Jamie is a gender-neutral given name of Scottish origin, derived from the Scottish form of the Latin name Jacobus, which means "supplanter" or "held by the heel." In the Bible, Jacob was born holding onto his twin brother Esau's heel, and so his name signifies that he would eventually supplant him.
The name Jamie is believed to have entered popular use in Scotland during the Middle Ages. It was originally used as a pet form of James, which itself is derived from Jacobus through the French form Jacques. However, over time, Jamie has come to be seen as an independent given name rather than just a diminutive of James.
In English-speaking countries, Jamie became particularly popular in the latter half of the 20th century. It was often used for boys but could also be given to girls, making it a unisex name. Today, Jamie is still widely used and continues to be popular as both a first and middle name.
Notable people named Jamie include Scottish actor Jamie Dornan, American singer-songwriter Jamie Foxx, and Canadian ice hockey player Jamie Benn. Despite its popularity, the name Jamie does not have any specific cultural or traditional associations beyond its Scottish origins and biblical significance. Instead, it is often chosen by parents for its simplicity, versatility, and appealing sound.
The name Jamie has seen significant changes in popularity over the years, with a notable surge in the late 1940s and early 1950s. From 1946 to 1957, there were more than 800 births each year, reaching its peak in 1955 with 1145 births. This trend continued until the mid-1960s, with over 2300 births annually between 1960 and 1969.
However, starting from the early 1970s, the popularity of the name Jamie began to decline sharply. The number of annual births dropped below 3000 in 1974 and continued to decrease steadily throughout the decade, reaching around 2500 births per year by 1981.
This downward trend continued into the 1990s and beyond, with fewer than 2000 births annually recorded between 1993 and 2002. The decline became even more pronounced in the early 21st century, with annual births falling below 1000 by 2006.
In recent years, Jamie has continued to be a relatively uncommon name for newborns. Between 2010 and 2023, there were fewer than 500 births each year, with the most recent data from 2023 showing only 358 births. Overall, over the course of these 149 years, a total of 270,222 children named Jamie were born.