Etymology & Historical Origin of the Baby Name Jamie
Jamie was developed out of Scotland as a diminutive pet form James. Later in the 19th century, Jamie turned unisex as it began to be used on girls (although it mainly became female the United States). Jamie comes from James, and James is the English equivalent of the Hebrew Jacob (from the ancient Hebrew “Yaakov”, traditionally thought to be derived from the word "akev" - which literally translates to "at the heel"). This etymology makes perfect sense if you’re familiar with Jacob’s place in the Bible. He was one of the twin sons born to Isaac and Rebecca and he "came out with his hand holding Esau's heel, so his name was called Jacob" (Genesis 25:26). The Lord told Rebecca that the younger (Jacob) would be stronger, and that the older (Esau) would serve the younger. As the Biblical story progresses, the cunning Jacob eventually “supplanted” his older brother by cleverly stealing Esau’s birthright and father's blessing. "Is he not rightly named Jacob?" Esau asks in Genesis 27:36. "For he has supplanted me these two times." Therefore, the name Jacob is also associated with the verb “to supplant” (displace, usurp). The Greek form of the name Jacob (Iakobos) was given to the Latin (Iacomus) which eventually got anglicized to James. Sounds strange, but this is how languages mutated over time and across geographical space. Historically it was thought that James and Jacob were two distinct names, but most etymologists now agree that James came from Jacob (even though the New Testament features two Disciples of Christ with the name James). James became popularized in Great Britain and adopted by English and Scottish royals in the 14th century onward. The nickname Jamie emerged out of the lowlands of Scotland and eventually spread beyond the Scottish borders. Today, Jamie can be found on the Top 20 list of most favorite boy names in Scotland, Ireland, and Northern Ireland. It’s a Top 50 most popular in England and also ranked relatively high in the Netherlands. The United States is the only country to favor the name Jamie for girls over boys!
All About the Baby Name – Jamie
Personality
OF THE UNISEX NAME JAMIE
The Number 2 personality in numerology is all about cooperation and balance. It's the number of diplomats and mediators. They are not leaders, but strive rather for harmony in partnerships. These are the peacemakers. Equality and fairness are important in their dealings, and they are willing to share power and responsibility to achieve a harmonious outcome. This personality is calm and patient, waiting for things to evolve instead of pushing aggressively for an outcome. They are good-natured and easy-going, and care deeply on an emotional and spiritual plane. Twos appreciate beauty and nature and are intent on making the world a better place.
Popularity
OF THE UNISEX NAME JAMIE
Jamie has a surprisingly long history as gender-neutral in America (dating back well over 100 years). Jamie is considered a boy’s name in almost all other English-speaking nations so it’s interesting to see how it’s almost always been more popular for girls than for boys here in the United States. The high point for Jamie’s popularity for boys was during the 1970s, while the late 70s and 80s were the most successful decades for the female Jamie. The feminine Jamie got as high as the Top 20 list between 1976 and 1979. The peak popularity for the masculine Jamie was 1975 and 1976 (ranked #62 on the charts). Now that we’ve entered the 21st century, the popularity of Jamie has slipped down to relatively low-moderate levels of usage, although the female Jamie is still at least 2x more popular than for boys. For girls, Jamie is often paired with a middle name (think: actresses Jamie Lee Curtis, Jamie Lynn Spears or Jamie-Lynn Sigler). For whatever reason Jamie is one of those unisex names that works equally well on girls and boys. It’s a friendly, simple name that sounds cute on a child but ages well into adulthood. It’s decidedly relaxed and laid-back; friendly and casual. It’s also one of those short forms that have been used as independently given names for so long now that it almost feels distinctly separate from its origin (Jacob/James).
Quick Facts
ON JAMIE
GENDER:
Unisex
ORIGIN:
English
NUMBER OF SYLLABLES:
2
RANKING POPULARITY:
N/A
PRONUNCIATION:
JAY-mee
SIMPLE MEANING:
At the heel, the supplanter
Characteristics
OF JAMIE
