James (name)

James came into the English language from the Old French variation James of the late Latin name Iacomus. This was a dialect variant of Iacobus, from the New Testament Greek  (Iákōbos), from Hebrew יעקב (Jacob). The development Iacobus > Iacomus is likely a result of nasalization of the o and assimilation to the following b (i.e., intermediate *Iacombus) followed by simplification of the cluster mb through loss of the b. Diminutives include: Jim, Jimmy, Jimmie, Jamie, Jimbo and others.