Jimmy, of Irish and Scottish origin, is a diminutive form of the name James. It gained popularity in the mid-20th century, particularly in English-speaking countries like the United States and the UK. The name has been popularized by figures such as Jimmy Stewart, an iconic American actor, and Jimmy Carter, the 39th President of the United States. Today, it continues to be a familiar and widely used first name.
These statistics show a wide variation in the number of babies named Jimmy over the years, with peaks and troughs. The name's popularity seems to have waxed and waned significantly throughout the century, reaching its height between the late 1940s and early 1950s, with a total of 2218 births recorded in that period. However, by the end of the century, the number of Jimmy births had declined considerably, with fewer than 20 recorded each year from 1987 onwards, and just 6 in 1991. This suggests that while once a popular choice, the name Jimmy has since fallen out of favor.