James in Irish: Seamus
The Irish form of James is Seamus. Here’s how to say it, where it comes from, and names that go well with it.
Updated September 2026
- Irish form
- Seamus
- Gender
- Boy
- Popularity in Ireland
- No. 4 for boys (2025)
How do you say James in Irish?
James in Irish is Seamus, pronounced SHAY-muss. It has two syllables, with the stress on the first.
What does Seamus mean?
Seamus is the Irish form of James. James is one of the English forms of the name.
Read more about Seamus: its meaning, origin and stories
How popular is James in Ireland?
In 2025, 359 baby boys in Ireland were named James, which made it No. 4 that year. It was most popular in 1994, when 859 baby boys were named James, No. 1 that year. The most babies got the name in 1964: 1554. The records go back to 1964, when 1554 baby boys were given the name.
See the numbers by year
| Year | Babies | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 359 | No. 4 |
| 2024 | 336 | No. 5 |
| 2023 | 369 | No. 3 |
| 2022 | 412 | No. 3 |
| 2021 | 442 | No. 3 |
| 2020 | 495 | No. 2 |
| 2019 | 534 | No. 2 |
| 2018 | 589 | No. 2 |
| 2017 | 619 | No. 2 |
| 2016 | 688 | No. 1 |
| 2015 | 697 | No. 2 |
| 2014 | 695 | No. 2 |
| 2013 | 746 | No. 2 |
| 2012 | 773 | No. 2 |
| 2011 | 796 | No. 2 |
| 2010 | 746 | No. 4 |
| 2009 | 711 | No. 5 |
| 2008 | 737 | No. 5 |
| 2007 | 713 | No. 5 |
| 2006 | 678 | No. 5 |
| 2005 | 699 | No. 5 |
| 2004 | 688 | No. 4 |
| 2003 | 626 | No. 5 |
| 2002 | 581 | No. 5 |
| 2001 | 613 | No. 5 |
| 2000 | 594 | No. 5 |
| 1999 | 629 | No. 4 |
| 1998 | 472 | No. 4 |
| 1997 | 757 | No. 3 |
| 1996 | 667 | No. 7 |
| 1995 | 766 | No. 2 |
| 1994 | 859 | No. 1 |
| 1993 | 747 | No. 3 |
| 1992 | 781 | No. 3 |
| 1991 | 866 | No. 3 |
| 1990 | 785 | No. 5 |
| 1989 | 854 | No. 4 |
| 1988 | 824 | No. 6 |
| 1987 | 940 | No. 4 |
| 1986 | 982 | No. 4 |
| 1985 | 944 | No. 5 |
| 1984 | 955 | No. 6 |
| 1983 | 993 | No. 6 |
| 1982 | 1034 | No. 6 |
| 1981 | 1098 | No. 6 |
| 1980 | 1087 | No. 6 |
| 1979 | 1023 | No. 6 |
| 1978 | 949 | No. 6 |
| 1977 | 927 | No. 6 |
| 1976 | 1010 | No. 6 |
| 1975 | 1033 | No. 6 |
| 1974 | 1059 | No. 6 |
| 1973 | 1002 | No. 6 |
| 1972 | 1128 | No. 5 |
| 1971 | 1190 | No. 5 |
| 1970 | 1130 | No. 5 |
| 1969 | 1186 | No. 4 |
| 1968 | 1275 | No. 4 |
| 1967 | 1349 | No. 4 |
| 1966 | 1446 | No. 4 |
| 1965 | 1464 | No. 4 |
| 1964 | 1554 | No. 5 |
Seamus in Ogham
Ogham is the oldest way of writing Irish. It was carved along the edges of standing stones, mostly between the 4th and 6th centuries, and read from the bottom up. In later tradition each letter was named after a tree or plant. Here’s Seamus, letter by letter.
- SSail, willow
- EEadhadh, aspen
- AAilm, pine
- MMuin, vine
- UÚr, heather
- SSail, willow
Write any name in Ogham with our Ogham translator
Names that go with James
Questions about James
- What is James in Irish?
- The Irish form of James is Seamus, pronounced SHAY-muss.
- How do you pronounce Seamus?
- Seamus is pronounced SHAY-muss. Two syllables, stress on the first. There's a short video above where you can hear it said.
- Is James a girl's name or a boy's name?
- James is a boy's name.
- How popular is James in Ireland?
- In 2025, James was No. 4 for boys in Ireland, with 359 babies, according to the Central Statistics Office. It was most popular in 1994, at No. 1.