what is the last name james? i that like german or what?

Question

my boyfriend's last name is james and i wanna know what it is....i'd feel stupid asking him and we've been going out for like a month...lol
Sam

Answer 1

Apparently, it's British.

Check the link below for more info.

Answer 2

James
English: from a personal name that has the same origin as Jacob. However, among English speakers, it is now felt to be a separate name in its own right. This is largely because in the Authorized Version of the Bible (1611) the form James is used in the New Testament as the name of two of Christ’s apostles (James the brother of John and James the brother of Andrew), whereas in the Old Testament the brother of Esau is called Jacob. The form James comes from Latin Jacobus via Late Latin Jac(o)mus, which also gave rise to Jaime, the regular form of the name in Spanish (as opposed to the learned Jacobo). See also Jack and Jackman. This is a common surname throughout the British Isles, particularly in South Wales.
Dictionary of American Family Names, Oxford University Press, ISBN 0-19-508137-4
How is this helpful?

Naming patterns can help you learn more about your family’s cultural and ethnic background.
You might find alternate name spellings which are helpful when searching for family records.

Answer 3

It's most likely English and certainly British (English, Scottish or Welsh). Another English last name that's close to it is Jameson. James is not German. The German equivalent of James is Jacob and of Jameson is Jacobson.

Don't be afraid to ask your boyfriend. Your question won't be considered stupid but an indication that's you're genuinely interested in him. Another reason to ask is that sometimes people change their names (e.g. Anglicize it to make it easier to other Americans to pronounce and remember) when they come to America or enter a certain profession and it isn't always possible to tell a person's national origin from his last name.

Dean Martin, the famous Italian-American singer and TV/Movie personality of the 40's through 70's, was baptized as Dino Crocetti. If you were dating his grandson, also with the last name Martin, you'd never be able to guess his people's origin, wouldn't you now? Not unless you ask or he tells you first. Right?

Answer 4

James
This very interesting medieval surname has a confused origin. Like the personal name and subsequent surname Jacob, it has its origins in the Hebrew given name "Yaakov". This was Latinized first as "Jacobus", and then in the period known as "The Dark Ages" upto the 11th century a.d., as "Jacomus". The actual meaning of the name is also a matter for some dispute. Traditionally the name is interpreted as coming from the word "akev", meaning a heel, but has also been interpreted as "he who supplanted". Both of these meanings are influenced by the biblical story of Esau and his younger twin brother Jacob. Jacob is said to have been born holding on to Esau's heel, and took advantage of Esau's hunger to persuade him to part with his birthright "for a mess of pottage". For a name with such indistinct origins, it has proved to be a great success story, there being over seventy different spellings of the surname. This range from James, Jayume, and Jamie, to Giacomo, Cominetto, Motto, and Gimson! The personal name was widely used throughout Europe from the earliest times, whilst the hereditary surname is one of the first ever recorded anywhere in the world. The first recordings are to be found in England, because England was the first country to adopt both surnames and registers. Examples from early charters include Christiana Jemes of Cambridge, in the Hundred Rolls of the year 1279, and whilst one of the first settlers in the new colony of Virginia, was Lewis James, who left London, England, on August 21st 1635. The first recorded spelling of the family name is shown to be that of Walter James, which was dated 1187, in the Pipe Rolls of the county of Gloucestershire. This was during the reign of King Henry 11, known as "The church builder" 1154 - 1189.

Answer 5

Definition: Patronymic name derived from "Jacob" and usually meaning "son of Jacob." In English, Jacob and James are distinctly separate names, but throughout the rest of the world, the two are used interchangeably.

Also: James Surname Origin
(Origin Hebrew) The same as Jacob, he that supplants.

Answer 6

I think African...all the people i know with the last name james are black...like Lebron and Edg....

Answer 7

In that form, English. But why feel stupid, he might not know himself.

Answer 8

i actually think of that ur final call sounds cool guy...U could have some Russian/Ukrainian/Polish history n that's what makes u particular...Ur ANCESTORS. yet whilst u sense in any different case, then greater capacity 2 u bro.

Answer 9

anglo-saxon