# The evolution of the name "James" **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [March 16, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133 "2015-03-16T18:21:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![funky\_little\_lee](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e95f7d/32.png) [@funky\_little\_lee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/funky_little_lee)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/1 "2015-03-16T18:21:51Z")
I admit it, I’m a word nerd, and part of my nerdiness extends to analyzing names. Mostly you can see the similarities through different languages (John, Johann, Ivan, etc.), but “James” seems to be a real chameleon. How did it become “Diego” in Spanish? “Jaime” I can see, but that’s a nickname more comparable to “Jim.” But Diego? Where did that come from? Anybody know? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 6:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/2 "2015-03-16T18:42:40Z")
[Reference](http://www.behindthename.com/name/diego) [same source explains the Jacob = James thing](http://www.behindthename.com/name/jacob) So either the D comes from the T in “saint,” or it’s a separate name. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 16, 2015, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/3 "2015-03-16T18:58:13Z")
… they have their own transliteration and the combo they use in the first syllable of Diego isn’t in the key… _clutches her pearls and puts back of hand to brow_ **Dr. Drake** (et al.), do you happen to know if that b-\>m shift was a bit of weirdness or any other examples for it? ---
**Author:** ![Sarabellum](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sarabellum/32/3492_2.png) [@Sarabellum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sarabellum)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 12:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/4 "2015-03-17T00:34:23Z")
I thought “Jaime” was the Spanish equivalent of James. Isn’t “Diego” the equivalent of David? ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/5 "2015-03-17T00:41:26Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > … they have their own transliteration and the combo they use in the first syllable of Diego isn’t in the key… _clutches her pearls and puts back of hand to brow_ > > **Dr. Drake** (et al.), do you happen to know if that b-\>m shift was a bit of weirdness or any other examples for it? Well, there’s plenty of examples from Celtic, where the parallel sound changes /b/ \> /v/ and /m/ \> /v/ led to people guessing which sound the /v/ “really” was, and getting it wrong. Something similar may have been at work. Wikipedia says it went Iacobus \> Iacombus \> Iacomus, which is also plausible. It could also be just a substitution of sounds along the lines of English Will / Bill, Meg / Peg, Rob / Bob, etc. Names are weird. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 3:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/6 "2015-03-17T03:16:47Z")
> [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > I thought “Jaime” was the Spanish equivalent of James. > > Isn’t “Diego” the equivalent of David? No, David is the equivalent of David. (That’s probably the least changed biblical name around.) Jaime is, in fact, a version of James. But so is Diego. They come in by different routes. Just as English has James and Jacob derived from the same name. They came in through different routes. ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 5:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/7 "2015-03-17T05:30:19Z")
> [@Sarabellum1976](#): > > I thought “Jaime” was the Spanish equivalent of James. Yeah, spelled the same but pronounced differently from the English nickname for James, and as has been said, evolved separatedly. The two Davids (or _Davides_) are also spelled the same but pronounced differently. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 7:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/8 "2015-03-17T07:14:26Z")
> [@Dr.Drake](#): > > Well, there’s plenty of examples from Celtic, where the parallel sound changes /b/ \> /v/ and /m/ \> /v/ led to people guessing which sound the /v/ “really” was, and getting it wrong. Something similar may have been at work. Wikipedia says it went Iacobus \> Iacombus \> Iacomus, which is also plausible. It could also be just a substitution of sounds along the lines of English Will / Bill, Meg / Peg, Rob / Bob, etc. Names are weird. “B” to “M” is not that odd of a shift. They’re both bilabial sounds, with the former being a voiced stop, and the latter being a nasal. Pronounce “b” and “m.” You should feel your lips come together in the same position. This shift happens in a few dialects/languages including, for example, [Murcian Spanish](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murcian_Spanish). > [@](#): > > Change from b to m-: mandurria, Menjú (Abenhud), meneno, comenencia, moñiga, camota (cabota), etc… ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 9:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/9 "2015-03-17T09:12:41Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Yeah, spelled the same but pronounced differently from the English nickname for James, and as has been said, evolved separatedly. > > The two Davids (or _Davides_) are also spelled the same but pronounced differently. Explain James Rodriguez then. Pronounced as “Ha-miss” by commentators. Or is it a Columbian quirk? ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 11:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/10 "2015-03-17T11:52:12Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Explain James Rodriguez then. Pronounced as “Ha-miss” by commentators. Or is it a Columbian quirk? It’s a Spanish pronunciation of the English name. Rather like, hmm, can’t think of an example offhand…basketball player Juwon Howard, perhaps? (This would work better if he spelled his name “Juan.”) ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 12:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/11 "2015-03-17T12:41:25Z")
And the Giants have a pitching prospect this season named Joan… which really threw me when I looked at the box score. Ho-wan, of course, as in Miro. ---
**Author:** ![JKellyMap](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jkellymap/32/15880_2.png) [@JKellyMap](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JKellyMap)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 1:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/12 "2015-03-17T13:21:20Z")
> [@Amateur\_Barbarian](#): > > And the Giants have a pitching prospect this season named Joan… which really threw me when I looked at the box score. > > Ho-wan, of course, as in Miro. It’s Catalan (you might have known that). Nava, how is this name pronounced in standard Catalan? ---
**Author:** ![Frodo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/frodo/32/302_2.png) [@Frodo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frodo)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 1:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/13 "2015-03-17T13:41:00Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Explain James Rodriguez then. Pronounced as “Ha-miss” by commentators. Or is it a Columbian quirk? \Col **O** mbian\ ---
**Author:** ![AK84](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/85e7bf/32.png) [@AK84](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AK84)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/14 "2015-03-17T15:30:45Z")
> [@JKellyMap](#): > > It’s Catalan (you might have known that). Nava, how is this name pronounced in standard Catalan? Well not Nava and not a speaker of the Spanish langauges but, there was a Spanish soccer player called[Joan Capdevila](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joan_Capdevila) and per wiki > [@](#): > > Joan Capdevila i Méndez (Catalan pronunciation: [ʒuˈaŋ kədːəˈβiɫə]; To my ears it sounded a bit between “Juan” and a “Jou Ahn”. Spanish soccer team is quite interestibg. At one time they had a Xavi, Xabi and a Javi. I think all are the same name in (WAG) Catalan, Basque and Castillian. (Xavier, Xabier and Javier). At least they said Alonso half the time. ---
**Author:** ![Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/slow_moving_vehicle/32/291_2.png) [@Slow\_Moving\_Vehicle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Slow_Moving_Vehicle)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 4:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/15 "2015-03-17T16:06:38Z")
> [@Nava](#): > > Yeah, spelled the same but pronounced differently from the English nickname for James, and as has been said, evolved separatedly. > > The two Davids (or _Davides_) are also spelled the same but pronounced differently. Actually, the English hypocrostic for _James_ (well, the one you’re thinking of, anyway) is spelled _Jamie_, rather than _Jaime._ ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 17, 2015, 5:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/16 "2015-03-17T17:59:12Z")
I’ve met Irish and British Jaimes, Jaimies and Jamies. African-Americans aren’t the only ones who get creative with spellings. > [@AK84](#): > > To my ears it sounded a bit between “Juan” and a “Jou Ahn”. Aye; that J is like the one in English “jam”, at least in theory and in the most common dialect. > [@](#): > > Spanish soccer team is quite interestibg. At one time they had a Xavi, Xabi and a Javi. I think all are the same name in (WAG) Catalan, Basque and Castillian. (Xavier, Xabier and Javier). > > At least they said Alonso half the time. Aye again except for inverting Catalan and Basque, and a great example of how we end up referring by people by lastname so often. Between all the versions of Javier, it might be the most common name in Spain (currently Javier stands at #9 for men, with Francisco Javier at #11; add Catalan, Basque and “other” versions and yep, there’s a lot of them). ---
**Author:** ![Claverhouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/13edae/32.png) [@Claverhouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Claverhouse)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/17 "2015-03-18T01:07:09Z")
> [@AK84](#): > > Explain James Rodriguez then. Pronounced as “Ha-miss” by commentators. Or is it a Columbian quirk? Consider the Scottish ( Highlander ) variant: _Hamish_. Which is Scots Gaelic as opposed to Irish Gaelic, _Seumas_. _Jamie_ is the masculine Scots Lowlander form, more so than _James_ in previous centuries ( they might be baptised either way, but be called _Jamie_ the lad’s whole life ), as in **Jamie First and Saxt.** ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Drake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/ad7895/32.png) [@Dr.Drake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Drake)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/18 "2015-03-18T01:13:11Z")
> [@Claverhouse](#): > > Consider the Scottish ( Highlander ) variant: _Hamish_. Which is Scots Gaelic as opposed to Irish Gaelic, _Seumas_. Augh, no. Irish Gaelic is Séamas, vocative Shéamais. Scottish Gaelic is Seumas, vocative case Sheumais. The intial S before and E is pronounced like English SH in both languages, that being the closest phoneme to the English J. But in the vocative case, it’s pronounced like English H (as indicated by the SH spelling). So “shaymus” approximates the Gaelic version of the English name James, whether Irish or Scottish, and “Hamish” approximates the pronunciation of the vocative case (used for direct address) in Gaelic, whether Irish or Scottish. ---
**Author:** ![jz78817](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jz78817/32/1028_2.png) [@jz78817](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jz78817)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/19 "2015-03-18T01:31:22Z")
I had no idea my name was so complicated. ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [March 18, 2015, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133/20 "2015-03-18T02:51:12Z")
Will no one think of poor Iago (also James)? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-evolution-of-the-name-james/715133.md?page=2)