as in Jackanapes, Jackpudding, Jack-a-dandy, Jack-at-a-pinch, Jack-in-office, &c.

A corruption of John, which signifies God's grace.

From the French, Jacques; a personal name.

The surname James derived directly from the first name. This in its turn is a form of the original Hebrew name Jacob, and first became popular through the two Apostles. The Hebrew Jacob comes from the word ‘aqob’ which means ‘supplanter’ or ‘usurper’ (all too appropriate in the case of Jacob, the son of Isaac-one of the earliest Jacobs-who deprived his brother Esau of his birthright).

The original Jacob became Latinised to Jacobus, and from this we get the French first name Jacques, as well as the identical Welsh and Spanish form Iago. The Latinised form later became Jacomus, and it is from this root that we get our name James. It is also the source of the Spanish form Jayme (Jaime), the Italian Giacomo, and the Irish version Seamus (pronounced Shaymus).

The name, in all its varied forms, began to gain popularity all over Europe during the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. It has been suggested that the name came to prominence around this time as a result of its having been brought back by the Crusaders, and this may have been a contributory factor.

The surname James has several variations, the most widespread being Jameson, Jamison, and Jamieson (which almost certainly derives from the Scottish abbreviation ‘Jamie’).

References to the name James start occurring in the English records around the turn of the twelfth century. One of the earliest of these is a certain Jam de Sancto Hylario who appears in the Early Charters for Northamptonshire for 1173-6.

The surname James is popular all over England (despite the closely related Jamisons being found almost exclusively in the Scottish lowland region). The greatest concentrations of James are now found in the West Country.

The ‘King James Version’ is another name given to the Authorised Version of the Bible which was ordered by King James I. The resonant style of this classic translation remains one of the finest examples of our language.

Jakes was a popular Elizabethan slang word for a lavatory-which accounts for the word’s frequent sly appearances in Shakespeare’s comedies. The word survives in our language today as ‘the Jacks’, a slang expression with the same meaning.

‘BBC English’ was created by the British phonetician, Arthur Lloyd James (1884—1943), who was the arbiter on all matters of pronunciation during the Corporation’s formative years.

Jesse James (1847—82) and his brother Frank were legendary Wild West desperadoes and bank robbers. Together they gunned down at least ten men.

Jameson’s Raid (29 December 1895) was Doctor Leander Starr Jameson’s ill-fated attempt to overthrow the Transvaal Republic by fomenting an uprising in Johannesburg. Mounted with Cecil Rhodes’ backing, Jameson and his fellow soldiers of fortune were surrounded and surrendered abjectly before they ever reached the city.

The United Kingdom has a Jameston and 3 Jamestowns. Canada and South Africa also have Jamestowns while 10 states of America have towns and cities bearing this name. In all, 18 US locations are name related. The name is geographically common around the world, including South Africa’s Jameson Park.

With about 127,000 namesakes James is the 40th most popular surname in England and Wales. (The name is not common enough throughout Scotland to be counted separately.) James is notably popular in and around Cardiff where an estimated one in about 115 families bears the name. In descending numerical order Bristol, Birmingham and Coventry are other James strongholds. Around the world James’s are most common in Sydney (one in 709 families), Melbourne (one in 769) and Wellington (one in 893). The United States has more James’s than the entire population of Southampton-an estimated total of just over 227,000 makes this their 89th most popular surname.