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Baby names

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Original poster

A nickname for James

118 replies

hulahoopqueen · 24/06/2021 18:40

I absolutely love the name James.
DH has a young and pretty distant cousin with the same name, (we don't see them often, so not too fussed about trouble with "stealing" the name), and the whole family uses the nickname Jimmy.
I don't know anyone called James, so Jimmy as a nickname threw me a bit. It turns out I can't get on with it as a nickname at all, to the point I'd avoid using the name.
I'm not against nicknames, I actually love Jamie as a casual version of James.
Anyone who knows a James, is that a common nickname? And if we used Jamie as an alternative to Jimmy, would that catch on?

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neady · 24/06/2021 20:03

We have a James in the family (not immediate) and he is known as Seamus and his son is Seamie. Shay could also be used.

Boofay · 24/06/2021 20:00

My husband is James. His mum calls him Jamesy sometimes. It's cute!
His only other nickname is Jimbob. Or twatface by me. 😬 Not sure you'll want that as a nickname!

YerAWizardHarry · 24/06/2021 19:58

My step son is 5.5 and is Jimmy in a jokey way but we live in Scotland so might have something to do with it. He is very much James 98% of the time

NeverNotChasingDreams · 24/06/2021 19:56

Jamie is a nickname for James, but is also a name in it's own right.
I like just James, though.

Juanbablo · 24/06/2021 19:53

The only James' I know that aren't called James are known as Jimmy. The rest are all just James.

MadeOfStarStuff · 24/06/2021 19:50

I think Jamie is a much more popular nickname for James than Jimmy, not sure why some people have been so confused by it!

There’s also Jay or he could just be James. I live somewhere where almost every name gets shortened, often to only the first syllable, but still know several who are just James

MoreMorelos · 24/06/2021 19:50

@Carrotsoupispoo

We call ours Jammy Dodger. It’s one of those names where you can get away with pretty much anything as a nickname
I do this and mine is 17 🤦🏻‍♀️
speakout · 24/06/2021 19:42

Hamish is a popular nickname for James in Scotland.

Aprilinspringtimeshower · 24/06/2021 19:39

My Close relative is a James. As a young child he was always Jamie or James. As a teen it became Jim by his close friends. Some of us particularly close to him used to call him jimbo in a affectionate humorous way. He was/is never a Jimmy. Just make sure you say to schools and teachers he is not Jimmy and never call him that and it’ll be fine.

DaxtheDestroyer · 24/06/2021 19:38

I have one too and he gets Jamesie, Jimbobs, Jimjam, Jam sandwich, Jay etc etc etc depending on who is talking to him. Never Jamie or Jim!
The only Jem I've known was short for Jeremy.

sempiternal · 24/06/2021 19:25

I have a Jamie and he's nicknamed Jim, Jimmy, JimBob, Jammy, Jimmer, Jammer, JimJam.... I could go on 😆 All those would work with 'James' too.

cariadlet · 24/06/2021 19:23

The children and young adults I know are James or Jamie. Older adults tend to be Jim.

Original poster
hulahoopqueen · 24/06/2021 19:23

Thanks everyone :) feel much better now!

OP posts:
30degreesandmeltinghere · 24/06/2021 19:21

I knew a James. Went by Jamie as in jam on toast with ee..

DelphiniumBlue · 24/06/2021 19:20

we have 2 family members named James. the old one is Jim, the young one is Jamie.
I've met quite a few Jamies under 30, all the Jims are 70+. Have never met a young Jim, it's probably due a revival!

DustyMaiden · 24/06/2021 19:18

I have a Jamie, his friends call him Jay, his sisters call him Jamiekins.

jobsagudden · 24/06/2021 19:17

A friend of mine is a James but everyone knows his as Jamie has always been his nickname and has stuck.

LadyMonicaBaddingham · 24/06/2021 19:16

My James has many nicknames. J, JG, Jamie, Jim, Jimbo. Plus all the other ones, most of which have nothing to do with his actual name. He just attracts nicknames 😂

Sally872 · 24/06/2021 19:14

I don't think it matters what ds1 is called unless one child was something extremely unusual and the other extremely popular.

But Jamie and a commonly used royal name will be fine.

Jamie could definitely be a nickname for James, but less control over nicknames so a but risky. You can insist people call him his proper name, nicknames are more flexible I would feel a bit high maintenence insisting people use Jamie not Jamsie etc.

resm · 24/06/2021 19:14

I have a cousin who has only ever got Jamie, but is James on his birth certificate. I'd say that's more common than Jim/Jimmy for younger generations.

ForeverFloating · 24/06/2021 19:11

My friend James is a Jamie, my BIL James is a Jimmy, seems to vary

Oncewassmith · 24/06/2021 19:11

I know a James that's has a nickname of Jonah (have no idea of the origin but love it as a name/nickname)

anothernamereally · 24/06/2021 19:10

The James I know went by Jamie as a child but James once he went to secondary

Maladicta · 24/06/2021 19:10

My 17yo James has always just been that. Some of his friends called him Jamie for a bit but he prefers James. Any other names he's called are by his mates in sports teams where none of them are known by their actual name.

sugarapplelane · 24/06/2021 19:10

My DH is a James, but always known as Jamie to friends and family