James is an English language given name that is a derivative of the name Jacob, most commonly used for males. == Etymology == James is a modern descendant of the Hebrew name Ya'akov (original Hebrew: יַעֲקֹב), in English: Jacob. The Hebrew name went successively through the Latin form Iacobus, its derivative Vulgar Latin version Iacomus (cf. Italian Giacomo, Portuguese Tiago or Thiago (in ancient spelling although still used as a first name), and Spanish Iago, Santiago), and finally the Old French James. The final -s in the English first names is typical of those borrowed from Old French, where it was the former masculine subject case (cf. Jules, Miles, Charles, etc.).